A girl has been kidnapped. The police are silent! For nearly 15 days, the Koroboja family in Neighborhood 10 of Durrës has been reporting the kidnapping of their daughter, Valbona Karaboja, a 12-year-old schoolgirl. The parents claim to have reported to the police the people who may have carried out the kidnapping for financial gain. Yet the police, despite the seriousness of the incident, have taken no action, leaving the family in great distress and creating dissatisfaction with the police’s inaction. We stress that this is not the only such case in Durrës. It seems that certain individuals have now found a new way to make money illegally: blackmail through the kidnapping of older children. A. GALICA

— The invalid elections in Libofshë are a direct indictment of the «Meksi» government.

Elections for local government leaders were held in five municipalities across the country. The election campaign was rated very highly by many parties. The reasoning was clear: the main purpose of the elections was not simply to elect five municipal heads. Through these elections, the parties sought to test the electorate at a time of general crisis in the country, perhaps on the eve of an election campaign for early general parliamentary elections. In principle, there is nothing wrong with this. In these elections, the incumbent government faced mainly the country’s two major parties, the DP and the PS. The PS organized an honest election campaign. Its weapons in this campaign were: presenting its alternatives for the country’s development, candidates carefully selected from among its best people, and criticism of the policy and positions of the… (Continued on page 2)

— Statement by the PSD parliamentary group — The PSD parliamentary group has followed with deep concern reports about events in Libofshë during the elections for the municipal head. According to information from observers, the elections took place in an extremely tense political atmosphere, which began with irresponsible statements and threats during the campaign by so-called «militants» of the major political forces, and then became more dangerous for democracy on election day, when certain groups exerted psychological pressure on voters and physically assaulted several members of the polling committees; indeed, according to statements by PS deputies, they even went so far as to violate their parliamentary immunity. These actions were met with indifference by the state and its law-enforcement bodies, whose duty it was to ensure calm and the normal conduct of the elections. The large number of invalid votes—around one third—is also inexplicable. They may have resulted from possible manipulation, particularly when there are candidates such as the one who, at the Vanaj polling station, had only 1–2 invalid votes, whereas in 10 other polling stations the number of invalid votes reached as much as 50 percent. The fact that the final election results are still not being made public because of various irregularities is also noteworthy. Anyone who serves democratic culture, and the way information about the May 29 elections is being provided, will find all this troubling. If the fact that the results presented for these elections amount to a «victory» for the DP is true, this should be an alarm for everyone. (Continued on page 2)

FIER: Criminal proceedings begin over the Libofshë incident The physical and psychological terror inflicted on May 29 in the municipality of Uji i Ftohtë has still not subsided. The police’s actions are unacceptable; at any hour of the day they go to Libofshë threatening to carry out searches. After what happened, the gangs that fought brutally, with the PD in their mouths, and used their fists and pistol barrels to ensure the PD’s reign of terror have continued for nine whole days. So far nobody has been brought to account, despite the fact that specific names are known, those responsible are being sought, and the statements of the injured parties and witnesses have been made public. Regarding this incident, the Socialist Party reported the violence on 31.5.1994. The PS of Fier filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office, requesting that those responsible be held accountable for at least the incidents of May 29. On 16. [unclear in source] 1994, by order of the district prosecutor’s office, a criminal case was opened against Sokol Xhemali[?], case no. 309. In order to obtain… (Continued on page 2)

— Shkodër does not want the socialists!... Because Shkodër and Albania love Sali Berisha, Tritan Shehu, Ali Spahia, Eduart Selami, Agron Musaraj, etc. And the crime continues. Its traces are in Gjovalin Çekini’s blood. And after this, we can conclude that Shkodër does not want the proponents of the motion either! Could that be? Who are these people who dare to insult Shkodër and all of Albania?... And what about him? For the murder of Gjovalin Çekini, I will mention only names. It was the very same people who organized the 18th. The ones involved last night were the same too... Speaking about them—that is, the financiers and protectors of crime—during one of the hearings in the political trial over such attacks by the beshjanët, Socialist Party chairman Fatos Nano stated: «This is a sign of weakness on the part of those who do not know what they should do. I suggest that, instead of seeking the source of the funding, he look in the same place as the attackers of Mrs. Shkreli, the attackers of Gjovalin Çekini, the attackers of Moza Qoso, the attackers of Maqo Lakrori and Alfred Panoka, the attackers of Gjergji Zefi and Tender Keko, and the antidemocratic and unconstitutional power structure created for the purpose of political crime by the President of the Republic or other leaders of the party in power. You have turned the attack on eight deputies into a political matter, among them the Socialist deputy speaker of the People’s Assembly, in the June 18 events in Shkodër». So what happened in Libofshë was no accident and was not unexpected. Everything follows the same line: «— Shkodër does not want the socialists!...» LUAN M. RAMA

Yesterday at 11:00, representatives of the Association for «Democratic Culture» held a press conference at the International Press Centre concerning the early elections of May 29 in five municipalities of Albania. Their observers’ meeting was being held regarding the early elections of May 29 and the conduct of the May 29 elections. Threats were present at many points during the elections in the respective areas. Numerous incidents, especially in two areas, caused great concern among the observers. In summary: - SHKD observers witnessed an individual (who was also a member of the militants in Libofshë during the PS voting on the evening of May 27) threaten the committee chairman, etc.; and later, when his demand to be an observer was delayed, he… [sentence unclear in source] - A member of the SHKD group was removed from the polling station on… (Continued on page 2)

Documents bearing the signatures of DP members on the committee as well prove that Eduart Selami publicly lied at his press conference. [Two images of voting documents are shown, with tables and handwriting; most of the text is not clearly legible. The document on the right shows names and figures, including: “Zonja Raki Meta” and “327”; “... Gjoni ...” and “31”; “...” and “466”.]

COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE ROAD OF CRIME What happened on May 29 in Libofshë was no accident. Nor was it unexpected. Because everything had been foretold. The state did nothing other than reveal itself again. It all began on April 2, 1991. Shkodër and all of Albania are still looking for the old murderers. No justice has been served against them, while the honest people of Shkodër know and have told the truth. Who knows where the murderers are roaming on horseback, it is said in a film imprisoned by the gendarmes of culture. On the eve of the March 22, 1992 elections, Fatos Nano was attacked by an armed gang in the city of Bajram Curri, obstructing his lawful activity; the chairman of the Socialist Party and a deputy of the People’s Assembly, just as the left-winger continues to be obstructed as a political hostage in the cells of Tirana prison by those who fear democracy and genuine pluralism. In the same gangster-like and fascist manner, he was obstructed in Lushnjë, in Kuçovë, and in many other cities across the country. On March 18, 1993, state crime appeared even more organized, and Socialist Party deputies—among them, through Parliament, Shafiu Vukaj and the chairman of the PSD and deputy of the People’s Assembly Fatos Nano—were not allowed to enter Shkodër. Once again, armed terrorist gangs. State television showed crowds shouting, their eyes red, fixing on these portraits of people ordered to commit crimes, without making any effort at all. [Text unclear in source: “nxjerrë për bamë … burgëri”] As the epilogue to this “asomë” [unclear in source], but with crime following the same line, the state appeared before the President of the Republic