- According to some sources, Ministers Zhulali, Serreqi, Dishnica, Belortaja, Anagno-sti and Deputy Prime Minister Kopliku are being dismissed - - Albanians will hear that Dashamir Shehi, Minister of Labour, Emigration and Social Support, will become Deputy Prime Minister. Until now Albania has had neither enough jobs, nor orderly emigration, nor sufficient social assistance. - While Albanian television reported that the police of Malësia e Madhe had caught several people with smuggled fuel, it was «Voice of America» that also reported the names involved in possible changes in the DP government. According to it, as many as seven ministers would be moved from Mr. Meksi’s exhausted cabinet. The head of privatization, Bashkim Kopliku, would go; the paediatrician who mistakenly became Foreign Minister, Alfred Serreqi; the young men Dishnica and Belortaja; the construction minister, without construction, Manushi; and Anagnosti, who left of his own accord before they could throw him out. But what left listeners somewhat open-mouthed was that the list also included the most important figure in the government and the DP, the distinguished intellectual and military man of world stature, the strategist of legal battles with journalists, Defence Minister Safet Zhulali. As can be seen, these changes are among the most far-reaching the DP has undertaken, even though Leka Meksi remains at the head of the cabinet. After all, he has been at the head of the entire government camp, and even during the referendum he himself appeared at rallies and delivered pathetic speeches. These changes are being presented as propaganda; they have undertaken to present the Albanians with bills of the DP’s own making and suitable ... Since even today the testimony is not openly acknowledged, and since the government does not have the courage to resign even though most of its members are leaving, this shows that the changes are not the result of reflection but of propaganda needs. The government changes did not come as a result of open and sincere discussions and an analysis by the cabinet, but as a result of closed meetings. Minister Anagnosti’s resignation letter bears witness to this too. But these facts are best demonstrated by the names of those who are to be elevated to the positions. One of those mentioned yesterday was Dashamir Shehi, Minister of Labour, Emigration and Social Support. It should be said that until now he has headed a very important ministry. But what has been the result? There is little need to comment on this, because above all Albanians have lacked jobs, orderly emigration and sufficient social assistance. The DP’s counter-reform has produced 400,000 unemployed so far, a good number of whom were dismissed for political reasons. For most of them, even assistance has been withheld, and families have to live on just 480 lekë a month. According to the government, this assistance is sufficient. The queues are extremely long. As for organized emigration, the Albanians who set out in this way were those 80 unfortunate girls, victims of a Turkish Cypriot swindler and of the incompetence of the Albanian bodies responsible for the matter in Mr. Shehi’s ministry. Emigration can be attested to by those who crossed mountains, streams and rivers through snow and cold on their way to Greece; by those swallowed by the waves off the Italian coast; and by those pursued at every step by the Greek police and Italian speedboats. These are the results so far, which certainly do not make Mr. Shehi the only one to blame, because then it would be very easy to put things right. But these facts will come to every Albanian’s mind when they hear (if it proves to be true) that Dashamir Shehi has become Deputy Prime Minister. So, will the DP be able to recover its lost honor? Will it be able to present a new face? The answer is clear. The very least it can do today is resign as an entire cabinet. The country today needs new alternatives, different from those offered so far, which the DP apparently is unable to provide. And only the courage to admit this can salvage some of the DP’s lost honor. This is what the people expect. Zhulali As can be seen, the changes this time are among the most far-reaching undertaken by the DP, even though Leka Meksi once again remains at the head of the cabinet. Ultimately, he had been at the head of the entire government camp during the referendum too: he went alone to rallies and delivered pathetic speeches. These changes, as they are being presented, are meant to show Albanians a new face of the DP and to give hope that it can regain what it has lost. But will it be able to do that? The answer is NO!

The DP’s three major defeats: 26 July, 6 November, and the 700,000 signatures for the release of FATOS NANO ... and Albania was ruled by «dirty hands», the socialist leader Fatos Nano received, after the scandalous trial and the sentence ordered against him, support from the most prestigious institutions in Europe and the world; from dozens of European figures and Albanian compatriots, as well as from more than 700,000 people inside Albania. The European Parliament, by an overwhelming majority, votes for the «Release of the imprisoned politician»; the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva, by an overwhelming majority, votes for «His release and the prospect of Mr. Nano’s release»; Martinen, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; Martins Langer; Qose; Basha; Kada­re. How many against Berisha!! The bell, the «Nano affair», rings out loudly with a deafening sound, but Berisha has had his ears plugged with wax, even though his eyes are open; even when he sleeps. The gestures of the leadership are forcing Europe’s chancelleries to speak out in anguish: «Oh, Albania? It has no problems of the East. It has problems with other societies!» But Berisha does not listen; he sees even graver consequences ahead. In any case, he considers himself innocent. What?! Innocent? In March of this year, Sali Berisha, President of the Republic of Albania, was directly accused by Fatos Nano of directing the trial against him, in wh- (Continued on page 2)

