The newly elected chairman of the Tirana court repays the Socialists for the favor ON PAGE 4

The unions: Workers have gone 9 months without wages, food or port expenses ON PAGE 5

The ghost of the “blank check” returns. Pashko: We expect to receive 1 billion and 200 million dollars. On 4 April 1996, President Berisha declared that 1.2 billion dollars had been secured for Albania’s infrastructure The Albanian government officials’ participation in the Rome Conference begins with a public deception. The Prime Minister’s adviser, Gramoz Pashko, said, even after the Albanian delegation arrived in the Italian capital, that aid of 1 billion and 200 million dollars was ready for Albania, in addition to the 370 million dollars in emergency aid. The figure cited by Pashko is exactly the same as the one former President Berisha made public on 4 April 1996, at the National Assembly of the Democratic Party. More than a year ago, the leader of the Democratic Party declared that Albania had secured 1.2 billion dollars in investment for infrastructure—exactly the same figure Gramoz Pashko is repeating today. There is nothing coincidental about what Nano’s adviser said, since there is already a track record of other meetings involving the prime minister at which figures have been brazenly fabricated. After Nano’s meeting with German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel, the government spokesperson and the official media deceived the Albanian public with claims about German aid of 400 million marks. As was later proven, it was nothing other than Germany’s contribution to Albania, which had been signed when Nano was serving a prison sentence for corruption involving Italian aid, in Bënça prison. During a visit to Germany by the Secretary General of the DP, Genc Pollo, it was confirmed several times that the story of the 400 million marks was, at best, a bad joke and, at worst, a major deception. There appears to be an exact similarity between the deception over the German aid of 400 million marks and the figure mentioned by Nano’s adviser one day before the Rome Conference began. His statement comes after an extremely cold reception for the Albanian delegation at Rome airport, where no Italian state official had come to receive Nano—only a junior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This icy atmosphere is made even worse by the fact that donor countries have greatly lowered the level of their representation at the Rome Conference, while some EU countries will not attend at all. Meanwhile, several human rights organizations have asked the conference in advance to attach strict conditions to any possible aid for Albania, because of the serious problems Nano’s government has created in the country. The opposition will be absent from the Rome Conference, having been denied the floor by an arbitrary decision of the Albanian government. With this act, which certainly cannot fail to affect the conference, the Nano administration proves beyond any doubt that it is determined to pursue its unrestrained revanchism and the political repression that has spread throughout the country since it came to power. The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Pedersen, said yesterday that successful reforms in Albania cannot be expected without the participation of the Democratic Party, without the participation of Berisha. Also, as everyone has been made aware, the Albanian opposition has been excluded from the Rome Conference because the Nano government did not want its voice heard by donor countries. Nano cannot deceive anyone in the West by bringing along a few people who in no way represent the real Albanian opposition. The absence of DP leader Sali Berisha at the head of the Albanian government delegation is, in fact, a true reflection of what has happened to the opposition in Albania since the day Fatos Nano’s gangs came to power. And yet, the opposition’s empty seat will not change its message in the slightest: it arrived in Rome many days ago—that Albania should be helped.

Monsignor Palia meets the Albanian Prime Minister Monsignor Palia of the Order of San Exhidios yesterday asked Nano to respect the agreement signed in Rome by the main Albanian political parties, which had committed themselves to pursuing national reconciliation after the 29 June elections. Their meeting took place shortly after Nano’s arrival in Rome, where he was reminded that many of the points in the agreement mediated by the Order of San Exhidios had been trampled underfoot by him and his government. Palia told Nano that the agreement stipulated that the State Audit Service and a substantial number of commissions would be headed by the opposition. Both of these very important points of the agreement have been treated with the utmost disregard by Nano’s government. The Rome Agreement was signed by Tritan Shehu for the Democratic Party and by Fatos Nano for the Socialist Party, a few days before the 29 June elections.

The National Council determines the candidates for the next chairman of the DP The leader of the DP, Sali Berisha, presents the preparations for the Congress, the DP — a nationwide centrist force. At this stage of preparations for the National Congress, the Democratic Party has devoted extraordinary attention to its sections, as the only way to broaden the basis for decision-making . ON PAGE 3

The meeting of the Vlora branch of the DP was held. Calls and cheers for the DP inside and outside the cinema-theatre in the city center Vlora Democrats: “We want the DP with Sali Berisha.” A minute of silence for the victims of the communist rebellion ON PAGE 2

Police car attacked Tirana — Armed individuals fired a burst of automatic gunfire yesterday at the car of the chief of police station no. 2 in the capital. The incident took place at around 14:30 near the brick factory, where Shkëlqim Xhabalfti and Çlirimi Boçi were killed, while another person was wounded and is in the military hospital. According to statements from the Tirana police, an investigative team has been formed to clarify the case and identify the individuals. Reinforcements of the public-order forces were seen on the capital’s streets yesterday. Checkpoints manned by police were immediately set up at the exits from Tirana, where every car was checked. Yesterday’s incident brings to 62 the number of people killed by the forces of law and order since the Mayist rebellion.

Prime Minister Nano cannot give up his drinking habit, even on occasions such as conferences or important international meetings. Immediately after arriving at Rome’s “Grand Hotel,” the Albanian prime minister headed straight for the club, where he placed the customary order for his favorite drinks. Unlike the drinks ordered in Tirana’s bars, which may not even be genuine, Nano seems to have taken to heart the idea of drinking high-standard alcohol during his trips abroad. This is also why, whenever he travels abroad, he increases the amount of drinks he orders and consumes. We sincerely hope that this situation of feeling unwell will not have a major impact on the results of the extremely important talks between the Albanian prime minister and senior officials of countries from which Albania expects assistance.

The OSCE emphasizes the role of the opposition in political developments in Albania VIENNA, October 16, Reuter — The chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, said today that, for reforms and reconciliation to succeed in Albania, the participation of the Democrats of former President Sali Berisha is also necessary. Danish Foreign Minister Nils Helveg Petersen said he hoped that Berisha’s decision not to participate in the meeting of foreign ministers, who will discuss reforms in Albania in Rome on Friday, would not represent a step backward for this Balkan country. “I hope his decision does not mean that the entire Democratic Party has no intention of participating in the reforms,” Petersen said at a press conference after a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council. “We felt Berisha’s and the Democrats’ participation in implementing the reform process was necessary,” Petersen added. Berisha was invited to join the delegation of Albania’s governing coalition, led by the Socialists and headed by Fatos Nano, at the meeting of foreign ministers in Rome. But Berisha said he would not attend because his request to present the views of his right-leaning Democrats on the situation in Albania—the situation under the government that was overthrown in March—had been rejected. The OSCE observed the June elections and helped coordinate the multinational force, made up of 7,000 soldiers, which supported the distribution of aid throughout the country and helped the country recover after the wave of anarchy triggered by the collapse of fraudulent pyramid schemes. Petersen said the OSCE now has the task of establishing civil order in Albania. “One of the main tasks now facing Albania is a difficult condition set out in writing. I personally believe that the OSCE must have a strong hand in this,” he said. Albania’s communist constitution fell out of use when the communist regime ended in 1990. Post-communist Albania has no Constitution, but only several constitutional acts drafted in 1991 and 1992.

The Saranda district PD conference was held. The Democrats were not broken by the criminal gangs of the PS ON PAGE 2

Join us in “Skënderbej” Square today at 18:30, all together, to protest against the kleptocracy, the Communist revanchism, political violence against the opposition, rising taxes and prices, and the great deception about getting the money back. Everyone, join us in Skënderbej Square at 18:30.

The Albanian government’s participation in the donors’ conference begins with a public deception