Tensions rise in the south of the country. 30 people detained ON PAGE 4 Tensions rise in the south of the country. 30 people detained Tepelena responds to the special forces with weapons ON PAGE 4

91 Albanian refugees deported from Italy ON PAGE 4 91 Albanian refugees deported from Italy The number of repatriated people reaches 16,000 ON PAGE 4

The overwhelming majority of Albanians are waiting to get back the money they lost 61 percent of the citizens surveyed believe that the promise made on June 9 at Flag Square will be fulfilled. Albanians are waiting for the Prime Minister to keep his word The overwhelming majority of Albanians are waiting to get back the money they lost Nano has the pyramid-scheme money 61 percent of the citizens surveyed believe that the promise made on June 9 at Flag Square will be fulfilled. Albanians are waiting for the Prime Minister to keep his word Crete: Milosheviçi mocks Nano After two weeks of insistence by the Albanian Government, Milosheviçi agreed to meet Prime Minister Fatos Nano during the Crete Summit. As observers and analysts of the Summit also point out, the Nano–Milosheviç meeting has value for the diplomatic archives (and for both participants), but not for concrete problems, which appear to have become more complicated after the meeting. There are numerous factors that made this meeting insignificant, and they are chiefly connected with the direct influence both participants wield in their respective countries and with the key issue of Kosovo. Without dwelling at length on an analysis of these factors, the systematic refusal of the President of the former Yugoslavia, maintained until six hours before the Nano–Milosheviç meeting, would be enough to conclude that this meeting served to further humiliate the diplomacy and politics of Mr. Nano’s Albanian Government, at Kosovo’s expense. Milosheviç’s refusal to meet Nano on the grounds that the Serbian side would not discuss Kosovo, considering it an internal matter of Serbia, followed by the meeting taking place only a few hours later, suggests that the Albanian side’s concessions were to the detriment of the Kosovo issue. It agreed to have the issue addressed in a humiliating manner solely so that it could present itself as a government committed to dialogue, along with other such phrases. Mr. Nano, treated in Crete like a beaten dog by Millosheviçi, with the meeting held under humiliating conditions, set the Kosovo issue back many years. He reduced the Balkans’ greatest problem to an issue of education, removed the possibility of a third party becoming involved in the Prishtina–Belgrade talks, and thereby further complicates the situation in Kosovo. By following the line of the New York talks, Milo–Millutinoviç, Nano is effectively turning the Kosovo issue into a minority issue, a view supported today only by the aggressive and chauvinistic nationalism of the Balkans. The New York line at the Crete talks between the Albanian and Serbian sides left Kosovo’s political factor out. In yesterday’s statement, the Prime Minister of Kosovo’s Government, Bujar Bukoshi, made clear that no one had a mandate to discuss Kosovo except its political institutions, which are recognized in Kosovo and in all Western chancelleries. This means that the Millosheviç–Nano meeting will not only have no positive effect on the situation in Kosovo, but has a real chance of making it more explosive. Millosheviçi’s use of Nano in Crete yesterday and his mockery of him show the dismal level to which the Socialists and their Government are reducing Albania’s foreign policy, placing it entirely at the service of Balkan conflicts and tactics. The Crete Summit once again showed how irresponsible Albanian diplomacy, its Government and the Prime Minister himself are. After this meeting, all that remains for Nano is to spin another round of demagoguery, talking about Balkan optimism and Balkan principles, while pretending to have dealt with the meeting with Millosheviçi in Crete. At the very least, this should serve as a lesson so he does not make himself so ridiculous. SH. PEPOHI After humiliating him for several days in a row, Milošević agreed to meet with the Albanian prime minister only at the last moment.

The political purge of the local administration continues to provoke negative reactions Majko, on behalf of his group, guarantees cooperation with local government Albert Brojka, Mayor of Tirana and also Chairman of the Association of Mayors, strongly denounces Council of Ministers Decision 451 of October 28, 1997, under which Socialist prefects are dismissing en masse the secretaries of Municipal Councils, District Councils and Communes. Brojka stresses that the dismissals are not accompanied by relevant grounds, but are carried out simply by treating those concerned as political appointees. This is unlawful, since the Civil Service Law clearly states that local government secretaries are civil servants and cannot be treated as political appointees. Mass dismissals among local government secretaries have also been condemned by the parties of the Union for Democracy, which have called this operation “Nano’s broom” and urged all dismissed secretaries to appeal to the courts to have the decision declared unlawful and not to leave their posts until a final ruling has been issued. The PD parliamentary group is considering appealing to the Constitutional Court to have Council of Ministers Decision No. 451 declared unlawful. This week, the Union for Democracy is organizing a meeting with all its local government officials, at which these purges will also be discussed. Also yesterday, Brojka, in his capacity as chairman of the Assembly of Mayors, compelled the chairman of the Socialist Party parliamentary group, Pandeli Majko, to sign a commitment agreement whereby the Communist majority would not sabotage local government’s efforts to serve citizens. By signing, Majko undertakes to institutionalize contacts and ensure sincere cooperation, and his MPs’ votes will not hinder the work of local government, which is controlled by the Democratic Party in most areas. S. L.

