This department’s only mission is to imprison opposition politicians Prosecutor’s Office, political arrests again ON PAGE 5

The League Against Dictatorship continues its resistance The League Against Dictatorship informs all its members, supporters, and all the citizens of Tirana that a major rally will be held on Saturday, 3 October, at 17:30 in Skënderbej Square. Let us all protest together against dictatorship, killings, and political imprisonment. Let us demand a political solution and a technical government to overcome the crisis.

Ingrid Shuli will be Minister of Labour and Deputy Prime Minister. Socialists irritated by Gjinushi’s defiance. The coalition has been shaken from the outset The fierce battle between the PSD chairman and the prime minister over Apostoli’s tenders comes to an end. Gjinushi gives up Gaqo for the post of deputy prime minister Majko starts with corruption Ingrid Shuli will be Minister of Labour and Deputy Prime Minister. Socialists irritated by Gjinushi’s defiance. The coalition has been shaken from the outset.

By Astrit PATOZI The prolonged blocking of the process of forming the new government over Gaqo Apostoli’s portfolio clearly showed that Pandeli Majko’s future cabinet can only further aggravate the political situation in Albania; it cannot, under any circumstances, unblock the deep crisis gripping the country. The fact that coalition negotiations stalled over the Ministry of Public Works and Transport made completely clear not only the past but also the future of the corruption of the government that came to power after 29 June. The parties and the parties trying to convince Albanians that they are seeking to provide the country with a political solution appeared vicious and cruel toward one another when it came to the ministry of major tenders, which have been signed and are expected to be signed by the head of Public Works and Transport. It took more than two days for Gjinushi to be persuaded to give up Gaqo’s place, [text cut off at the bottom edge]. give up his Gaqo; indeed, until last night he had not even accepted the concession that the portfolio could go to his party, provided he gave up Apostoli’s name. Only late at night was the parliamentary speaker finally persuaded to part with his Gaqo, receiving the Ministry of Labour and the post of deputy prime minister in return. Gjinushi’s insistence on Apostoli should in no way be understood as an attempt to preserve the latter’s political career, but simply as a deal over the division of percentages that the two had made long ago. The fact that Gjinushi has no particular respect for Apostoli’s intellectual abilities is very well known to the Albanian press, as well as to politicians in general. Everyone remembers the current Speaker of Parliament telling journalists, not so long ago, not to pay attention to the things Apostoli said, describing him with extremely insulting epithets, even though Apostoli was the secretary-general of his party. This means that the prolonged deadlock in forming the government had nothing to do with any political ambition of the Social Democratic Party on behalf of its man, but was simply a matter of the personal interests of its top leaders. Meanwhile, this ridiculous episode was experienced in different ways even by the Socialist majority itself, which was split into two camps: one side was ready to break up the coalition, while the other called for “self-restraint” in response to Gjinushi’s cowboy-like language. This division among the Socialists was not only a sign of their inability to bare their teeth to a two-faced party, because they are too reluctant to take responsibility for the crisis, but also of the entanglements of factions within the Socialist Party itself in the matter of the tenders handled by Apostoli’s ministry. The battle between clans within the coalition and within the Socialist Party itself—not over the name of a minister, but over the opportunities for corruption offered by his portfolio—is an insufficient indicator for Albanians that Majko’s new government will follow the same tracks and paths as its predecessor, not least because Fatos Nano will continue to be its conductor, this time from behind the new prime minister’s back. The fierce struggle to control the ministry of tenders, which handles enormous sums, is merely one of the governing tentacles of the Majko government, which in this respect promises to be just as corrupt, if not more so, than its predecessor. This means that, on the whole, there is no possibility of relinquishing Apostoli, or the other weapons either; it is clear enough that the government’s “youngsters” will preserve the same patterns of smuggling and corruption as their predecessors, and will now only formally no longer be under Nano’s control. In this ridiculous process, which reportedly also involved many foreign diplomats, President Meidani’s dismal position stood out once again: he showed that he had not managed to become a factor in his country’s politics at all. Powerless at the height of the crisis, because of the shadow of Fatos Nano that he brought into the Presidency, even though he had been voted in as a former head of the commune, far from Tirana, the President of the Republic has never managed to demonstrate the stature of his office as head of state. Now his impatient gesture of declaring Majko prime minister, even in the midst of the crisis, merely provokes strong reactions, while everything was delayed over the fate of Gaqo Apostoli. The only value of this story is that all Albanians have now learned what despicable deals are being made to form a coalition supposedly seeking to improve the country’s governance. Now everyone knows what Nano’s ministers have done and what Majko’s will do, beyond taking bribes and changing their ties.

