While the entire public is waiting for an answer about the major scandal announced by two PAD MPs concerning the trafficking of weapons and cigarettes, in which Minister of Defense Zhulali is directly accused, TVSH, in many of its news reports, endlessly propagandizes his meetings and visits. Apparently, this is to show the «kissers» in Belgrade that their provocations will smash their heads against the walls of this whole alliance between the Minister of Defense and TVSH. Just recall the Broz affair, the interviews, the «transparent» statements, and Albanian Television’s current stance.

Today at the Court of Cassation Various international organizations and the U.S. Department of State have assessed significant developments in the proceedings. For the last time, today the five activists of «Omonia», the organization of the Greek minority in Albania, will have the opportunity to be tried by an Albanian court. This time, Albania’s Court of Cassation will face the legal opportunity to put an end to the uncertainty: imprisoned or free? Today, all five, as well as Chief Justice Brozi himself—who will hear the case on cassation—will be at the center of attention of Albanian public opinion. By 10:00 a.m., around 40 people—Albanian journalists, correspondents of foreign agencies accredited in Tirana, Greek journalists, and representatives of the diplomatic corps—had requested and received permission from the Court of Cassation without difficulty to attend today’s proceedings. Meanwhile, the charge of «espionage on behalf of the Greek secret service»—which became a guilty verdict after the case was heard at the first two levels of court—has for some time led foreign observers to focus their attention on developments in Albania. Having been at the center of this scrutiny for a considerable length of time, the «case of the five» has come to occupy a prominent place in the reports of many international organizations concerned with freedoms and human rights in Albania. Finally, the Court of Cassation of the Republic of Albania will also deliver its verdict on the proceedings against the five Greek minority members. Will it adhere to the standards and impartiality set out in international conventions? In addition to the opinion already formed that there were irregularities during the first two trials in the respective courts, the Greek press claims that there has also been intervention by the «White House»—by Tirana officials—in this matter. According to the Greek newspaper «Kathimerini», President Clinton asked the Albanian president to normalize relations with Greece. But while official Tirana has always claimed that legal procedures were observed during the trials, relations with the southern neighbor continue to remain increasingly frosty. It seems that the «case of the five», more than the «unprecedented harm» allegedly caused by the accused, has caused extraordinary damage to relations between the neighbors, which both sides want to normalize at all costs in the interest of their mutual interests. But, whatever these opinions, what will happen tomorrow? The case has also Albania. Finally, resolutions concerning the proceedings against the five Greek minority members have also come from the USA. The U.S. Department of State, in its 1994 report on freedoms and human rights, extensively mentions the case of the five «Omonia» activists in the section on Albania. Their arrest, the searches of their homes, their pretrial detention, and their trial were accompanied by serious shortcomings, the report says, referring to the proceedings against Theodhori Bezhani, Vangjel Papakristos, Panajot Martos, Traki Simos, and Kosta Qirjakos, all leading «Omonia» figures in the districts of southern Albania. «Human Rights Watch», the U.S. section of the Helsinki Committee, also ... ...the icy situation even further. the «unprecedented blow», has, as a result of the accusations against them, caused enormous damage to relations between the neighboring countries, which both sides are seeking to normalize at all costs in the interests of the two countries. But, in any case, regardless of these opinions, what will happen tomorrow? Is official Tirana able to exert pressure on the courts, and particularly on the Court of Cassation, to secure any kind of decision? Brozi, the chief judge who won a duel a few days ago against the prosecutor’s office, which had brought charges against him, seems, at least for the moment, to be someone who will not be burdened by the weight of an order. Today, the four Omonia members still in prison and Irakli Sirmo, pardoned by President Berisha, will have an equal chance of either outcome: remaining in prison or being declared innocent.