The Court will rule within the week. Sources say Nano will win, following pressure he exerted on the courts Lenders, excluded from taking part in the VEFA–Government confrontation, will be dealt with according to a distribution scheme that falls far short of the Prime Minister’s promise to return in full the money deposited in pyramid schemes ON PAGE 5 The dollar and the lek yesterday stood at 145 points Questionable control over foreign currencies Banks are adding dollars to the foreign-exchange market, currency traders say The European Democratic Union expresses concern over the situation in Albania Authorities should respect democratic principles

Expanded meeting of the leadership of the PD branch in Tirana. PD Chairman Sali Berisha also takes part Dialogue with the sections on preparing the PD for protests and elections was at the center of attention at yesterday’s expanded meeting of the Tirana PD. Participants included members of the PDSH leadership, members of the National Council, members of the Tirana branch leadership, the heads of group sections and coordinators. At this meeting, which addressed dialogue with the Democratic Party’s membership and the organization of group sections, those present included PDSH Chairman Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha, PDSH Deputy Chairman Genc Pollo, Secretary-General Ridvan Bode, and secretaries Beja, Minarolli and Demi. “There is a very legitimate request from the PD grassroots,” leader Berisha said at the meeting. “They want to know everything that was said and decided at the National Assembly. For this reason,” he said, “we consider it essential to hold an honest dialogue with the sections—with the body of PD members. This,” Berisha said, “is the main work we must do after the elections have been held and the National Assembly has concluded.” Berisha said that in the sections they must analyze the reasons for the defeat on June 29, but also discuss the alternative they have for the elections, since the June 29 election has made its case, and they have put forward the alternative of new elections. Furthermore, the PDSH leader said, the body of PD members must know the reasons behind this alternative. But the most important thing, he added, is that the PD must first consolidate and motivate itself, and this begins there in the sections, with the members. Berisha went on to make clear to those present that the PD is a party of protest and of alternatives; this must be clarified so that PD members are aware of what they should do next. Berisha said that they face a difficult alternative, whose purpose is to save Albania from this government of deceit and violence. “We did indeed accept the government,” Berisha said, “and we acknowledged the facts, but we did not approve of what it is doing in its brutal treatment of Albanians, Albania, the opposition and, in particular, the PD.” “There are many reasons,” Berisha said, “that give us the moral right and the political argument to demand new elections. They include violence, the illegal purges of PD members, selective disarmament, taxes that impoverish people and block development, the undermining of the independence of the courts, and the endangerment of the national cause. But the most important reason,” Berisha said, “is our insistence, every hour, every day, every week, that the government return the money it promised. In other words, we must convince Democrats to stand firm against those in power: either they keep their promise or leave office as great deceivers. Vranicki said the same thing to those in power and to Nano: ‘You promised money.’ It is unforgivable for us,” Berisha said, “to forgive those in power for this deception. So,” he judged, “we must remain organized, but above all we must talk with the sections and hear their views, in order to build motivation around every issue put forward for decision within the PD.” The secretary of the PD Tirana branch, Memia, spoke about a work schedule, the assignment of members of the National Council and the Tirana branch leadership, and meetings for dialogue in the sections. Leadership member Azem Hajdari, after praising this working approach and the need to maintain active ties between the leadership and the sections, called for regular discipline throughout all structures. Among other things, he said, this could be achieved by having all PD members approve the statute. The amendments to the statute are substantive and must be made known. Hajdari also said that they may have—and do have—a large membership, but what matters is how much of this membership is organized into groups and subject to discipline, so that it is ready to act when needed. This is what they must insist on in their work. Members of the PDSH leadership, the National Council and the Tirana branch leadership spoke at the meeting. They praised the efforts and made proposals for further organizing and consolidating work with the sections. Mentor SHEHU

After humiliating him for several days in a row, Milošević agreed to meet with the Albanian prime minister only at the last moment.

The parties of the “Union for Democracy” are organizing the first national meeting with the local government officials of these parties on November 5 at 10:00 at the Children’s Cultural Center. The following are invited to attend: district chairpersons, mayors, commune chairpersons, and the chairpersons of the councils of the districts, municipalities and communes represented by these parties throughout the country, as well as the district, municipal and commune secretaries of these parties. The parties of the Union for Democracy