The Democratic Party calls for a political solution The new government: continuation of the crisis

The new prime minister’s mother also suffered from nervous problems ON PAGE 3 State terror against the Democratic Party continues How is it possible that the Albanian government is asking for less than everyone else for Kosovo?

State terror against the Democratic Party continues - Këlcyrë: Opposition activists tortured by police - Çorovodë: SHIK raids the PD offices - Midnight raid in Poshë - Special forces terrorize Peqin ON PAGE 5

How is it possible that the Albanian government is asking for less than everyone else for Kosovo? Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo was embarrassed last night on CNN when a caller from London asked him how it was possible that the Albanian government was asking for less than the rest of the world for Kosovo. The minister, renowned for his anti-Albanian positions and sentiments, thus took a hard slap for the shameful positions that the left-wing coalition government has maintained on the Albanian national question. Starting with Crete, Lisbon and all the statements by the Foreign Ministry, the government of Nano and Milo has always not only been several steps behind the international community, but in many cases has put obstacles in the way of the Kosovo issue. Paskal Milo was left at a loss during the live broadcast on CNN.

Today, 20 days since the murder of the December Leader Every day that passes since the murder of Azem Hajdari, the symbol of democracy and pluralism, proves the involvement of the government of Fatos Nano and his successor in the crime that shook the entire Albanian world. The governments of the former communists, which leave free and unpunished the criminals who took the life of the December Leader, show Albanians that they have been and remain on the side of the murderers, who have names and identities but are untouched by those in power. Democrats and all Albanians who loved and honored Azem Hajdari cannot tolerate this fact under any circumstances. The government must either capture the criminals and bring them to justice, or publicly declare that it itself committed the murder of Azem Hajdari.

PD Chairman Berisha condemned the Serbian massacre in Obrie të Sipërme and Budanovë The Chairman of the Democratic Party of Albania, Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha, condemned in the strongest terms the massacre of Albanian women, children and civilians in Obrie të Sipërme and Budanovë by Serbian military forces, as evidence of barbarism and a continuation of the massacres and atrocities of the butcher of the Balkans. By violating all universal human principles, he continues insistently to pursue the macabre goals of uprooting and exterminating the Albanian population in Kosovo. Milošević’s latest massacre is nothing other than evidence of this barbarian’s determination to implement, as an arch-fundamentalist, the platform of ethnic cleansing and the extermination of Albanians from their lands. It is also evidence of Milošević’s exploitation of the tolerance shown by the International Community to carry out atrocities and massacres against another defenseless, unarmed ethnic group, a victim of the filthy anti-Albanian games of the fierce enemies of the Albanian nation. The Chairman of the Democratic Party, Mr. Berisha, welcomed Prime Minister Tony Blair’s position and stressed that only NATO intervention could mark a turning point in the catastrophic developments in Kosovo.

Following Fatos Nano’s harsh statement that all civil servants who were not found at their offices on September 14 would be thrown out of the state administration, the prime minister, deputy prime minister and finance minister were thrown out. Following Teta’s statement on a private television channel, two unclogging workers for the capital’s WC drains also went to the headquarters of the PS and PAD parties. They offered their help free of charge to unblock these two problems, which smell bad and stink up all of Tirana.

Today at 13:00, Bleim Çela goes to the Court of First Instance to have the arrest measure revoked ON PAGE 2

A commando soldier standing guard yesterday in front of the empty government building

ON PAGE 3

kutam the pas ushtro në nje nderle tore ne këtë se humbi en tji, ikthim e, pasi tjeter ock, qe dërge Hanii. deshja te ne fo.

ti Kuer poriti, vëca Kuer hj te Hti këtu. SAKJ.