THE PD’s FAVORITE WEAPONS FOR FIGHTING THE OPPOSITION AND DESTROYING DEMOCRACY WE DENOUNCE: More than 2 million dollars spent in the presidential campaign for the draft constitution — Cholera continues to wreak havoc, while health funds are “stolen” — Dr. ERMELINDA MEKSI Member of Parliament The excessive political campaign for the referendum has just ended with great success for genuine Albanian democracy, but the exhaustion, stress, and noise—which forced thousands of families to change the TVSH channel—came at a very high cost to the Albanian economy. According to Decisions Nos. 501, 502, and 537 of the Council of Ministers, the Government’s campaign cost the people 183 million new lekë, or more than 2 million dollars. The information we have confirms that this expenditure was covered by the earmarked budgets of several ministries, chiefly from the designated funds of the Ministry of Health. This is despite the fact that we have often responded to shortcomings in healthcare by saying that funds are lacking. As can be seen, the funds were available, but extreme politicization and the incompetence—indeed, the marginalization—of the officials of this ministry and hospital directors meant that they were not put to use for health, but for politics. This is happening while cholera continues in our country, while 10 patients are dying of cholera at the psychiatric hospital in Elbasan, while health facilities are not being repaired, and hospitals with extremely poor sanitary and hygienic conditions still have not solved the problem of water. Nevertheless, the figure cited above is only the tip of the iceberg: it is what the Government openly spent on the referendum. According to our information, the invisible expenses were just as great, if not greater. Specifically, under Decision No. 501 of the Council of Ministers, point 2-c... the district, municipality, or commune chairman may order the mobilization of cars belonging to state enterprises and institutions. These are further hidden expenses which, like those recorded through a decision from above for the ministries—under which five vehicles from each ministry were put at the service of the presidential escort—raise the level of expenditure even further. It is difficult to deny this, because the procession of state escort cars was captured on TV. During this campaign, the Government of a poor country, which should be working intensively, turned into a propaganda government. It engaged in propaganda. In Albania, many people were terrorized and attempts were made to break them, particularly in Berat, Lushnjë, and Mallakastër. According to the independent press, Zeqine Dervishi in Donofrose accuses this so-called democratic government and accuses two PD MPs of being witnesses to the crime of humiliation and torture. One of these MPs is the Minister of Public Order, the MP for Berat. He is doubly responsible: first, because as minister he was responsible for law and order during the elections; and second, because the torture was carried out by police officers in police offices. The other MP is a woman who, more than as a party MP, should have felt offended and outraged as a woman, when today, on the threshold of the new century, a woman is assaulted in the oldest city of Albanian culture and, what is more, an attempt is made to dishonor her. These facts speak of something worse than primitivism. Unless these actions are stopped, even if 100 constitutions are approved in Albania, there will be no democracy. Therefore, an appeal: implement the rule of law and respect its democratic institutions. Respect Parliament; let us not encourage further referendums like the one we have just gone through, which, among other things, will further weaken the Albanian economy and ultimately be paid for by Albanian taxpayers. (Text cut off at the beginning) ...political purposes. We will remind the President. ARBEN ISMAILI [?] a decision from above was issued for the departments, according to which five vehicles from each department were put at the disposal of the presidential guard, further increasing this level of waste. These things are difficult to deny, because the procession of accompanying government cars is fixed on the TV screen. During this campaign, the government of a poor country that abandoned its state duties and put party duties first. Instead of dealing with organizational matters so that unprepared people would not be left to take part in this referendum, and ensuring the material supplies for polling stations as well as public spaces for voting so that people would not have to vote in their homes, the Minister of Local Government and Public Order, Agron Brace, together with the police officers Besnik Caushi; Rrapo Bajrami; Naim Ismaili and Jetnor Basha, [?]. That same night, at five polling stations in Ballsh; forces of law and order led by Agron Brace; Afrim Zeqiri and the chairman of the DP, Arben Hoxha; carried out an illegal intervention, assaulting them. Police officers D. Aliaj; T. Taullahu; Y. Jahaj; Gj. Shehu and L. Balla were also with them.

According to Berisha’s and the PD’s logic About a month ago, at the 10 October press conference, President Berisha said, among other things: «The leader of this party, the PSD, has repeatedly been a promoter of early elections. Here we are in autumn, and the people will vote.» And the people voted in autumn, rejecting the Berisha version and the PD government—something neither of them will accept, offering arguments that do not hold up: supposedly, the people said “No” only to the constitution and not to them, and their mandate is legal until 1996. The fact is that Albania has long been in a political crisis and is now in a constitutional crisis as well. All parliamentary political forces acknowledge this except the PD. And what is most remarkable is that, in his speech at the PD National Council meeting, President Berisha also came up with the other absurdity that «the demand for early elections clearly demonstrates careerist fever, and will not be taken into consideration—not because the PD is afraid of elections (after the referendum results, nobody believes that), perhaps not even Berisha himself, who says so, but because respecting institutions elected by free vote for the term stipulated by law is an unalterable condition for a true democracy!!» We ask the President: does he really mean what he says, or is he joking? Is he just saying something because he has to say something? We would hope he is joking, because otherwise we fear that our country and its reputation will be insulted by Europe (we will not even go as far as Malaysia), whose countries have held early elections when they entered political crises. We would remind the President that our neighbor Silvio Berlusconi has repeatedly warned of early elections if his coalition breaks up or fails to win a vote of confidence in Parliament. Let us remember that Berlusconi has not yet completed a year in his seat. Poor Berlusconi repeated this again on Wednesday, when his draft budget was to be voted on. His advisers must not have told him what his friend across the Adriatic said: «respecting a true democracy»; otherwise he would not have made such a statement, and his country, Italy, would not be described as a democratic country, after which he would have to fight for admission to the Council of Europe! Meanwhile, we will certainly not blame the Danes, Poles, Spaniards, Greeks, Swedes, etc., who have held early elections over the past two years to get their countries out of political crises. They are not at fault: this great lesson coming from Albanian democracy was discovered by the Albanian president Sali Berisha at the PD National Council meeting only two or three days ago. But we would suggest that they take note and that the Bulgarians—who have also scheduled early elections to overcome the political crisis in their country—not make such a mistake. If they make this mistake and fail to respect the four-year term stipulated by law, then the Bulgarians are wasting their time trying to achieve true democracy. If they do not believe us, let them go to Albania and look at the PD constitution, which even God had blessed, but not the people. ARBEN ISMAILI

