The comedy of ministerial reshuffles is the clearest expression of the clan war within the PD In the empty halls of the officers' college in the capital, for some time now, meetings of the active local branches of the Democratic Party, with members of the executive and the relevant parliamentarians, have not had the full, dense, packed attendance that the official newspaper and television present to us. They look more like formal, apathetic gatherings, dictated by obligation rather than by will. November 6 or February 18? At the meeting held this week in the officers' college hall, the question posed by the president to some PD officials made even clearer that the struggle within this party is turning into antagonism, and that the young members of the former anti-communist party are ready to choose their political orientation through a referendum. Apparently the issue is not simply procedural. And it is not only a matter of ordinary personnel changes. For that reason, all the noise of recent days around the reshuffles in the government cabinet must be seen as an indication of a deeper clash. It is linked to internal balances, to group interests, and to the attempt to preserve political control on the eve of new developments. This also explains the increased nervousness and the exclusionary language being used against anyone who thinks differently. There is a clear mismatch between the public rhetoric of unity and the reality of division. The Democrats have entered a phase in which each clan is measuring its strength and calculating alliances. These moves can be seen both in the capital and in the districts, where local structures are reflecting the same tensions. In such circumstances, the replacement of ministers cannot be understood as a reform of the government. It is only a symptom of a broader political illness. And if this crisis continues to deepen, it may produce consequences not only for the Democratic Party itself, but for the entire institutional life of the country. [Text partially illegible in the left columns of the page.]

SERVET PËLLUMBI: Early elections will come objectively; the situation that has been created is bringing them closer in an unavoidable way. The moment in which the latest events in our country are unfolding has caused different and normal reactions among the people: many people doubt this power's ability to emerge from the crisis. The head of the Socialist parliamentary group, Servet Pëllumbi, speaking to “Zëri i Popullit”, stated that the opposition must be ready with concrete alternatives and broad democratic cooperation. He stresses that the Socialist Party cannot remain indifferent in the face of the degradation of the country's political and economic life. If governance continues to produce only conflict, insecurity, and arbitrariness, then early elections become not merely the opposition's desire, but a logical outcome of the situation. As for cooperation with other forces, Pëllumbi underlines that the SP is ready to dialogue with all those who consider the restoration of democratic standards, respect for institutions, and the guarantee of free elections to be essential. According to him, this is not a matter of political bargaining, but a national necessity. (Continued on page 6)

Why do the Albanians not accept the population census? (Continued on page 2) The history of manipulating population figures in the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia is now old news. Whenever censuses have been conducted, the Slavic authorities have declared figures for Albanians that have been strongly disputed by them. The official data have always been lower than reality, and this has directly affected the political, educational, and cultural representation of Albanians. And this time? Might the new census bring an improvement in the situation? Albanians in Macedonia do not seem convinced of this. They express distrust toward the administration, toward the methodology used, and toward the pressures that, according to them, are exerted on the population. This is why many of them see the process as one-sided and prejudiced.

Did the Albanian Parliament turn a blind eye?! SHEFQET CELA, Secretary General of the KSSH After an article in “Zëri i Popullit” denouncing the beating and torture of a citizen by the police, another serious incident comes to show that violence in police stations and cells is not an exception. According to the information presented, a detainee has been brutally mistreated and his health condition has worsened. The issue takes on an even more serious dimension when we recall that some time ago the Albanian Parliament passed the police law, a law that was supposed to guarantee civilian and institutional oversight of its activity. But reality is showing the opposite. Instead of accountability, we are seeing arrogance and impunity. Might Parliament, through its decisions and silence, have given the police a free rein? This question is being raised forcefully by public opinion. If the state authorities do not react, such cases will recur. (Continued on page 6)

UNSEALED LETTER FOR MR. ALEKSANDËR MËKSI Mr. President! Before I tell you Noli the Great “my discomfort,” let me begin with the greeting of our beautiful language: “Good health!” I greet you with this wish at a time when repeated cuts are taking place in your cabinet, like in an operating room. One minister is removed, another is appointed, someone stitches the wound, and someone else holds the scalpel. At first glance it seems as though these are technical adjustments. But in truth, esteemed Mr. Meksi, these interventions look more like an operation without a precise diagnosis. The patient — the government — is showing no signs of improvement. On the contrary, public opinion is becoming increasingly distrustful. Instead of seeing a clear program, the citizen sees only names moving from one office to another. This is not reform. It is crisis management with propaganda tools. And when the scalpel is used to hide the illness, the danger only increases. Perhaps one day history will call these moves “cabinet reconstructions.” But today they seem simply like signs of lost control. So this letter without an envelope is not just irony. It is civic concern. (Continued on page 6) MUHARREM MEKO

SERVET PËLLUMBI: Early elections will come objectively; the situation that has been created is bringing them closer in an unavoidable way.