“The ARSIDI scandal” is the exclusive property of the PD “The ARSIDI scandal” is the exclusive property of the PD At last the leader admits it, BERISHA (!) For many people, not paying taxes under modern slavery is a problem of the day. In our country it is exactly the opposite. The rich, until now so contemptuous of work, are presented as prosperous through abuse and plunder. Stealing taxes and funds is also the newest form of enrichment. And stronger strata are being created from millions stolen, from trafficking and smuggling, people who do not even hesitate to play the moralist and govern. The head of state, Mr. Sali Berisha, declared yesterday before several trade unionists that the “Arsidi” affair is part of the corruption within the ranks of his party and that it is being fought vigorously. We are not going, for the moment, into the motives behind this statement by the president, but we limit ourselves to one observation: corruption within the ranks of the PD has reached such proportions that it can no longer be hidden or brushed aside even by the head of this party himself. Naturally, with a dry phrase, with such a surrender-like admission as Mr. Berisha made yesterday, nothing will be solved. “Arsidi” is only one case, an isolated scandal, but by no means the only one. It has merely brought to light a deeper and more dangerous phenomenon: the link between politics and profit, power and dirty money. Many people clearly remember the denunciations that the opposition and the independent press have long made about clientelist privatizations, unreasonable credits, and open favors to a group close to the top of power. Not by chance, names of people, companies and intermediaries have been mentioned from time to time in scandals that begin with tenders and end with customs, banks, land and monopolies. Nevertheless, whenever the opposition has raised its voice, the answer has been the same: slander, hostility, war against reforms. Now that Mr. Berisha himself admits that “Arsidi” is corruption within the PD, it remains to be clarified what measures are being taken and whom they are hitting. Will only the small fish be touched, or the heads as well? Will the political and financial ties of this affair be brought to light? Will the path of the money and the beneficiaries be made public? Or will “Arsidi” be used as a valve to temporarily relieve public pressure without harming the mechanism that produced it? In fact, the essence of the problem is not just one file, but the model of governance that feeds corruption. When the administration is party-ized, when parliamentary oversight is weakened, when the judiciary is intimidated and when the independent media are attacked, corruption is no longer a deviation; it becomes a system. Therefore, yesterday’s statement by the president is not an act of courage, but an obligation imposed on him by reality. Albanians have the right to know where their money goes, who is pocketing it and with what political protection. They have the right to demand not phrases, but accountability. And they have the right to suspect that the “Arsidi scandal” is not an exception, but the most visible sign of a more serious disease: corruption that has taken root in the body of the PD’s power.

DESTROYED TO BE PRIVATIZED AS CHEAPLY AS POSSIBLE WHY DID THE ALBANIAN LAMPS DISAPPEAR? The former name “Tirana” no longer exists. Today the factory operates under the sign “LIRA,” a new private firm. The buildings, machinery, equipment and the well-known brand of electric lamp production have been stripped of their old identity. In place of a factory that once worked for the domestic market and for export, one now finds half-empty warehouses, laid-off workers and silent production lines. For years this enterprise carried the burden of supplying the country with lamps. Today, the natural question is: why was it allowed to decay? Who benefited from its deterioration? And why is privatization being carried out precisely after the asset has been devalued? Former workers say that the lack of raw materials, power cuts, lack of orders and disorganization did not fall from the sky. According to them, everything came as a deliberately prolonged process toward bankruptcy, so that later the plant could be handed over cheaply, for a ridiculous price, to private interests close to power. If this is true, then we are not dealing simply with an economic failure, but with a deliberate scheme to transfer public property into private hands. Instead of the state protecting productive assets, it lets them dry up and then sells them as scrap. The case of the Albanian lamps is also significant for another reason: it shows that privatization, advertised as a reform, is being carried out without transparency, without real competition and without guarantees for the public interest. Citizens are told that state enterprises are a burden. But who made them a burden? Who brought them to the point where they no longer produce? If there is no answer to these questions, then suspicion becomes conviction: the Albanian lamps did not disappear because of incompetence, but were destroyed to be privatized as cheaply as possible.

