Nano seizes Television
Albert Minga is appointed PS commissioner at RTSH. Illegal dismissal of Pollo
The revanchism of force and the militia
The successors of the red rebels of the south yesterday brought back to Television the notorious model of political commissars from the first years after liberation. These commissars, besides enforcing class struggle in television programs, also take care of the political control of the opposition, which was temporarily interrupted during the election campaign. The takeover of Albanian Television began yesterday at midday, when the deputy chairman of the PS, Albert Minga, appeared in the offices of the RTSH General Director, Ylli Polovina, and communicated to him the Nano government’s order appointing him as commissioner at Television. The role of Commissioner Minga, according to the order of the "Nano" government, will be to politically control Television as the government's representative and guarantor of the opposition's trust in the objectivity of Television. According to yesterday's media reports, Television had not been functioning normally for days. This was the result of the lack of a general administration after the departure of Ylli Polovina, who was dismissed by the government although legally he is on sick leave and cannot be removed from work. The offices of General Director Polovina had been unlocked for several days and untouched by anyone. This was exploited yesterday by Commissioner Minga and his entourage, to loot from the office, on the order of the Fino government, the premises and state property. The way RTSH was seized is as unprecedented as the takeover of state television by the Nano government. It was one of the television's deputy directors, called Lejon Shtylla, who, in contradiction with the PD government and the court decisions regarding the general director and the Television Board, found himself with an early mandate even in the provisional government and was empowered to legalize the takeover of Television. By decision no. 1 dated 8.8.97 of the presidency of the Albanian Radio Television Board, the technical deputy director of TVSH, Lejon Shtylla, was charged as acting chairman of the RTSH Board. Lejon Shtylla, on behalf of the Board, ordered the television and radio director, Dritan Hila and Bledar Hoxha, to immediately remove from the screen of Albanian Television the symbol of national heraldry, the portrait of our national hero Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu and the national flag. Also, the chief executive of Television opened the doors of RTSH, by order of Shtylla, for the employees dismissed from the previous administration. But according to the information held by the newspaper "Rilindja Demokratike", the Nano government’s order to place a political commissioner at RTSH was based on the secret and unconstitutional order of Prime Minister Nano. The order was issued on 30.7.97, at a time when Prime Minister Fino had not yet left office, while the leadership of the government administration of the Prime Minister’s Office was being handed over to Fatos Nano. The Nano government order states that the order is based on law no. 7494, dated 2.7.91, "On the Albanian Government", based on the proposal of Mr. Gjinushi, as chairman of the Board of Albanian Radio Television, and on the proposal of Mr. Bashkim Fino, Prime Minister. According to this order, the prime minister appoints Mr. Albert Minga as representative of the Council of Ministers at Albanian Radio Television. The reason for the appointment, according to Nano’s order, is that Mr. Minga will monitor and guarantee objective and impartial information from constitutional institutions in the public media. The order stresses that Minga has the right to change the structure and staffing of RTSH. Under this order he is accountable only to the prime minister. The conclusion that clearly emerges from this unconstitutional order is the return of Albanian Television under the direct control of the government, as in communist times. According to this order, Minga may carry out ethnic and political purges in the administration and programming of Albanian Television.
A tank in front of the building of Albanian Radio Television