200 workers at the Librazhd factory on the fifth day of the protest ON PAGE 5

The miners’ stronghold comes down to the city of Elbasan ON PAGE 5

The KLD seeks to impose its diktat on the Court of Cassation Minister Kondi prepares to dismiss the Chairman ON PAGE 4

Revolt in the PS parliamentary group. The changes in government are shameful ON PAGE 3 “Our Vlontari was replaced by Berisha’s dolphin”

The head of the Electoral Headquarters, Genc Pollo, speaks about the DP’s objectives in the partial local elections

The Albanian government has not acted properly regarding the resolution of the crisis in Kosovo Foreign Minister Paskal Milo’s pessimism about the decisions that the Contact Group meeting may take today is at the same time a failure of the Tirana government regarding the crisis in Kosovo. Through his realism, Milo has also declared the total lack of responsibility of his superiors, who see nothing but success in any solution. Yesterday, during a press conference, the Foreign Minister stated that the Contact Group might not be positive for Kosovo and that the contradictions within it are very great. A time of peace—and when you go to ask for help. Least of all were the encouraging statements to the Serbs by the Albanian prime minister, against the parallel state in Kosovo, and other abstractions such as the existence of Albanian terrorism there, needed by anyone. However much Nano has tried to get the Kosovo problem off his back, he has not managed to do so, since this was not in his hands but depended on events themselves and the crisis that had to be resolved. The rush to claim success at all costs, even when none is visible on the horizon, has been a ... Today's meeting of the Contact Group government regarding the Kosovo crisis. His efforts to make it happen have also revealed his chiefs’ total lack of responsibility, since they see nothing but success in every possible solution. At contradictions within it are very great. For a long time, meanwhile, Albanians have remembered Prime Minister Nano’s declarative parades about a quick solution to the problem and the successes of the Albanian government’s positions on Kosovo. During his visit to Bonn alone, he bombarded Albanian public opinion with empty declarations, as if everything had been resolved and the crisis would end very soon. In relations between states during times of crisis, policy is quite different from the encouraging statements made by the Albanian prime minister to the Serbs against the parallel state in Kosovo, and from other abuses, such as the claim that Albanian terrorism existed there. However much Nano has tried to shrug off the Kosovo problem, he has not managed to do so, since it was not in his hands, but depended on events and the crisis that had to be resolved. The pursuit of complete success even when it is nowhere in sight has been one of the ways the official Tirana authorities have sabotaged the Kosovo issue. Since it was also the greatest problem facing Albanians, it was natural that a government with limited legitimacy would be unable to deal with such a major problem. The Foreign Minister’s statement, the sole instance of pessimism amid the government’s euphoria over Kosovo, considers Nano’s official policy on this problem entirely worthless. Different positions would have produced different results.

