To help Albanians who want to know where the money from the pyramid schemes went ON PAGE 3

Secret meeting between the PAD trafficker and Chief Prosecutor Rakipi ON PAGE 6

Prostitution on the rise, a worrying phenomenon for society ON PAGE 6

Berisha and Pollo denounce in Patos and Roskovec the government officials who looted the money of the rentier companies “Ask Majko, when he comes to ask you for votes, where he got the 240 thousand dollars. Ask Malaj, too, about the 50 million lek he took from Cenaj to buy the Vlora Refrigerator Plant, two weeks after becoming Minister of Finance” Yesterday, in Patos

The French Embassy refutes speculation by the left-wing press regarding Berisha’s visit to France Chirac: I would have been very happy to receive you during your visit to Paris so that we could discuss various matters of mutual interest to our countries. However, the accumulation of new, pressing commitments during the week of your stay in France, when I must necessarily attend the European Council in Cardiff, makes arranging this meeting with you practically impossible. Paris, 12 June 1998 Mr President, As you indicated to the French Ambassador in Tirana, Mr Patrick CHIRACNAN, I would have been very pleased to receive you during your upcoming visit to Paris in order to discuss with you various matters of common interest to France and Albania. The accumulation of new, pressing commitments during the relevant week, when I must notably attend the European Council in Cardiff and make a trip to the provinces, unfortunately makes arranging such a meeting physically impossible. I sincerely regret this and very much hope that another opportunity to meet again will present itself soon. Please accept, Mr President, the assurances of my highest consideration. Jacques CHIRAC His Excellency Mr Sali BERISHA President of the Republic of Albania President of the Democratic Party of Albania TIRANA The chairman of the Democratic Party, Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha, yesterday received the Ambassador of the French Republic in Tirana, Patrick Chrismant, at the latter’s request. Ambassador Chrismant said that he was deeply shocked by the fabrications and slander in the Albanian press today concerning Mr. Berisha’s visit to France. He stressed: “I must tell you, Mr. Berisha, that President Shirak considers you his personal friend and a friend of France, and retains the friendliest feelings toward you.” The Ambassador of the French Republic told Mr. Berisha that the meeting in Cardiff and its extension were anticipated, and that no other reason had caused the postponement of his meeting with President Shirak. “I have received a message from President Shirak for you, in which, because of the extension of his stay outside France, he proposes another meeting with Mr. Berisha in the near future.” President Shirak’s message says: “As our ambassador in Tirana, Patric Chrismant, has informed you, your visit to Paris so that we could discuss together various issues of mutual interest to our countries. Because of the accumulation of new, imperative commitments during the week of your stay in France, I am obliged to attend the European Council in Cardiff, and arranging this meeting with you has therefore become practically impossible, for which I am sincerely sorry. I very much hope that we will have an opportunity to meet again soon. With warm regards, Yours, Shirak.” The chairman of the Democratic Party, Berisha, asked Ambassador Chrismant to convey his warmest greetings to President Shirak and his full understanding of the reason for postponing the meeting. He assured President Shirak that he was greatly honored by the official visit he was making to France and that, during his stay there, he would discuss all issues with Mr. Monodry and their other mutual friends, while looking forward with particular pleasure to a future meeting with President Shirak, a great and distinguished friend of the Albanian nation.

Support from Europe for the candidates of “Union for Democracy” Today, the chairman of the European Democrat Students Forum, Gynter Fehlinger, arrives in Tirana. The visit to Tirana by the head of the European Democrat Students is at the invitation of the Albanian Democrat Students Forum. The Democrat Students Forum is a recently established youth student organization. The founding meeting of this student organization was greeted by student organizations from Austria and Italy, and by the European Democrat Students Forum. During his visit to Tirana, the head of the European students will hold a series of meetings with his Albanian partners. On behalf of the organization he represents, he will also express full support for the candidates of “Union for Democracy” in the partial local elections. Sh.P.

