Brokaj shrouds the missile affair in mystery ON PAGE 4

Italy assures cooperation with the Nano government ON PAGE 4

On Monday, 11 August 1997, at 11:00, the meeting of the National Council of the Democratic Party will be held in the Hall of the Palace of Congresses in Tirana. The agenda will be: - the political situation in the country; and - the PDSH position toward Parliament

Chronology of the installation of socialist power, from the murder of Agim Gjonpali to the violent political purges of the administration

The political phenomenon of these days is the dismissal of numerous administrative employees by the old rulers who have come to power, and the amendment of laws by the parliament of Kalashnikovs. Both of these new phenomena, after five years of democratic laws and the establishment of the foundations of professionalism in the management of the administration, are being pursued with the vote of 29 June by the Albanian prime minister himself, Fatos Nano. In a statement to the press yesterday, dust was also thrown over the small portion of honest votes that the socialists may have received. The voting that took place that day, regardless of the Western formulas that recognized neither its fairness nor its freedom, was not held so that people would take to the streets, along with the only wealth left to the country today after the communist rebellion prepared and carried out by the winners of 29 June. If this rebellion was quelled through a political solution, the other part of the communist rebellion, now clothed in power, is being directed against the Albanian administration. The vote of 29 June cannot justify the dismissal of ministry or other-institution drivers, any more than it can justify the dismissal of technical directors in dozens of Tirana institutions. Emptying the ministries of specialists and effective directors was not authorized by the vote of 29 June; nor was the amendment of laws, prepared more by the EC than by the directorates or offices concerned in Tirana, authorized by that vote. The dismantling of the values created by the PD government served the country and the nation, not the people in leadership positions in that party. During these five years, socialists and people from different parties were also part of the political axis of these values. The PD prime minister had several advisers around him who had worked in the same surroundings during the time of Bulli and during the time of Ahmeti. Clearly, professionalism prevailed over partisanship; had this not been the case, the PD government would not have achieved the successes it did—successes that cannot be undone even by the communists’ revolution, whose participants are now ministers. The meritocracy touted by Nano is nothing other than a harsh socialist factionalism that brings the street into the offices and vice versa. If everything were being done in the name of meritocracy, the Albanian prime minister should not be where he is, nor should a large group of government officials be there with him. Meritocracy cannot be applied after a political blockade, and it has not been formulated differently when the socialists are in power than when they were in power and appointments in various fields were made through the party. The PS must admit that it is driving out red socialists and re-evaluating them through reforms because socialists have not seen the arrival of their own party as an opportunity for everyone to benefit. Professionals, people who had previously been alienated by this party, by another party, or in 1991, became integrated into democratic processes and economic reform. There is no specialist in Tirana—or anyone else—who has not previously passed through those attractive alternatives of the Socialist Party during these five years. In the case of the purge of the administration, it is depriving itself and the country of the chance to compete with a dignified administration and to establish capitalism in a very short time. Many people remember who left Albania after the communists’ victory. (continued on page 3)

Head of the State Audit, defends the independence of his institution The former accuser of Nano over the embezzlement of aid reminded the current Prime Minister that he must repay the state the debt of 73 million new lekë ON PAGE 3

The Minister of Health is forced to “lick what he had spat out” ON PAGE 3

Associations for rights and freedoms declared partners of the socialist government Rolanda Dhimitri assured the President that she would spend the 1 million dollars provided by the Danish government in close partnership with the communist government. Her statement greatly concerned Mejdani, who was forced to correct her: “in partnership with the people and in opposition to the government” ON PAGE 3

Austria terminates agreement on service passports Vienna has unilaterally terminated the agreement with Albania on service passports, which until a few days ago allowed their holders to enter Austrian territory without a visa. Diplomatic sources report that service passports now require a visa for their holders to be allowed to enter Austria. The unilateral decision taken by Austria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a negative indicator of the decline in the level of relations between the two countries. According to the same sources, the main reason for Vienna’s decision to terminate the agreement signed with Tirana was the indications that Austria was being considered as a place of refuge or transit for many of the bandits implicated in the crimes and unrest that shook Albania. Vienna received sufficient indications that the new Albanian officials who came to power with the help of armed gangs had decided to provide service passports to many highly notorious criminals, whose continued presence in Albania would greatly compromise the Nano-Mediani clique’s cabinet. The information was such that it mobilized Austria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make the decision that kept Vienna’s [unclear] in view of the termination of the agreement, given the turmoil in the country best known for the communist rebellion that burned and destroyed Albania. This decision is a bad omen for Albanian foreign policy and a warning about the seriousness of the government; the parliament of Kalashnikovs is taking the country back toward the isolation of the former communist regime of Hoxha and Alia. A.GJ.

Ylli Buf i, 49 PSD signatures accuse Gjinushi Gaqo: “As soon as I picked up the tune chairman Keno taught me, presto, my ballot box was filling up on 29 June in Librazhd” ON PAGE 3

The Yugoslav diplomat and the Economy Minister shake hands on further cooperation in the “business” Albania is currently conducting with Montenegro ON PAGE 3

Since yesterday, TVSH has been TVPS Pollo, the man who worked for the independence of RTV, is ousted from his post in a coup and replaced by an extremist PS militant ON PAGE 3

“Union for Democracy” denounces the political purges by the installed socialist government and presents anti-revenge alternatives

Today at 11:00, a meeting of the FRPD National Council will be held at the PD Central Headquarters, with the participation of members of the National Council and FRPD chairpersons in the districts. The meeting’s agenda: 1. Analysis of the FRPD’s new role in the circumstances of the country’s new political situation. 2. Issues concerning the complete restructuring of FRPD structures. 3. Miscellaneous. FRPD Presidium

B.B [?] XHINJAR [?]