American police in the Balkan tangle The convincing assessment with which Serbia decided to release dozens of opposition figures and leaders and protesters against it shows that Belgrade is no longer counting only on its own strength. International pressure, especially American pressure, is clearly affecting the moves of the Serbian regime. In the past week a new diplomatic liveliness has been observed in the region. In Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo and Macedonia, every development is now seen also from Washington’s point of view. The very fact that American diplomacy is intervening more openly gives the whole Balkan crisis a different dimension. Serbia is trying to play for time, make partial concessions and avoid decisive blows. But its room for maneuver is narrowing. Isolation, economic crisis and political pressure have limited its options. That is why every move is now read as a reaction to a larger force entering the scene. In this sense, “American police” should not be seen merely as a metaphor. It expresses an overseeing, intervening and, if necessary, punitive role that the United States is taking on in the peninsula. This has its supporters, but it also brings new fears: for the sovereignty of small countries, for fragile ethnic balances, for solutions imposed from outside. Nevertheless, in conditions where war and ethnic cleansing have wreaked havoc, many see this role as unavoidable. For the lack of a strong arbiter has so far allowed armed nationalisms to dictate the agenda. The Balkans, more than ever, has become a laboratory in which it is being tested how far American intervention can go without turning into direct administration. And Serbia is the point where this test is being measured most clearly.

Liberaliz[d?] Libr[a?]znd The transition seems to have been a “therapy” of success even for some bank balances. A few figures published recently show an unusual rise in profits at a time when production is falling, unemployment is rising and wages remain frozen. Where do these records come from? Are they the product of a real economy that is thriving, or the result of speculation with exchange rates, loans, imports and privileges? If a small part grows rich quickly while the majority tightens its belt, then we have every right to ask what kind of liberalization is being built. Many citizens feel this contrast in daily life. Prices are rising, savings are losing value, while certain institutions present inflated success figures. Therefore, the “financial record” sounds more like a record of inequality.

The civilized world observes the sacrifices of Albanians in the struggle for freedom and the sacrifices in the Middle East (Continues on page 3) From the press conference of the senior American representative in Pristina it was emphasized that the peaceful resistance of the Albanians and their commitment to freedom are being followed with respect by international opinion. The sacrifices made by the population were praised and it was requested that the rights of Albanians be resolved through political and democratic means. The statement said that stability in the region cannot be achieved without respecting the fundamental rights of Albanians. Any attempt at repression and denial of their representation only prolongs the crisis.

Milo! Mina with the basis of the criminality of communism The chairman of the Green Party declared yesterday that the criminality inherited from the past is being used as an alibi for today’s failures. According to him, the lack of real reforms and the capture of the administration have created the climate in which crime flourishes. He called for public debate not to be distorted by ideological labels, but to focus on the concrete responsibilities of governance.

Albania signs cooperation agreement with NATO Representatives of the Ministry of Defence and foreign experts discussed yesterday the steps that need to be taken to bring the country closer to Euro-Atlantic structures. At the center of the discussions were technical standards, equipment modernization and the need for personnel training. According to official sources, the agreement aims to create a framework for cooperation on army reforms and the improvement of defence capabilities. It was stressed that the orientation toward NATO is linked to the need for regional stability and long-term security. Although still in the early stages, this development is presented as a political step of weight in the new course of Albanian foreign policy.

The representative of the Italian company missing since Monday is found detained in Durrës Today in Golema the Durrës police arrested Xhemal Goxhaj, chairman of the Italo-Albanian company “New Keesi”, together with two others. According to police sources, the arrest is linked to a complaint filed by a representative of the Italian company, who had been reported missing since Monday. The incident has caused considerable reaction, as it involves a company with joint Albanian-Italian activity. Preliminary investigations aim to clarify the circumstances of the disappearance, the movements of those detained, and the possibility of a conflict over financial interests. Sources from Durrës say that the person reported missing has been found and is being questioned by the police. It remains unclear whether he had been held against his will or had left for other reasons. The case is expected to have repercussions also in trade relations between Albanian and Italian partners, especially at a time when private collaborations are multiplying, but legal certainty remains weak.

Last night in Korçë the police opened an investigation into the disappearance of an official seal from a local institution. The incident, though seemingly small, has caused concern because of the possibility that it could be used in forged documents. Local sources said that entries and exits and the persons who had access to the office where the seal was kept are being checked. So far there is no information on the perpetrators.

The Greek loan - the biggest financial scandal of the MIKSI government FIGURES, FACTS, COMMENTS (Read tomorrow in “ZËRI I POPULLIT”)