The Port of Durrës sends off more Albanians than it can handle ON PAGE 4

Nano is expected to resolve the Kondi–Havari duel ON PAGE 4

The court apologizes to Zef Gjoni for “accidental arrest” ON PAGE 4

ON PAGE 5 The names of the government officials who stole VEFA’s money have also disappeared The police raid the headquarters of the “VEFA” company. The removal of incriminating documents is sought. It is not known what happened to all the documents. DELOITTE & TOUCHE AWAY FROM VEFA

By Bardhyl LONDO 1998: Albanians within their state and those beyond its current political borders feel like orphans. Their fertile land and their intellectual treasure at the close of this millennium are powerless to help them fulfil even their most modest aspirations. And this is not the fault of this noble people, but of irresponsible misrule. The Albanians’ only sin is the vote of 29 June, which was dictated by Kalashnikovs. But should an entire nation be punished so harshly? That is a very harsh reality for Albanians. It is true, though intolerable. But it also seems true that what has long been whispered is the case: knowing full well that they are illegitimate and temporary, today’s government officials are guided by the thought, “Let’s drag this out as long as we can.” It is an understatement to call this kind of government irresponsible. No government has ever insulted Albanians so severely. Within and beyond their borders, Albanians feel insulted and abandoned. They can be killed anywhere, even. Albanians are being killed in Greece and Kosovo, and the Albanian state remains silent. Imagine if a Greek citizen, or a citizen of Serbo-Montenegrin nationality, were killed in Albania. Do today’s government officials know the art of protest? Four or five years ago, at the height of the Greek-Albanian conflict over the case of the five members of the Greek minority, whom even the Greeks later declared to be spies, today’s government officials, then in opposition, rose up with all their energy and resources to defend the “rights” of the five minority members. None of them was killed; none was insulted; they were merely facing justice. Today, Albanians—children, women and men—are killed without a word, while their state remains silent with an unbearable, insulting muteness, and with an inferiority complex alien to the Albanian character. The Albanian state has abandoned its own citizens. Naturally, this is disgraceful. But the harm goes further still. Albanians, too, have abandoned their state. They no longer put their hopes in this state; they no longer trust the law or its enforcement. The longer this state of distrust between state and people continues, the longer the Albanian agony we are living through these days will be prolonged. This is something that the part of the opposition that continues irresponsibly to align itself with today’s government should understand better than anyone. But today’s government must understand it too, because otherwise everything could lead to intractable conflicts. intellectuals at the end of this millennium are powerless to help them achieve fault of this noble race, but is due to irresponsible misgovernment. The only sin of the Albanians is the vote of June 29, be punished as harshly as the Albanian nation was punished, even for the fatal mistake of June 29? Albanians within the current political borders feel not only abandoned by the government, but also betrayed as a race. Today their lives, property, children and future are insecure. Moreover, they must endure the immorality of today’s government, its cynicism. Treating Albanians as a mindless, characterless mob, the current prime minister promised on June 29 things he himself knew he would never deliver. Immorality was also displayed unscrupulously in the moves made to form the new government. Even a child with little experience knows that the Nano–Berisha conflict absolutely had to end differently. There are two possible conclusions: either the former Minister of Defense is truly immoral, or the prime minister is an ordinary hypocrite. Strangely, both continued to remain in the highest echelons of Albanian government. Consequently, immorality or slander continues to govern Albania. The problem is not merely that both remain in office; it is even worse when you consider that today’s government officials regard Albanians as a docile mob, with whom they can do whatever they want: they can lie to them with intensive, albeit crude, propaganda, they can make them eat grass, and still remain undisturbed. Today’s concept of governance has never …

The 800-page investigative file is incomplete Creditors complain to the prosecutor’s office: where are our contracts? The 800-page investigative file is incomplete “Gjall…ica” disappears too Creditors complain to the prosecutor’s office: where are our contracts? ON PAGE 5

Creditors write to the President of the Republic

May 1 — trade unionism at its beginning or at the end of its despair

The current officials’ appearances on the state television screen at every hour of every day constitute an unprecedented charade ON PAGE 11

The Bank of Albania cannot produce its annual balance sheet. Bank privatization is stalled The Democratic Party is alarmed by quarterly macroeconomic indicators. The economic downturn continues and the crisis is deepening ON PAGE 5

Karl Popper (1902-1994): “Who should rule” ON PAGE 10

Only new elections and a victory for the DP will put an end to economic misery, as well as improve the position of women in Albanian society Today, the Third Assembly of the Democratic League of Women ON PAGE 2

The warm meeting between Minaroll and Vejsiu in Himara ON PAGE 2

The PR called for a public debate among the government, creditors, the D&T firm, and representatives of the companies and pyramid-scheme firms Republicans on the distribution of money: Nano’s second series of deceptions ON PAGE 3

DELOITTE & TOUCHE AWAY FROM VEFA

Stop the new government genocide ON PAGE 5

May 1 — its failure Trade unionists, a barrage of insults against the government ON PAGE 5

To parliamentary and non-parliamentary political forces, Albanian associations and trade unions “Union for Democracy” invites the parties and associations We invite you on Tuesday, 05.05.1998, at 11:00 a.m. at the “Dajti” Hotel to take part in the roundtable, where a common position on the issue of repaying deposits held with borrowing companies will be discussed. Trusting in your commitment to discussing this important issue, we hope that everyone will participate.