President of the Socialist Youth International Roger Hallbag: "It is absolutely clear that Fatos Nano is a political prisoner. Fatos Nano's being in prison is proof that shows Albania is still far from reaching the standards necessary to be an open democratic country" Read page 2

-The President of the Republic of Albania, Sali Berisha, departed for the USA The long-awaited departure of the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, for the USA is a significant event, an event in the political life of the country and in the international relations that Albania has established after the victory of democracy. We socialists welcomed it when this visit was announced, because it is an honor done to Albania. The United States of America are today the country with the strongest economic and military potential, a developed democracy and an example for all countries. Today they play a decisive role in all the events and situations that the world is going through. Albania, its cause, its independence, its progress, is more secure with a great and powerful ally such as the United States of America. The friendship of the Albanian people with America has deep roots and was strengthened in the common wars, especially against fascism in the Second World War. In America found refuge and worked and fought for the Albanian cause some of the brightest figures in the history of our National Renaissance. Albanians in America have found there not only personal well-being and that of their families, but above all, unstinting support for the national issue. Even today it is American policy, carried forward by the Clinton administration, that has loudly raised the issue of defending the rights of Albanians in Kosovo, warning the Serb war-mongers that they will be punished for any attempt to expand the conflict there. Albanian-American friendship is not partisan. It does not belong to the PD, nor to its government, nor to Mr. Berisha as a person. The invitation is for the President of Albania and within it lies the friendship of the American people and state for the Albanian people, whatever political beliefs they may have within the framework of the political pluralism that has been established and made irreversible on the path we are taking. The President of the Republic's visit to the United States has rightly raised hopes that concrete actions will follow to unblock the political knot of Kosovo, without the just solution of which there can be no just and final solution to the entire crisis in the former Yugoslavia. We hope that the President of the Republic's visit to the USA and his meeting with the highest American representatives, including Mr. Clinton, will help ensure greater American contribution to all political and socio-economic developments in Albania, to place the laws of modern democracy at the foundation of our entire life. It delights all Albanians, encourages them to hope for concrete results in strengthening friendship between the two countries, but especially in the assistance that will be given for a just solution of the national issue and for the "democratization" of the democracy we want to build.

-Discussion by PS vice-chairman Servet Pellumbi in Parliament- Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen deputies, the 7th session of the People’s Assembly ended with political tensions. We are starting the 8th session in an atmosphere of political tension, deliberate and blatant. Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen deputies, The 7th session of the People’s Assembly ended with political tensions. We are starting the 8th session in an atmosphere of political tension, deliberate and blatant. The common denominator is the growing pressure of political power. And you too, Mr. Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, are not without "merits" in this direction. Why is this happening? - we deputies ask. The answer is one and only one: Albanian democracy is being narrowed every day more and more into a critical space. A totalitarian personal power is being installed. What happened on the morning of September 6 is something unprecedented. Familiar with this ugly and shameful event, we ask: where is the promised separation of powers, where is the advertised independence of the judiciary? What guarantees do citizens have, after the siege and violence against the Cassation Court, that their rights and freedoms will be respected? What guarantees will democratic institutions have, after the diktat and violence exerted upon them by the executive power if Parliament does not at least do as much as change the order of the items included in the program, putting first Prime Minister Meksi's call for the urgent question session? In Parliament, in expedited sessions, we have examined many issues, draft laws that had been forgotten or brought late, while today, for such an important issue, another arbitrariness is being imposed. Finally, I would add that I would not believe that the police cordon was ordered by the Minister of the Interior. But we heard the truth from him himself today. This makes the situation even more worrying and our demand that the Prime Minister come to an urgent session more pressing. Otherwise it will not be surprising if one day a servile government, by order of the President, surrounds the Parliament as well.

In place of the two fugitives from the rooms of the Internal Affairs Branch in Shkoder, on the evening of yesterday 5 police officers will take their place. They are Pellumb Pepa, Tafjl Hasanmuca, Mirash Lulashi, Ferid Peraj and Besnik Brahushi, five police officers from the Shkoder police unit, who since yesterday afternoon have ended up in the rooms of the Shkoder Internal Affairs Branch, arrested. Read page 6

-Interview with Prof. Dr. Edmond Luçi Read pages 4-5

The new school year is starting! What will happen to the children trapped by blood feuds? Coming soon Ernesto Sabato in Albania Will be published Virgil's "Aeneid" Creative work by Mira Meksi, Shpresa Kapisyzi, etc. On pages 7, 8, 9, 10