PS: The secrecy is preserved. PD: Vote with a pen THE OPPOSITION’S PROPOSAL/ The election of the head of state, not like the “Cefa” precedent for the High Council of Justice The majority is keeping the new parliamentary rules hostage, after the opposition’s request regarding Article 109 for voting on President Topi’s successor. PD’s objection: This type of voting is not found in the rules of the European Parliament The story The Socialists have requested a change to the rules of Parliament according to the European Parliament model, in order to introduce voting by envelope for the president, guaranteeing the secrecy of the ballot. The Democrats have objected, saying it is not found in the EP rules. ■■■ TIRANE JAKIN MARENA The rules of the Albanian Parliament have remained hostage to the presidential vote. The Socialists, worried by the “Cefa” precedent of voting, have tried to find other ways to achieve a secret vote for the head of state, without touching the secrecy of the deputies’ ballots... ► continues on pages 2-3 In the photo: Prime Minister Berisha voting for the President of the Republic

Commentary BY Eno Cacaj “The Party of Tirana” We are all fully aware. Fully convinced. Tirana dominates. Everyone revolves around it. The people in trouble. The sick. Those who want to make money. Merchants. Wholesalers. Distributors. Newcomers. Everyone. It’s where everything gets done. Inured to newspapers. They get in 1-2-3-4-5 gears and head to Tirana. They come down as if they were on an airplane from the Kamza overpass, and spread out on the wide road to enter Tirana. There, over by the foot of a mountain, lies Tirana. There is where 140 deputies have their homes. The ministers. Where they drink coffee. Where they dine. Where they make their rounds. Where they live the nightlife. Whether there is some poker or roulette. Where the media are. The TV stations. The newspapers. The businesses. The hospitals. The hassles, rather. But what party is Tirana with? What color is the electorate? A full 1 million inhabitants. That is not little. Almost as much as 10 of the largest cities in Albania. I mean as much as Vlora, Shkodra, Korça, Elbasan, Fier and Durrës, (I can’t remember any other worthwhile city). Anyway, to stay on topic: who gains votes from the people of Tirana? Here I include myself too. I spent a good 14 years in Tirana. My daughter was even born here. How much I like that fact! As if she had been born in Milan. Paris or London. Why not New York. And as such, from all these things I mentioned above, this long question still tears at me: “Is there really a party of Tirana? Who are the people of Tirana with? Who do the people of Tirana vote for?” After the 1990s Tirana gathered many newcomers into its “pit.” And as such it changed... ► continues on page 7

The story of a rare Albanian-Jewish friendship in 1944 RARE PHOTOS FROM 1944 ■■■ TIRANE AGRON ALIBALI In November 2011 I met the Ambassador of Albania, Gilbert Galanxhi, who told me that we would remain in contact for an event related to the role of Albanians in... ► Pages 18-19 Bedriu in 1944 and Johana Neumann when she was 15 years old

A car is awarded in the draw, 1 winner with “Shqiptarja.com” Page 24

Mesila Doda: “To hang you from the palm tree” was a joke Page 7

Zogaj: I won’t kill myself; life is not only mine Page 12

Sports trips to China, wasted 40 million lek in per diems Page 17

May Day protest: Čizeta is the opium of the people Page 16

Officials from PD and PDIU sell the river for 3 thousand euros Page 20-21

TV CLUB BINGO SHQIPTARE The results of the draw held on 1 May 2012 on TV Klan The winning numbers can be read on page 24

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