Cigarette smugglers fight with Kalashnikovs ON PAGE 6

INSTAT: Seasonal prices had no effect whatsoever on the decline in the index ON PAGE 5

Berberi and Sherif Bundo, 6-hour battle for the director’s chair ON PAGE 5

By Astrit PAZI Two days ago, the Albanian minister imitated, without changing a comma, the text launched almost at the same time by Berisha about the country and the UÇK being under Rugova’s police control. The delay in orienting himself correctly toward the probe into the tensions Albanian people are experiencing and the radicalization of the situation in Kosovo was the lesser evil; next in line would be his monkey-like imitation. But it can now be said that Berisha’s theses, from the opposition and from his government, have become a phenomenon that is playing the role of a seesaw in politics. When Berisha publicly stated a few months ago that this was not a terrorist movement, he called on the fighters to administer the nation, “a stance,” and then came the widening gulf between official positions and the opposition’s clear views on what is happening to Albanians in Kosovo. Likewise, Albanians still retain the bitter taste left by Nano’s attack on the parallel institutions in Kosovo, immediately after his meeting with Millosheviç at the Crete Summit. This direct blow against Rugova was reinforced by the terminology used by the Albanian prime minister to describe his compatriots in Kosovo—a choice that even the old editors of TANJUG would have envied. He called them a “community,” while the term “Kosovars” continues to be used by all the government’s important officials, reminding us of Fatos Lubonja, who wrote a few years ago that Kosovars and Albanians are two different peoples. It can be said that such statements by Berisha, from the observer and from his government, are a phenomenon that is playing the role of a counterweight in politics. When Berisha publicly said a few months ago that it was not a terrorist movement and called on its fighters to properly administer their national courage, Pandko hurried to portray Bejt as a man of war from the opposition. For a long time, “Mr.” Majko, Fatos, has no longer been afraid to mention the UÇK, but meanwhile Riçë? has not believed the whole world, having seen him on the most important networks alongside fighters with automatic weapons in their hands. At a time when the State’s armament expresses the view that the UÇK is not a terrorist organization, Fatos Nano and his “sharp-witted” Panjko must now show how they previously saw the Albanians of Kosovo defending their homes from criminal Milosheviç, and what their “peaceful” intervention had to do with the air over Prekaz and Deçan. Only a week ago, Fatos Nano was asking NATO to deploy on the border with Kosovo, citing the destabilization that the Albanian people could cause in Albania with his military machine, while Arëno’s allies were considering the possibility of direct action against Serbia. The opposition, for its part, has been asking for at least two months for NATO’s presence in Kosovo and for changes to be made so as to give… …make more important changes. Only massacres of Albanians. Just one… caused strong reactions abroad; Nano was forced to take the helm and… Klaripëria puts all its resources at NATO’s disposal. … in a proper reflection, the Albanian prime minister, meanwhile… the pressure of… have always been the positions of the Albanian government… … it seems that Nano and people… the so-called … and Berisha’s movement “One …” … how he broke away from the Kosovo exodus, in a way to be used by all the senior government officials, reminding us of Fatos Lubonja, who wrote several Not long after the Crete Summit, Nano was forced to correct his language and set aside his attacks on Rugova, returning to support for the leader accepted by the Albanians themselves in the elections of March 22. At a time when all the doors of the world’s most important chancelleries are opening one after another to Rugova, from the White House, the Élysée, Bonn, London and elsewhere, Nano must find somewhere to insert his irony and attack against Kosovo’s parallel institutions. Add to this the fact that his government ignored the calamities that befell Albania, brought in the wake of the fires of war in Kosovo, and the conclusion becomes clear: Nano owes a great deal to those who are being killed while fighting and to those abandoned to their suffering in Tropojë. This grave situation continues to this day in the North, further aggravating the consequences of the government’s sin. It has chosen to represent its “concern” with an adolescent from Idajet Beqiri’s party, who has also been called a commissar and is seen in field photographs with a beard, a few steps ahead of Meidani and Fino. All of this is evidence that, on their difficult and bloody road up to this point, Albanians have also had against them the wind blowing from the offices of the Tirana administration. At best, the Albanian government’s position has been extremely late and an almost exact imitation of what the opposition had said long before. But this delayed response was not accidental. If Westerners might have hesitated to be harsh with the Serbs, they could have been fully motivated by pointing to the anti-current positions of Nano and official Tirana, which have repeatedly left them unable to believe their ears. As for the Albanians being killed in Kosovo and those suffering in Tropojë, these are games with fire, because they can address the communists of Tirana with the simple sentence: “If you are not going to fix anything, at least don’t make things worse.”

