Huge spending to serve the block-era prime minister. An army of drivers, legal and illegal bodyguards, and staff from Mehmet Shehu’s villa, who at one point cost him $16,000 a month The money spent on the Prime Minister would be enough to pay 560 teachers in secondary school. Nano’s ministers are also more than well justified. Where do they find the law to have directors as bodyguards? Çeka, Brokaj, Malaj, Fruto, etc.? A petition from Tepelena has reached the offices of the Socialist Party. Nano keeps his promise How much will the spending of the state apparatus and Fatos Nano’s entities increase?! This is also the concern of a considerable part of Albanian opinion. The culture of saving has now been turned upside down. There are no more savings for pensioners, wage earners, the poor strata, but only staggering expenses for the government, for its militants, for the people who are ready to serve it. This very expensive luxury is being paid for by a people ruined from every point of view. There is no more money for invalids, for teachers, for students; there can be none for development, but there is no shortage for a government that likes unrestrained luxury. And a few words about Fatos Nano. Our prime minister is apparently the only prime minister in the region, and perhaps one of the only ones in Europe, who has 4 cars at his disposal. All four of Nano’s cars together with the expenses of their drivers amount to 430,000 new lek per month. Adding here the 9 paid bodyguards, who according to specialists’ calculations receive nearly 12,000 dollars a month. In total, only Nano’s cars and drivers cost 4,160 dollars a month, not including fuel costs. As for the bodyguards that the prime minister keeps with him even when he goes to the office, they are paid 120,000 lek per month each. So for all of Nano’s bodyguards, the state spends 1,080,000 lek per month. On the other hand, the list of Nano’s and his ministers’ luxuries does not end here. Some of them are kept by his order in Mehmet Shehu’s villa, which became famous on 14 September for the large number of guards stationed there. It is now known that Mehmet Shehu’s villa has 18 rooms. The service in Mehmet Shehu’s villa on “Rr. 3 shalli” is carried out at one time by about 120 people with 1,500 square meters. 28 bathrooms (WC), 18 service workers in Mehmet Shehu’s villa on “Rr. 3 shalli” rise to 120 people over 4,500 square meters? 14 residential apartments, which are rented out for 150 dollars per night. 28 bathrooms (WC), 18 service workers in Mehmet Shehu’s villa on “Rr. 3 shalli” rise to 120 people over 100 meters each. 3 saunas rise over 100 square meters. 2 tennis courts of 100 square meters each. Several buildings with and the luxury of homes beyond counting. Here is the palace where Nano lives Residential house/cell 4,500 square meters. 14 residential apartments, which were rented out for 150 dollars a night. 28 bathrooms (WC). 18 service workers in Mehmet Shehu’s villa on “rr. 3 shalli” rise to 120 people over 100 meters each. 3 saunas rise over 100 square meters. Several buildings with and the luxury of homes beyond counting Working breakfast: the chairman of the PD, Berisha with a special envoy of the American Senate and Ambassador Lino Early elections solve the crisis in Albania The chairman of the Democratic Party, Dr. Sali Berisha, held a conversation yesterday in his office with the special envoy of the American Senate for Balkan issues, Robert Gelbard, and the US ambassador in Tirana, Mariza Lino. Sali Berisha told his interlocutors that only early elections can pull Albania out of the deep political, economic, and social crisis into which Fatos Nano’s government has thrown it. He said that early elections are the only political solution to the many-sided crisis in Albania. Mr. Berisha thanked the American senators for the interest they have shown in Albania in difficult moments. He stressed that the Nano government cannot pull Albania out of the crisis and that its efforts are merely propaganda. Berisha said that the next OSCE mission should help create the conditions for free and fair elections. In his view, without new elections there can be no stability. “They to survive politically local has been playing for years question never consensus not with the local opposition condition to change the government. There has been only one single local stance, not with conditions and other things. Likewise not even in Kosovo, which has become a symbol of the crisis of Fatos Nano’s government.”