DURRËS Beware of expired medicines (!) It remains a mystery where and how private pharmacists obtain their medicines. At pharmacy doors, perhaps many people come and go with prescriptions once a day, unable to obtain the medicines; [?] patients are far from being served. The privatization process has affected not only the pharmacy premises, but also all the medicines they previously stocked. These medicines were bought by private pharmacists at state prices and sold to the public at prices 10–20 times higher. This concern was discussed at a meeting of the health section some time ago, where the issue was criticized by a large number of doctors. Taking advantage of the shortage of many essential medicines in state pharmacies, private pharmacies set arbitrary prices that a large section of the public cannot afford. Indeed, medicine prices differ greatly from one private pharmacy to another. Although there is a government decision providing free or reduced-price medicines for certain groups of chronically ill people, people with disabilities, etc., private pharmacies do not comply with it, since it affects their profit interests. In addition, as a doctor at the city’s central polyclinic told us, patients have come to this institution with expired medicines bought at private pharmacies. We learned from him that, so far, no health inspection has been carried out at any of the pharmacies. Thus, the source of the urge to buy medicines from private pharmacies remains a mystery. MIRELA NDINI

KORÇË The paradoxes of a law Five private pharmacies are now spread across the city’s various neighborhoods. The fact that many medicines for chronic illnesses have for some time been available only in state pharmacies, because their supply has been regular, while private pharmacies had them in abundance, led people to think that something was wrong somewhere. Thus, to some extent, privatization of this service is responsible. But it also weighs on the people. Some of the pharmacists we managed to contact gave us no reason for optimism. The law in question exempts children aged 0–12 months, cytostatic drugs for cancer patients, anti-tuberculosis drugs for TB, etc. from 100 percent of the cost. According to the same law, the owners are to be reimbursed through the Insurance Institute. The law enters into force immediately. This is the main concern for private pharmacists, since they have medicines whose prices, they claim, are higher than the ceiling on the approved list. For its part, the district health directorate has drawn up an order containing a list of doctors authorized to issue prescriptions. Thus, the possibility of selling medicines on prescriptions from another district is excluded. But what makes the paradox especially serious for doctors is the requirement that subsidy invoices be accompanied by the corresponding prescriptions. Yet all this contradicts one of the most important codes of medicine, according to which the period for keeping a prescription at a pharmacy is up to 10 years. Doctors say that prior consultation about privatizing this service would have been very effective. MUHARREM MEKO

Although it is said that two or three state pharmacies still exist in the city, in reality they have been closed for a long time. I say this because the sick have not found the medicines or drugs recommended by their doctors in these pharmacies. In other words, they have indeed kept their doors open, but with empty display windows outside. It seems the state deliberately acted this way over the past two years, so that one day the sick would say there was no point in keeping these pharmacies open, since they did not have the medicines they needed. In short, the conditions were created for these pharmacies to close, while the state claimed they would compete with private pharmacies. In fact, it did the opposite: it left them neglected and without supplies. The sick were forced to turn to private pharmacies, of which there are quite a few in this city. However, the prices of medicines at the latter are high. A common medicine for a sheet of bronchitis treatment, for example, is said to cost as much as 10 new lekë. Or a preparation for a skin disease, the quantity of which does not exceed one tablespoon, costs 700 new lekë. With the incomes people receive today—the vast majority having very low incomes—it is impossible to afford medicine prices. It is becoming common for people, forced by the high prices, not to buy all the medicines the doctor recommends on the prescription, but to tell the pharmacist: “Give us the most important one!” A government decision that sets the price of some medicines and the maximum price of others, and also provides for their subsidization beginning February 1, is being kept hidden. Citizens know nothing about it. Pharmacists may know, but they remain silent. All pharmacists should have displayed the list of medicines that will be subsidized and told interested citizens that, when they obtain these medicines with a doctor’s prescription, they will pay the price set by the government, whereas if they obtain them without a prescription, the liberalized price will apply. As far as we know, this has not been done so far. The state may subsidize, but who benefits from these subsidies—the sick or the doctors? It is also strange that the official propaganda has made no effort to publicize this decision, so that citizens can be informed and not deceived. A list should have been posted in all pharmacies, enabling pharmacists to compare the names on the list with the names of the doctors who sign the prescriptions. Preparing this list is not the pharmacists’ responsibility, but that of those who direct the health service.