The analysis of the positive results of the 6 November referendum, as well as the political and organizational problems that accompanied it, became the main subject of the expanded meeting of the SP in the district of Vlora. The various and legitimate emotions of victory have given way to a broader political concern about the issues preoccupying the SP in Vlora. The result—65.8 percent against the DP in the referendum on the constitution—was a notable victory for the SP and the other political parties that opposed this draft. In the report delivered by SP chairman Eduart Alushi, the work, achievements and shortcomings were highlighted, while the aim was to define the party’s course for new campaigns that may be approaching. The positive result was made possible by the party’s good work in the city and countryside, the broad involvement of intellectuals and young people, and the work of the group of MPs that worked in Vlora during the campaign. The magnificent rally organized by the SP had a notable psychological effect. (Continued on page 2)

- So far, the trial panel has not been appointed and the trial date has not been set - Albanian Tangentopoli: the Arsidi scandal reaches court The file in the «Arsidi scandal» has once again arrived at the Tirana court. This time the trio Tartari, Sallu, Ahmeti—the director and deputy directors of the Commercial Bank, and former Prime Minister Bashkim Fino—will be joined in the dock by Ilir Botan, governor of the Albanian Central Bank, and Adrian Xhynheri, director of the Commercial Bank. All have been involved for months and are connected, under charges relating to the misappropriation of property involving millions of lekë and dollars. After the scandal, the «Arsidi scandal» file has once again returned to court. The Albanian bank’s 1.6 million dollars, as well as the highest-ranking officials in Albanian finance, seem likely to remain just another scandal, and nothing more. Its history alone prompts one to think so. The first trial in court lasted only [1?] and merely found them guilty, naturally imposing maximum sentences for abuse of office on the bankers (Tartari 6 years; Sallu 7 years; Ahmeti 2 years), but it never uncovered the mechanism behind the disappearance of 1.6 million dollars or the destination of that money. But what the court of first instance and the prosecution failed to do, it seems, was done by the independent and opposition media, as well as Italian Senator Alberto Alessi. The latter, rapporteur of the parliamentary committee «for development», «the committee’s aid», accused Tirana of fraud and Berisha of a tangent worth 400,000 dollars, with which the Democratic Party’s election campaign of 22 March had been financed. The dates establishing the scandal’s mechanism coincide with the days immediately after 22 March, up to [unclear]? All of them. Likewise—and this is what is most compromising—Berisha has already received after 22 Mar- (Continued from page 8)

The night before last, around midnight, there were several exchanges of gunfire near the train station in the city of Durrës. The police detained people from neighborhoods 5, 2, 8 and 18 in connection with the wounding of this citizen, who is currently in hospital. The investigative police are working to further verify the circumstances of this incident. * * * The Prefect of Shkodër, Mr. Iljaz Vrloni, today called a meeting with representatives of political parties and several associations in this district. The purpose of the meeting was to coordinate commemorative activities for Independence Day and the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the Homeland. The meeting lasted a few minutes. This is the first meeting Mr. Vrloni has organized with the leaders of the political forces in this district since his appointment.

Korçë-Devoll Korçë’s shopkeepers still cannot find their bearings. They feel hard-hit. The financial police have been sent after several merchants. The company «Goreni» has been fined 1.5 million lek, while the two restaurants at the former «Rinia» venue have each been fined 800,000 lek. And many others as well, bringing the total amount of fines in the Korçë basin to around 50 million lek. In Bilisht, a record fine was imposed at one of the restaurants where an SP deputy ate during the referendum campaign: the fine imposed on its owners reached 5 million lek. MUHARREM MEKO

On 24 November, the second meeting between representatives of the Socialist Party and the Democratic Alliance Party was held to discuss ways of resolving the constitutional initiative and speeding up the process of preparing and adopting constitutional conditions. Both sides reiterated the need for Albania to be admitted to the Council of Europe and expressed their commitment to fulfilling the conditions and standards required for this membership. The Socialist Party responded positively to the second call made by the DA and the SDP for a second round-table meeting of the parliamentary parties, at the beginning of next week, to exchange views on establishing the constitutional commission and determining procedures. Press and Information Office of the SP.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Italy in Tirana, Mr. Paolo Foresti, received at the embassy headquarters, at his request, the Deputy Secretary of the Socialist Party of Albania, Dr. Servet Pëllumbi. At this meeting, views were exchanged on the current political situation in the country. The meeting was also attended by Socialist Party Presidium member Ermelinda Meksi and the First Secretary of the Italian Embassy in Tirana, Amadeo Trombadja. Press and Information Office of the Socialist Party

«The Embassy of Russia in Albania wholeheartedly greets the participants in the Albanian people’s National Liberation War on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the country’s liberation from the Nazi-fascist occupiers, and wishes you, honoured veterans, a long life in good health and active participation in building a deeply democratic society faithful to the ideals of freedom and independence, for which you fought during the Second World War shoulder to shoulder with the peoples of the other countries of the anti-fascist coalition.»

For you Albanians residing in Greece who would like to read our newspaper, we offer the option of sending it to your addresses in Greece through monthly, three-month, or six-month subscriptions. Those interested should contact our liaison office in Athens every day from 17:00 to 21:00, according to local Greek time, at telephone number 019910875. Communication can be in Greek or Albanian. THE EDITORIAL OFFICE