For the PD, “the incubator for the government’s crime, for the Prime Minister’s governing and the new solutions” [?] The Council of Commissioners PD is to “the boy of Genca” for- the opposition’s demands on RTV. “Se- had declared that ‘the execution of the commissioners’ [?] The Council of Commissioners The leadership of the Democratic Party reacted yesterday regarding the appointment of the deputy police commissioner for criminal affairs in Vlorë, K. K. Sulejman Selmanllari. In a statement from the party’s press office, it was said that Selmanllari’s appointment to this post by order of the Minister of Order is a provocation against public opinion and the opposition. “The leadership of the Democratic Party considers this appointment an act to cover up the killings by Nano and his government,” the statement says. Furthermore, it mentions that Selmanllari is a person implicated in criminal events and that his appointment shows a lack of will to uncover the crimes. In its reaction, the PD calls on the competent bodies to annul the decision and investigate the serious events that have shaken the country. AK

Working breakfast: the chairman of the PD, Berisha with a special envoy of the American Senate and Ambassador Lino The chairman of the Democratic Party, Dr. Sali Berisha, held a conversation yesterday with the special envoys of the American Senate and the US ambassador in Tirana, Mariza Lino. The chairman of the Democratic Party, Dr. Sali Berisha, held a conversation yesterday with the special envoy of the American Senate for Balkan issues, Robert Gelbard, and the US ambassador in Tirana, Mariza Lino. During the meeting with Gelbard, Mr. Berisha stated that the situation in Albania is such that only early elections can pull the country out of this deep political, economic, and social crisis. Berisha also emphasized that the Nano government is bringing no improvement for citizens. He said that in order to restore public trust and create a calm political climate, it is essential for elections to be held as soon as possible. He also underlined that the opposition is ready to contribute to a democratic resolution of the situation. In this context, he requested that the international community help ensure free and fair elections, and that any attempt to manipulate the process be avoided. Mr. Berisha thanked the American representatives for their interest in developments in Albania.

By A. K.[?] The state of this time is the state. Former Prime Minister Meksi cost the state budget no more than 1000 in salaries and in the paid peace, nor his offices. Former Prime Minister Fatos Nano costs the state 54 times more. The cost of maintaining the current prime minister, in money terms, according to specialists’ calculations, reaches 54 times that of his predecessor. Former Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi was served in his office by three secretaries and three drivers. He was paid a monthly salary of 950 dollars. In addition, Meksi used an official car and the other office expenses were limited. Meanwhile, for Fatos Nano, the list of expenses is much longer. The calculations made for the current prime minister include four cars, nine bodyguards, drivers, services in the government villa, as well as a large number of auxiliary staff. Just the salaries of the personnel and the vehicle expenses reach very high figures. The comparison was made to show the difference in style of governance and the financial burden that falls on the state budget. (continued on page 100)

Everyone against the government of deception and poverty Today, at 11:00 a.m., in Skanderbeg Square, the opposition holds a protest rally against the government of corruption and theft. SVE seems not yet to have signed the memorandum with Greece on the return of the money from the waves. ALEKSANDËR MOTA The 14 parties of the coalition “Union for Democracy,” today, at 11:00, are organizing a counter-demonstration in the center of Tirana for the overthrow of the government of Fatos Nano. Through this protest rally, called “Alliance for the rule of law, order and economy,” the opposition demands the immediate dismissal of Prime Minister Nano and his government. This time, according to many of the best analysts in our country and beyond, a massive demonstration of its supporters is expected from the opposition. This is also based on the extreme sensitization throughout the Albanian public opinion regarding the catastrophic situation into which Mr. Nano’s neo-communist government has plunged the country. It is enough to mention the main indicators in the fields of crime, corruption, the economy, etc., to show that we are facing a completely failed government. The opposition has called on all decent people to gather today in the center of the capital to give the country the government of the future, the government of citizens, the government of tolerance and welfare. The Albanian opposition has long been hoping to create pressure on the Nano government and sensitize Albanian society, but this has not happened. Nevertheless, we once again appeal for the rally to be as peaceful and tolerant as possible. This is one of the most meaningful features of the demonstrations organized by the Albanian opposition. The Albanian people have shown the world that they know how to protest, even though they may be badly affected by disasters caused by the government. Let us therefore hope that from this rally, which comes at a difficult time for the country, there will be nothing violent and that it will be yet another message to the government that the time has come for it to go. The country can no longer endure this; economic and social suffering is deepening, so Nano’s departure as prime minister and that of his government as a whole should no longer be delayed.