The President's spokesman “confuses” "Zëri i Popullit" with the American newspaper “The New York Times” The New York Times Where Heads of State Lay Their Heads Notice from the President's press spokesman The President's press spokesman informs that the article in “Zëri i Popullit”: “Berisha in New York: One night at the hotel 2000 dollars” is entirely a fabrication by the newspaper “Zëri i Popullit”. President Berisha has not slept a single night, and never, at the Riha Royal Hotel, but on the first night of his stay in New York he was accommodated at the Park Meridian Hotel at a price several times higher than the price falsely claimed by “Zëri i Popullit”. Editorial comment: The least that can be said after becoming acquainted with the notice from the press spokesman of the President of the Republic is the word stupidity. Because no normal person, even with only a little schooling, would fail to distinguish white from black, would fail to distinguish the article in “Zëri i Popullit” from the article of another newspaper, even if it is an American one. The article from yesterday with the title: “Ber-[?] isha in New York: one night at the hotel 2000 dollars,” is not the work of “Zëri i Popullit” but rather its fabrication, as shamelessly concocted by the President's spokesman. It is an article taken from the great authoritative newspaper “The New York Times”, published in the USA on 22 October 1995, and written by the journalist Elisabeth Bumiller. However, it seems that the President's spokesman is not concerned with denying the above fact, but as always with attacking and accusing “Zëri i Popullit”, even though, driven by anger and hatred, he self-exposes himself and reveals himself to be an irredeemable ignorant illiterate. If the fact from the American journalist is not true, the President's spokesman should publicly present the hotel bills and all other presidential expenses in the USA. Not only that, but he is also requested to present the bills for the expenses made by Sali Berisha and the presidential staff from the day of his appointment as President until today.

Editorial An extremely paradoxical situation is being created during these months of the pre-election campaign. The Democratic Party and its political power, with its obedient levers — the order police, criminal police, tax police, all kinds of police, and especially with the support of SHIK agents — have made it the norm to be present at all times in the lawful activities of the Socialist Party. The police and hired provocateurs are also on their feet when ordinary socialists gather together, and even more so when the leading figures of the Socialist Party and other opposition parties attend these activities. The geography of these provocations now includes: Durrës and Tirana, Vlorë and Lushnje, Malësia e Madhe, and as of yesterday also the district of Lezhë. Why all this situation? It shows that political power seeks to give the passport of honorary citizen to lawlessness. It must not be forgotten that lawlessness was born together with this party as a product of the populism it represents. Once, the Democratic Party operated on the country's turbulent political scene with anti-rallies; today it cannot gather people, so it is putting into action the ranks of paid people from its state administration. The motives driving the organizers of these anti-democratic positions are many, but the following factors stand out in particular: First, it seeks to divert public attention from the failures and scandals of the PD's governance. The aim is to push off the agenda the concern that corruption, which has gripped every office door and every function, causes among the people. Second, the artificial escalation of tensions, in implementation of the permanent strategy of violence and tension, is another important objective of these new anti-socialist provocations. Violence naturally frightens people, but before it drives them away from opposition parties and their lawful activities, it cools them off and distances them from power, despite its democratic name. Third, as elections approach, with the Democratic Party seeing itself displaced from power by the free vote of the people, the panic that has seized the rulers pushes them to exploit every unlawful route in order to impose themselves on the country's political scene, striking at the opposition, which is the most expressive component of pluralist democracy. Fourth, anticipating a fierce political campaign in the new elections, the ferocity provoked by it in order to keep the chairs at any cost, today's actions of political power against the opposition are a test case for future provocations and for the ways PD will find to sabotage the lawful activities of the opposition parties. Today's pre-election situation has nothing in common with the first months of '92, when in the euphoria of seizing power PD and its many supporters occupied every square without knowing rules or discipline. At that time anti-rallies became a wonder-working formula for arousing panic and disillusioning people, for frightening them, which is why the surprising façade was “Freedom-Democra-[?]”. Today the Democratic Party cannot hold even a rally, a meeting, or fill a hall. People have massively turned their backs on it, disillusioned by the support it enjoys, and the opposition-minded people, meaning not only the Socialist Party, do not hesitate to place mines on the road to the democracy we want to build.

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-Interview with People's Artist Lutfar Pajo I could be called a criminal and a murderer because I killed the Italians of 1920 in the film "Gunat përmbi tela" with Velo's machine gun Page 10

Monika Zguro, among 36 European beauties, is named third runner-up of Miss Europe and Miss Palmolive Page 9