(Solidarity of 33 Shkodër bread sellers with the 200 bread sellers of Tirana) We are 30 bread sellers from the city of Shkodër who fully stand in solidarity with the sellers in Tirana. Our troubles are the same as those of our colleagues in Tirana: they take our shops and put us out on the street, without considering at all our hard work and sweat, our difficulties at work, or the hardships we have overcome, not only during the transition but also before it. The owners of the markets and the formerly persecuted, who have inserted themselves among them, are freely taking our shops. Our colleagues in Tirana are right to raise the issue when they say that the value of what they can buy with their securities is limited, and they cannot buy big things such as steamships and factories. Is that any different with our shops?! We ask you, Mr. President, Parliament, and Government, to give us the opportunity as well to make a living from the shops where we have worked for years. We believe this is a right that belongs to us, and nothing more. Here, we, the colleagues standing in solidarity with the bread sellers of Tirana, the bread sellers of the city of Shkodër, have put down our signatures so that, like our colleagues in Tirana, we too may be given the shops. Almost all of us have paid the ten-percent amount set for these shops. In this way, we have also fulfilled the obligations imposed on us. Zoica Kapeta, Emine Garuci; Shefije Llambi. Another 28 names follow.

On January 27, 1995, Zëri i Popullit published an article by Mr. Muharrem Meko entitled: «Zëri i Popullit—in the service». Regarding the audit of the privatization of the Art Enterprise in Shpendë-Korçë, the following is clarified: On the basis of a complaint by employees of N.R.SH.B - Korçë, the privatization of the property was verified, and it was found that the privatization had not been carried out in accordance with the legal provisions. Since a claim has been filed in court seeking the invalidation of written sale contract no. 428-1, dated 20.4.1994, the enterprise’s trade union was informed in reply that the privatization had been carried out irregularly and that the matter should be pursued through the courts. As for the privatization of the mass bread factory in Korçë, the audit was carried out on the basis of a complaint by employees and a follow-up in «Z. P.». It found that the privatization had been conducted in violation of the procedures and legal instruments in force. For this reason, by letter no. 922-2, dated 16.2.1994, the Korçë Branch of the Privatization Agency (the body that had carried out the privatization) was asked to file a lawsuit seeking the invalidation of the sale contract. Likewise, by letter no. 2.922, dated 29.6.1994, our request was reiterated to the AKP Branch in Korçë. Press spokesperson at the State Audit Service.

A record price is set In the market spread across the mud and dust of Peshkopi, the price of kerosene lamps has reached the «seventh heaven», with no comparison in any other district. The record is set by the kerosene lamp, and especially by its glass chimney. Once used years ago as a museum relic, the kerosene lamp has become a luxury item in Albanian homes, in both village and city, and a much sought-after product in the market. Its most consumable part, the glass chimney, has an exorbitant price, around 100 times higher than it was a few years ago. This price is not limited to the Peshkopi market, but is «a little lighter on the pocket» throughout Albania’s markets.

Fransua Miteran speaks: On January 17, French President Miteran spoke before the European Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg. It was the traditional opening on the occasion of his country taking the helm of this Union. Presenting to the European Parliament the main objectives of this six-month French presidency, Fransua Miteran managed to stir great emotion in the chamber for nearly an hour. And there was much applause. The socialist president, who had been at the head of the great state and a protagonist of European unification for nearly a decade and a half, once again left the impression of an outstanding politician, even though in May France will have another president, from the opposite side of the political spectrum, a personality of the right. Fransua Miteran’s speech also resonated in the press on January 18, which called it «The Passionate European» or «Miteran’s Testament». For our readers, we are publishing just one part of this speech, the part that conveys the idea of Social Europe. «...I am here to express my opinion. Also on the public service of general interest. These services, often previously brought within a common set of rules, should, I believe, be set out in a European Charter, aligned with our objectives and with the aim that a strong European economic union should be founded on the well-being of Europeans. I do not need to emphasize all these measures before this Assembly, to underline them before those elected by European citizens; but the construction of this Europe can be achieved only through the real participation of its own citizens.... From the very beginning of the Union, I have defended, as many of you must have done too, the view that we must build a Social Europe, a European Social Fund, a European social area, a social charter, social agreements, and the adoption of social standards. All these are advances, although I do not see how, in Maastricht, one can ... (Continued on page 4)