EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW/ I recount to you the opposition’s testimony about the tragedy in front of the Prime Minister’s Office Sokol Malaj: Rama was not the organizer of the demonstration, so we did not question him

The head of the Tirana prosecutor’s office, Sokol Malaj, says to “Shqiptarja.com” that the testimonies of the Socialist Party deputies about the events of “21 January” are formal and do not constitute news. The investigation into the dramatic events of late last year has now focused only on the killers of the four protesters.

The incident with the journalist, why he took the photo Page 3 In the photo: Berisha leaving Meta’s house last night Prime Minister Berisha visits Ilir Meta at the house in former Blloku BY ARBEN RROZHANI Even though the Parliamentary Commission for “Coup d’État” has not been closed, the investigation into the organizers of the rally continues. In a telephone statement to “Shqiptarja.com”, the head prosecutor of the Tirana District explains that the interviews with representatives of the opposition who signed as organizers of the rally were conducted at their own request and that from their testimonies it is simply learned that, before the rally, all grassroots organizers were instructed to respect the law. Three deputies of the Socialist Party, as well as the head of the PS for the capital, Pjerin Ndreu, were summoned to the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office just a few days after the event to give their explanations about the events of 21 January. Allies Gjinuši and Ndoka were also questioned. The first to be questioned were the deputies Tom Doshi and Paulin Sterkaj, who initially refused to appear at the prosecutor’s office because they would be attending the funeral of... continued on page 3

Editorial BY AFRIM KRASNIQI Without diplomacy The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced at the end of December that it had found an original solution for appointing ambassadors to vacant positions: it would apply the appointment of chargés d’affaires. The latter are not ambassadors, there is no need for the president’s signature, nor for a hearing in parliament. This form was applied in 2004 and 2007 when the government of the time had disagreements with the President over the appointment of ambassadors. In both cases the problem is the same, the same “obstacle” and the same “solution”. They do not accept a political candidate I want as ambassador, OK, then I appoint chargés d’affaires everywhere until the President’s term ends! ...the non-diplomatic solution to diplomatic problems risks turning foreign policy into a negative appendage of domestic politics... The non-diplomatic solution to diplomatic problems risks turning foreign policy into a negative appendage of domestic politics. In three cases the state has rejected ambassadorial candidates for the same reason: the law on the diplomatic foreign service has been violated, according to which only 20% of appointments at the head of embassies may be political. In 2004 this rate was 45%, in 2007 it fell to 40%, and currently it is 42%. Instead of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government respecting the law in every case, correcting the appointments and turning diplomacy into a dignified constitutional asset for the country, - other extra-legal solutions are sought, which bring threefold negative consequences for diplomacy. First, lowering representation from ambassador to chargé d’affaires is a political stance and when this is applied in states with specific weight in the EU, then the message we send to that country is negative and has consequences for bilateral relations. Second, we risk diplomatic staff being turned into appendages of partisan political staffs... continued on page 5

MILITARY HOSPITAL The management’s order for filling out records: Use capital letters ESMERALDA KETA The management of Tirana’s Military Hospital has been forced to issue an unusual order for filling out the patient’s clinical record. Forced by the fact that nurses and head nurses, but in many cases, do not know how to write and fill out the clinical record properly, so that it is... continued on page 10 NERANXI ...always one step ahead... Nachos and Mexican chips accompanied by the appropriate sauces and cheese Address: Tirana-Durrës Highway, km 7, Yzberisht, Tirana; Tel: 042 406 500; 042 406 501; Fax 042 405 502; e-mail: neranxi@neranxi.com; www.neranxi.com

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Lunch.com BY MIRA KAZHANI A sacrifice like a priest? Dom Gjergji tells his story Page 9

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