The chairman of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, yesterday welcomed the meeting between French President Zhak Shirak and Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova, describing it as a historic event between the French Republic and the Republic of Kosovo. For me, this is a direct commitment by President Shirak, this distinguished friend of the Albanian nation and of France, to resolving the crisis in Kosovo and preventing a regional catastrophe, Berisha’s statement of welcome said.

Kosovo President rejects official Tirana’s invitation Rugova refuses meeting with Nano ON PAGE 3

The chairman of the DP, Sali Berisha, will take part today, at 10:30, in the rally being held in the city of Shijak to present the candidate for mayor of the “Union for Democracy.”

Here are the instructions Milo gave our diplomatic missions abroad ON PAGE 12

Violence against the director of “Filantos,” Bardhyl Murati The well-known businessman in Shijak, Bardhyl Murati, director of the “Filantos” branch, was attacked by customs police. While Murati was on the ferry of the regular route to oversee the arrival of the cars that supply him with goods, a group of four customs officers charged at him, and ... began shooting ... . Murati was, for no reason, dealt a number of punches and kicks and, finally, struck in the shoulder with a screwdriver. Bardhyl Murati was left in serious condition, while the customs officers left without giving any explanation for the assault they had carried out on an innocent person. Bardhyl Murati runs the branch in Shijak and employs more than 600 workers in his enterprise. According to sources at the company he runs, Murati filed a complaint yesterday with the Durrës prosecutor’s office against the criminal customs officers, who came from the gangs, for violating the “rebelokraisë” of Fatos Nano.

The chairman of the Democratic Party, Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha, yesterday received the Ambassador of the French Republic in Tirana, Patrick Chrisman[t], at the latter’s request.

Yesterday, in Patos ON PAGE 2 The “Hasani” Parliament, or a collective informer By Bardhyl LONDO No one can any longer be surprised by the one-sided and extremely politicized decisions taken by the current Albanian parliament to the detriment of the opposition. But everything has its limits. This parliament recognizes no such limits. With its primitive hatred of the opposition and its fear that the opposition will take power from it (in fact, it has already taken its moral authority), the Albanian parliament acts like a wounded wolf: it is ready to curse viciously and lunge at anyone, as long as it catches the scent of the opposition. Never before in the parliamentary history of the world has an entire assembly been seen to assume the role of an accuser—or, more accurately, of an informer, because a false accuser is in fact an informer. Ordinary logic dictates that any member of parliament, individually, may denounce or inform—call it what you will. But when an entire parliament, excluding the opposition, collectively assumes the role of a false accuser without having a single fact, it has, first and foremost, insulted the institution of the vote. Until now, parliaments have dealt with laws or analyses of the situation, whereas the Albanian parliament steps directly into the role of collective accuser. But in the end, what else can one expect from today’s Albanian parliament? The Albanian parliament, in its inability to justify the way it came to power, had the chance to set an example of coexistence. It could have achieved this by conducting a serious and impartial analysis of last year’s events. But it did not, because its origins—the blood of its forebears—called it: hatred of the opposition. It acted according to the primitive logic of hatred. It spoke the language of force. And this happened when Albania needs, more than ever, understanding and cooperation among Albanians. No one is asking the parliament for mercy. In the end, with the decision it took, it did not penalize the opposition but itself. It insulted and defiled the institution of parliament, turning it into a collective accuser. The Albanian parliament was offered a choice: the intellectual stance of MP Ngjela or the autarkic stance of the Albanian communists. As expected, it chose the latter. The parliament can now be called the “Hasani” Parliament, while its members should line up, one after another, and put their false accusations to the test. The Albanian opposition needs no one’s protection. For some time now there have been two powers in Albania: the executive power controls the police, the army, parliament, state propaganda, and moral authority—the real support of the people. The first is extremely temporary and sleeps fictitiously; the second is real power. And the opposition has now won this power. The latest action by the “Hasani” Parliament was nothing other than the final seal on the fact that even today’s opposition has understood that it has lost power. Today’s executive and legislative powers reek of hatred and intolerance. The morality of the future, shared by the majority of Albanians, is the morality of the opposition; it is the real power in Albania.

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