The US will establish official contacts with the KLA

The “Alliance for the State” is using all “circumstantial” means to win the runoff A few days ago, the mayor of Tirana, Albert Brojka, had promised that very soon Vora, too, would have water just like Tirana. That is why government officials have set things in motion to cut off the water supply to the citizens of Vora during these days of drought, with the aim of making someone dissatisfied with the local government, which is currently led by the Democrats... SEE PAGE 2

The “Union for Democracy” is confident of victory in the runoff against the DBSH

The “Union for Democracy” is confident of victory in the runoff against the DBSH The “Union for Democracy” is determined to win on merit in free and fair elections. This message will also be conveyed by the concert taking place today at 18:30 in the center of the city of Shijak, featuring well-known singers such as Bujar Qamili, Irma Libohova, the Spirit Vois Group, etc. SEE PAGE 2

Berisha hosts a dinner in honor of Mr. Domenik Skëllone Democratic Party Chairman Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha hosted a dinner last night in honor of the President of the Albanian-American Enterprise Fund, Mr. Domenik Skallione, to which the US ambassador, Mariza Lino, was also invited. Democratic Party Chairman Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha hosted a dinner last night in honor of Mr. Domenik Skallione, President of the Albanian-American Enterprise Fund; the US ambassador, Mariza Lino, was also invited. During dinner, they discussed the economic crisis in Albania, the state of foreign investment in the country, and the war in Kosovo. Mr. Skallione briefed Berisha on the latest projects of the Albanian-American Enterprise Fund and on the imminent opening of the American Bank of Albania. Berisha congratulated Skallione on his persistence and determination to help Albania and the Albanians in this very important mission, assuring him that his activity had and continued to have the strong support and appreciation of the Democratic Party. Mr. Berisha highly praised President Clinton and the US Administration’s position on resolving the Kosovo problem and expressed his determination to support a political solution. He stressed that only NATO intervention could stop a Balkan war, and expressed hope that Richard Holbrooke’s latest tour, despite the critical situation, would produce some concrete result here.

Democratic Party Chairman Berisha received the Chairman of the British Liberal Democrats, Paddy Ashdoun Democratic Party Chairman Sali Berisha received Paddy Ashdoun, Chairman of the British Liberal Democrats, at the party headquarters yesterday and spoke with him about the situation in the region. Berisha thanked Ashdoun for his involvement in the Kosovo issue and for his trip to the areas where victims of ethnic cleansing have been settled. At the meeting, both interlocutors agreed that the situation was critical and that a political solution was in the interests of the Albanians and the peoples of the region. They stressed the necessity for the KLA to recognize and respect the political mandate of President Rugova and the other institutions elected in Kosovo. Ashdoun praised Berisha’s call for the KLA to grant this recognition. Berisha asked Ashdoun to convey to British Prime Minister Blair his thanks for his involvement in the Kosovo issue, as well as the Democratic Party’s position in favor of a political solution, an end to the fighting through NATO intervention, and an agreement that reconciles the principle of self-determination with not changing borders by force.

The Electoral Headquarters’ Press Office refutes the left-wing newspapers The Press Office of the Electoral Headquarters points out that the reports in the daily newspapers “KJ” and “Gazeta Shqiptare” concerning the “Union for Democracy’s” position on the assessment by international organizations of the partial local elections of June 21, attributed to Mr. Genc Pollo, Chairman of the Electoral Headquarters, are inaccurate and untrue. At the press conference on June 22, 1998, when asked about this matter by journalists, he answered only the following: “I can comment on the assessment by the Council of Europe and the OSCE regarding the June 21 elections only after their assessment has been made public.”

A female UÇK fighter

Senior government officials are putting pressure on prosecutors: Don’t get involved with the anti-smuggling operation. The ringleader is a senior official with immunity

Maradona accuses: “They will give the World Cup to France” -Germany-Iran 2:0. The Iranians get a lesson -Yugoslavia-USA 1:0. The Americans leave in disgrace -Holland-Mexico 2:2. A happy draw -Belgium-South Korea 1:1. Belgium also goes home -Zagalo reveals the secret behind Brazil’s defeat to Nigeria. “The players had watched pornographic films all night” -Germany fulfills its objectives set just hours before the match: beat Iran and avoid Holland -There is a lot of euphoria; the Dutch coach preaches calm. Hiddink: “We haven’t achieved our aim” -Groups G and H. Who will qualify today? (Analysis) -Maradona accuses FIFA and Platini. “They will give the World Cup to France” SPECIAL FEATURE ON PAGES 10–11