The instigators, perpetrators, accomplices and state employees have been reported to the prosecutor’s office. Justice must act. REVENGE — THE PD’S “REFLECTION” AFTER THE POPULAR “NO” MALLAKASTËR: An attempt to stage a second Libofshë. It is no coincidence that the Mallakastër district was chosen for punishment through organized state crime. The PD already knew that in this district Berisha’s proposal would be rejected. Therefore, all necessary measures had to be taken. And into action went the retinue of eager servants. BALLSH: On 3 November, a PS secretary, a journalist from Zëri i Popullit, and a courier from Greshicë commune are beaten for no reason; afterwards, the chairman of the Socialist Party of Drenovë is arrested; he is detained by law-enforcement officers on the pretext that he distributed PS leaflets. On the day before the vote, the 3rd, five polling-station chairmen are summoned to the police by police chief Afrim Zeqiri: Gencal Maska; Luan Mëze; Fatmir Dura; Ardian Dauti and Sokol Gjonzhe. They are told that the voting results must show 30 percent in favor of approval. In response to these violations, the Mayor intervenes and asks the police chief to release the commission chairmen. And just as in the other cases, the response was “democratic”: “What’s your problem, or do you want me to drag you out of the Municipality?” The PD observer Fisnik Sina was also with the police chief. A meeting was held about the incident involving the district chairman, the head of law enforcement, and the Mayor, and the incident was reported. The Minister of Local Government, Rexhep Uka, was also informed, but no intervention followed. There were further incidents on voting day. Law-enforcement officers put pressure on Bari Alushi and Izet Ymeri, respectively chairmen of polling stations No. 6 and 5. There was a confrontation between the law-enforcement forces and the people. Along with the police forces, Judge Bashkim Hoxha, the Chief... FRATAR: Another intervention at the polling stations. Police chief A. Zeqiri tries to force his way into a polling station. The guard refuses to let him in; he strikes the guard and threatens him: “I’ll knock your teeth out.” GRESHICË: Greshicë, where local government elections were held in May 1994, once again saw incidents. At the same polling station where an explosive was thrown on 29 May 1994, another disgraceful incident occurred. Polling station No. 2 is blocked and the ballot box containing the ballot papers is stolen. The group is led by police inspector Njazi Shameti together with PD secretary Rauf Zoto. The result at this station was 370 to 70 in favor of “No.” Terror is inflicted on the PS commission chairman Nuradin Xhelili, and a pistol is pointed at the head of the driver in whose vehicle the PS representative was riding. ARIANITAS: The chairman of the polling-station commission, Socialist Party representative Sokrat Yzeiri, is cruelly handcuffed. After being held bound for five hours, he manages to leave with the handcuffs still on. There were clashes with law-enforcement forces because people, outraged, took to the streets. There was also an exchange of gunfire, as villagers responded with shotguns after the law-enforcement forces opened fire. The commission chairman’s brother, Asqeri Yzeiri, is wounded. In the village of Metohuj, too, the police intervene to manipulate the resul- (Continued on page 2)

— 400 decisions annulled after millions of lekë were paid out as compensation — Tracing the outline of a conflict between the state[?] Months later, the chairman of the Court of Cassation, Zef Brozi, sent the district courts a set of instructions cancelling the procedure they had been following. But quite a few people had already received millions of lekë. It is now clear that the cancellation of 400 decisions is also justified on the basis of these instructions. This has led the Shkodër court to say that we bear no responsibility for them. It remains unclear what will happen now. Under the law, the judges who received money according to the procedure described above must return it to the state treasury. Who will do this, since this concerns the return of large sums? The enforcement office will find it difficult. Others think it would be best for the state audit to establish precisely how much money was received and by whom. Those people should be given a deadline, after which their property should be seized. But those who certified the issuance of these decisions argue that the state itself gave them the money under its own laws and instructions. What now—has the state changed its mind? This is how the dispute over the 400 annulled decisions and the millions of lekë obtained in their name ends.

(The column text is partly illegible) The people in the Euronnews reports, the television stations ... (Continued on page 3)

Shkodër — Malësi e Madhe In several villages of Shtoj, administered by the Commune of the District-nave, the lack of drinking water has been exploited for a long time. Even though there has been abundant rainfall, the same conditions as in the summer months continue. There is water at the taps only for a few minutes in the morning and for a short time in the late morning. It is easy to imagine what it means to lack drinking water. But who is stopping the drinking water? We ask this because the villages in this area, which have been supplied for 20 ... (Continued on page 3)

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