BETWEEN TWO MENTALITIES In today’s Albania there is a fierce struggle over the paths of development; the fate of democracy is at stake. At the center of it is the people as the bearer of the future. Among other things, they appear in some fundamental traits. Far and near. 1. It has placed them in an unusual relationship with politics and with the parties. There is the impression that if they turn their backs on them, they will fall victim to total ruin. So they follow them, question them, suspect them, demand answers. On the other hand, they are disappointed by quarrels, empty promises and the inability to solve vital problems. 2. They have grown accustomed to a state that took everything upon itself; now they are facing freedom and personal responsibility. This sometimes makes them turn toward authority, and at other times seek new social and political space. 3. Within themselves they have great energies of survival, but also psychological exhaustion. This makes them waver between patience and outburst. In these circumstances, parties cannot treat the people as a crowd for applause, but as real interlocutors. They are tested not by slogans, but by the ability to listen, to build compromise and to preserve the public interest. The great dilemma is this: will the mentality of the struggle for power at any cost prevail, or the mentality of building democratic institutions? Between these two mentalities today lies the main divide in Albanian politics. If hatred, revenge and the politics of exclusion prevail, the country will once again slide into crisis. If dialogue, patience and responsibility prevail, Albania can enter a new stage. Therefore political struggle is unavoidable, but it must have democratic limits. It cannot be carried out through the destruction of the opponent or through deceiving the people. Only then will parties have meaning as representatives of the social interest. (Continued on page 3)

After a broad inspection in our country, in which many police forces were engaged, a quantity of weapons kept without authorization was found. Among them are 180 revolvers and 35 automatic pistols, which have been seized. Police sources say the inspections will continue in the coming days and that citizens who voluntarily hand over weapons will benefit from the предусмотрed concessions. (Continued on page 2)

THE DEMOCRATIC PARLIAMENT IS ACKNOWLEDGED A sad piece of news that in the Academy of Sciences the voices against its reform and opening have increased. Instead of contributing to the modernization of research and cultural life, part of the structures is resisting change. This runs counter to the spirit of the times and to the need for institutions that serve the new democratic society. LILIAN PAMA (Continued on page 3)

A QUESTION EVERYONE ASKED: who is the grave robber?..

Did we feel it too, even in a tense atmosphere a few days ago? Yes, it is the news published some time ago, a bitter sensation for the city of Shkodrës. A dead woman, exhumed and desecrated. In such a climate, where so much is shaken, even the word sensation becomes dangerous. Because it can conceal beneath it a serious moral and social crime. If the event is true, then it calls not for morbid curiosity but for serious investigation, responsibility and punishment. It cannot be accepted that graves be violated, that the dead be left without peace, and that public opinion be shaken by publications that play with the boundaries of ethics. Therefore the question is not whether we have a sensation, but whether we are facing a crime. (Continued on page 3)

Albania truly faces a great challenge. But precisely in such moments, public television must be present, inform responsibly and not hide behind silence. Citizens have the right to know what is happening, what decisions are being made and why. The lack of information fuels insecurity, rumors and manipulation. SAILI RUSHA (Continued on page 3)

1992 Like an insect of the people, among the first private organizations of a commercial character to enter the circulation in our country was “Onufri”, the key name among the entities that will deal with books. Let us regard this as a second anniversary of the creation of “Onufri”. Let us further examine domestic publishing with its specific features, which 1) are known to everyone and 2) are best known by those who make it.

The Council of Ministers is discussing a package of measures to improve the supply of essential goods. Unofficial sources speak of concentrations of citizens in some areas, dissatisfied with delays and disruptions in distribution. (Continued on page 3)