The Socialists deny the opposition the floor. Pollo leaves the hall, and the People's Assembly. Sit down! Agolli of 1997, with a post, like Adil Çarçani in 1991. The Kalashnikov deputies raise the National Anthem with the Internationale The former communists show their teeth on the first official day of the transfer of power Parliament opened yesterday surrounded by heavy military forces, under pressure to depoliticize the Assembly, in a cramped hall where half the deputies sit on borrowed chairs because there are not enough seats, where part of the public has been placed standing, in a place where even the right cannot rise to take the oath. The President of the Republic and several of the ambassadors accredited in Albania boycotted the opening ceremony of the parliamentary session. As was already clear before it even began, the assembly of the former communists was going to declare from the very first hours what sort of parliament it would be. Unworthy scenes for a parliamentary chamber began as soon as the session chair, PBDNJ deputy Vasil Melo, read out the names of the elected deputies to appear with their mandates. As soon as he mentioned the name of Sali Berisha and asked the Democratic deputy to come to the presidium table to receive his parliamentary mandate, the hall erupted in a hysterical shout of “out”, accompanied by ovations and a group of people waving fists and wallets in the air. As Berisha walked through the hall to receive his mandate, supported by deputies and leaders of the PDSH, the woolly world of the Social-Communist loudspeakers led the chorus in a well-known song from the dictatorship era, “Down with Berisha”. And what the opposition leader did not have to endure during the brief moment of crossing from the end of the hall to the central podium, where Socialist deputies stood up, blocked his way and pushed him forcefully. As soon as Berisha received the mandate, the PDSH deputies left the hall in protest. Immediately after that, chair Vasil Melo declared the session closed and left the hall. After this, PS deputies remained in the hall, declaring that the session would continue. The situation then became even more absurd. Instead of the session chair, PBDNJ deputy Vasil Melo, PS deputy and poet Dritëro Agolli stepped in. With a totalitarian tone, he ordered the commission for verifying mandates to be convened, without asking anyone’s opinion and without bothering whether the session had been closed or not. With the arrogance of a man giving orders to obedient tools, Agolli further ordered the Socialists to elect the commission. If PDSH had been in the hall it could have prevented this act, but the Democratic parliamentarians had meanwhile left. Despite PBDNJ’s protest on the grounds that the session had been closed, the Social-Communist deputies did as they pleased. At that very moment the poet of the “mother party” thundered: “Expel Vasil Melo from the session.” It should be noted that the PBDNJ deputies are the only non-socialist party that made it possible for the PS to take its own power of deals and bargaining. The height of absurdity was reached at the time of the vote for the mandates commission. Defying every parliamentary rule, Agolli did not even ask how many deputies were present in the hall. He proceeded with the standard question “For?” and, after applause from Socialist deputies, without worrying about the number of voters, declared the commission approved. Thus began the parliament that emerged from the elections of 29 June, with orders from political commissars and with the violation of every parliamentary rule. Instead of opening a new era, it gave rise to a frightening premonition of a return to the past. That was still only the first test. Immediately afterward Fatos Nano climbed to the top of the podium. For him, the mandates commission had still not submitted its report. It was a situation similar to that of 1991, when Adil Çarçani announced the government that emerged from the manipulated elections. Nano nodded to the Democrats, recalled the beginning of the failed socialist decade and declared with satisfaction that they were “on the wrong side of history.” This hall, filled with party officials, candidates for officers, women crying for the fallen deputies of the war, and people with dark glasses, stood up, applauded the PS leader several times, and began to sing in rhythm with the applause, “Nano, Nano, Nano,” as if it were a party meeting and not a state institution. It did not end there. When the idea of electing the speaker of parliament was put forward and Fatos Nano proposed Skënder Gjinushi, Socialist deputies began to sing “Enver, Enver”. This was clearly heard in the hall and repeated several times. After that, it was demanded that the anthem be sung. But instead of the National Anthem, part of the deputies began to sing the Internationale. Yesterday’s scene clearly showed what kind of parliament is being built in Albania: a vindictive, arrogant assembly ready to violate the law from the very first minute of its existence. View from yesterday's police cordon around the parliament of the Kalashnikov men

PD reacts to the intolerance at yesterday's parliamentary session The Democratic Party, with deep concern, yesterday conveyed the first statement of the parliamentary group of the Socialist Party at yesterday's session of parliament. It considered it a statement with a vindictive and anti-democratic spirit, not an expression of the will for understanding and cooperation. According to it, the Socialist parliamentary group, from its very first action, showed that it seeks to take full control of parliament and to exclude the opposition from its legitimate right to speak and to object. The PD stressed that yesterday's incidents, including interruptions, insults, and attempts to impose unlawful procedures by force, show that the PS is giving material form to a communist revanche. The response says that Socialist deputies are behaving like political commissars and not like representatives of citizens. The Democratic Party also denounced the fact that the session was held in the absence of the minimum conditions of normality and that the opposition was not allowed to express its positions. The statement emphasizes that parliament cannot be a place of verbal violence, party songs, and the exclusion of the political opponent. The PD called on all political forces and public opinion to condemn this climate of pressure and to support respect for parliamentary rules and political pluralism.

American observer, Mella, on the elections in Shqipar Do not reflect Albanian reality ON PAGE 3

The reformists' attempt to preserve the alliance with PS fails ON PAGE 3

Not a single moment of coexistence with the power of the Socialists The times ahead, I hope, will give all Albanians the opportunity to invest once again with the certainty of 5 years of democracy and 5 years of rebirth ON PAGE 5

Clashes in Malësia e Madhe, 26-year-old policeman killed ON PAGE 4 The 17-year-old girl who was abducted begs the villagers in Gramsh The driver of Naimi Dokle is killed ON PAGE 4 Police declare the border crossing point “Qifonë” at Kapshticë under control ON PAGE 4