US package of measures at today’s Contact Group meeting The US Embassy bulletin reports that a senior official in the Clinton administration said the US would present the Contact Group on April 29 with a balanced package of measures, including positive steps to encourage the government of “Yugoslavia” to cooperate in establishing a framework for dialogue with the Albanians of Kosovo, as well as “a stabilizing package aimed at reducing tensions and building relations between both sides.” This would be done in the first phase, before moving on to the second phase—that of substantive talks. He said the package was balanced with a set of possible measures, depending on the circumstances, should the Yugoslav government and President Sllobodan Millosheviç not accept or implement them. He said that it was legitimate for an effort to be made to weaken this package of measures at the official’s Contact Group meeting. In an effort to be as balanced as possible, the idea of presenting such a package to strengthen the position, and we believe that it represents an effort to put forward the view of some that this is the fairest way to proceed. In this respect, this is a fairer approach that carries more weight. He said that “the measures in the package cannot be changed. We hope that the members of the Contact Group understand this.” “If the Yugoslav government accepts and implements the US proposals to establish a negotiating framework and stabilize the situation in Kosovo, we are prepared to offer them exceptionally attractive incentives,” the official said. “If they do not accept them, if they block them, if they prevent them from being implemented, if they accept them but then obstruct their implementation, we want the country to reach a framework for an agreement, an agreement within the Contact Group, and sanctions that would be applied immediately.” The official said that “the time has come: if the Contact Group does not act properly today and does not agree on this reasonable package, on what should be done to protect [us] in this matter, then we will consider whether to continue cooperating with the Contact Group in the future.” Asked whether the US would act alone—that is, whether this meant a military presence in Kosovo or on the Albanian border—the official replied: “I am talking about diplomacy.” He later added: “When I mention a stronger role for the US, what I generally mean is a stronger US role in facilitating dialogue and mediating negotiations.” He reiterated the US position that “we do not think independence [for Kosovo] is an option. But the status quo must certainly also be abandoned.” He said that neither the US nor other external actors could say “what the final solution for Kosovo means. That is for the parties to decide.” “But,” he added, “we believe that under these circumstances the presence of the repressive police and army must be withdrawn, and the Albanians of Kosovo must also take a more open stance against terrorism, against violence. They must likewise take more steps to build confidence in an effort to reduce the heightened tensions between Serbs and Albanians.” He said the US was extremely concerned by the recent statements of the Yugoslav government threatening war in Kosovo, and by the exceptionally provocative statements regarding possible intentions toward Albania—statements that could very easily be construed as a threat against Albania.

The Defense Commission summons the Ministry to report ON PAGE 3

The OSCE representative calls for sanctions against Serbia

The Speaker of Parliament has decided to survive only under Nano’s wing Meidani concerned about the revival of Mussolini in Albania’s draft constitution ON PAGE 3

Martanesh, Mat, Bulqizë: 8,000 residents who earn their bread from chromium What the Batres mine was and what it provided for the miners. Their lives before the anarchy of March and their total abandonment by the government What the Batres mine was and what it provided for the miners Their lives before the anarchy of March and their total abandonment by the government ON PAGE 5

Berat once again a scene of crime and killings Two more people have been killed in Berat. At a still-unclear moment, 27-year-old Gentian Halili, a resident of the city of Berat, pulled out a pistol and shot 37-year-old Lili Mata from Ura Vajgurore in the head, then killed himself. Eyewitnesses at the scene say that Mata was sitting on a bench in the street, waiting his turn to get a haircut. At a completely unexpected moment, Halili, who was inside, shot him in the head with a pistol, causing his immediate death. Halili then pointed the pistol at his own head, pulled the trigger and died at the scene. One of the shots struck another citizen outside the establishment, but his life was not in danger. This is the sixth suicide in the district of Berat since January this year, while the number of killings between rival groups settling scores has exceeded the number recorded since March of last year.

The Otranto tragedy. Italian prosecutors conclude their investigation An Italian navy officer is being referred to the courts on charges relating to the sinking of an Albanian vessel, attacked by an Italian navy ship, according to a legal source in Brindisi. Brindisi prosecutor Leonardo Leone de Castris has requested that Captain Maurizio Laudadio, who commanded the “Sibilla”, be referred to the courts for “catastrophic, involuntary and fatal sinking”. The prosecutor has also requested that the commander of the Albanian vessel “Kater-I-Rades”, Namik Xhaferi, be referred to the courts on the same grounds. Kater-I-Rades, an Albanian vessel carrying refugees who were trying to reach Italy, sank in the Strait of Otranto on the morning of March 28, 1997, after colliding with the “Sibilla”. More than 80 Albanians are believed to have died in the accident, including many minors. While 34 others survived, search operations at sea have managed to recover only 58 bodies from the depths. The prosecutor did not assign any responsibility to the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Umberto Guarnieri, or to Admiral Alfio Battelli, now retired, who at the time was commander-in-chief of the Otranto Strait area. courts for “catastrophic, involuntary and fatal sinking”.

The Ministry of Agriculture reports: Tirana and Durrës are the most expensive ON PAGE 5

The forms of cooperation during this campaign will be discussed first and foremost with the parties in the “Union for Democracy” coalition and with the other parties that are not in the government camp ON PAGE 3