Flames, looting and disguises in the name of revolution In upcoming issues of “RD” you will read: Paskal Milo, Gjolekë Malaj’s aide The editorial office has the tape on which the Foreign Minister interpreted for Gjoleka, who boasted that he would attack Sali Berisha’s house. Preparations for the assault on Tirana, the role of the Greek press and its “heroes” with Kalashnikovs. SPECIAL REPORT ON PAGE 5

The opposition joins forces to win the partial local elections Local elections intensify disputes among the left. The number of candidates in the coastal city is growing ON PAGE 3

By Astrit PATOZI A long time has passed since the much-publicized launch of Nano 4, and Albanians are discovering, in shock, that the country is rapidly sliding into chaos because of the former communists’ unprecedented irresponsibility in government. With a prime minister who, even when he is not involved in scandals, is merely a spectator to them, the left’s armed administration is besieged not only by strikes, protests and growing discontent, but also by internal apathy and infighting. More than a month after the cabinet reshuffle, Fatos Nano is trying to divert attention from the opening of Pandora’s box, which begins with the publication of the black file on the rebellion that brought him to power and ends with the latest government scandal. In place of a pathologist who used to spend all day insulting the opposition, a minister has arrived who, so far, is known only for dozing behind Përoja’s door. This cannot absolve Nano in the eyes of citizens and police officers, who have become the easiest prey for state crime and street crime. Several police chiefs in Burrel handed in their uniforms and left their posts because they felt completely abandoned by the government, which has left them at the mercy of criminals and smugglers. But the smuggling of chrome and other minerals is by no means the work of provincial smugglers alone, since it is well known that nothing happens without the “pecot” share being taken in Tirana. What happened in Burrel would be enough to bring down a normal government, but obviously such a thing cannot be expected from Nano and his disciples. Meanwhile, the division of spheres of influence is turning into a bitter war between rival clans in government, whose arrangements are becoming clearer by the day. The conflict between the Ministry of Finance and INSIG is just one example of the sharks tearing one another apart. If Farudin Arapi, a close associate of Malaj, had no difficulty directly accusing Sherif Bundo of stealing 50 thousand dollars, the most important point in this story is his statement that the usury file contains many other names. It is not hard to infer that they are all undesirable Socialists, because if they had belonged to the DP, no one would have hesitated to publish them. Amid growing rejection—not only among Democrats, but also among the left-wing electorate itself—Nano is governing almost on autopilot, with the apathy of a corpse that has accepted death but is trying to prolong its agony as much as possible. The tricks Nano is using to distract attention are like puppet shows: they bring no fundamental change, not even the preservation of the status quo of chaos, because the slide is unstoppable. The opposition has a duty to shorten this autopilot government as much as possible; it not only worsens the situation, but also kills Albanians’ hopes of emerging from the crisis. … by growing discontent, but also by internal apathy or infighting within the party. to shift attention toward opening ends with the latest government scandal, in which, if he is not the protagonist, he is simply a rentier taking a percentage. Fabricating stories about attempted assassinations that never came to pass, or returning to claims of “innocence” in the corruption proven in connection with Italian aid, are some of Nano and his close staff’s latest maneuvers to distract Albanians, if only somewhat, from the serious problems into which they have plunged the country. Nano is trying to proclaim the innocence of a man for something he did in 1991, while he is being asked to answer for the crimes and sins of the past year, which are many times more serious. He must state clearly where the 100 million dollars went—the sum that former minister Ceka is attributing to Malaj and someone above the latter. The only people known to be above Malaj are Islami and Nano, since Mejdanit does not enter into the equation at all, and it is known that Ceka has nothing against the president yet. At a time when the crows are beginning to peck out one another’s eyes, survival has become much harder for a government mixed up to its elbows in smuggling. A photograph with the President at a trade fair, attacked with all guns blazing by the Italian press itself, cannot save Nano from responsibility for Albanians losing their lives or their public safety because of the state of law and order. If in

USA, support for Kosovo

The opposition has long denounced government-run smuggling, calling it Prosecutor’s Office: “Bleta cannot be removed from Customs because Malaj would be left without honey” a gangrene of the Albanian economy, but those in power are not at all concerned by the economy’s ruin; they continue smuggling at a breakneck pace ON PAGE 7

The DP chairman, Berisha, welcomes the Clinton–Rugova meeting The chairman of the Democratic Party, Berisha, welcomed the meeting at the White House between President Rugova and President Clinton as a historic meeting and as powerful support from the President of the United States of America for the just cause of the 2 million Albanians in Kosovo to live in peace and democracy in their homeland. The meeting at the White House between Clinton and Rugova is also a well-deserved recognition by the President of the United States of America, the Government and the American nation of the political and peaceful efforts of President Rugova and the Albanians in Kosovo to resolve their issue, and of their contribution to preventing the conflict from spreading in the southern Balkans. This meeting opens a new page in relations between the USA and the Republic of Kosovo, as well as in the direct commitment of the United States to halt Serbian aggression and barbarities against the Albanian population and to help resolve the crisis in the southern Balkans. President Rugova at a press conference in Washington immediately after his meeting with President Clinton. REUTER

Arapi, Malaj and Bundo: who is the strongest? “Bundo cannot deny the fact that his accounting institute was responsible for providing this financial service to the Silva Company,” Arapi declared yesterday. ON PAGE 4

One-day strike aimed at a general strike Wages, inflation adjustment, and avoiding bankruptcy—these were the demands ON PAGE 4

The resignation of Burrel police officials: an appeal to civic conscience and an accusation against the criminalized government ON PAGE 7

Dismisses the director of “Foreign Languages” in Tirana ON PAGE 4

The Bezhani Commission finally responds The 22 Democratic Party candidates provisionally selected to compete for the posts of seven mayors in the by-elections have been found clean. The Bezhani Commission has finally replied regarding the 22 people whom the PD asked to have vetted, after they were found to be clean under the law. Although the Bezhani Commission mentions that it delayed vetting the candidates submitted by the PD, they had in fact been submitted on time. Bezhani’s deliberate delays in vetting the Democratic Party candidates, in an effort to incriminate their past, failed to achieve its aim with any of them. Yesterday, the Commission finally issued its response concerning the candidates submitted, who were found to be clean.

BSPSH: General strike, the end of patience ON PAGE 4

Broad opposition roundtable on the local by-elections ON PAGE 4

Breaking news What is desired is noted by those who do not…? with the media of the Socialist Party and its government, the cleaners wearing white collars cleaned the capital of rubbish. When President Meidani went to “Ismail Qemali” school and found no rubbish, he said to the pupils: “Why didn’t you leave some rubbish for us to remove, too?” A teacher replied: “You have as much rubbish as you like in the government, and the president can remove it.” All it takes is willingness. Meanwhile, another message said: “They don’t remove the rubbish—the rubbish!”

104 days since the imprisonment of the former Minister of the Interior The former Minister of the Interior in the Government of National Reconciliation, Ali Kazazi, continues to be held in prison on laughable charges. He was sentenced on 14 February 1998 in Uren e Milot, following the police ambush carried out against the December Movement leader, Azem Hajdari, in an apparent attempt by the current state to incriminate the opposition. On 17 February, he was placed under indefinite arrest. Kazazi comes from a family with anti-communist nationalist traditions and is a member of the PD National Council.