BERISHA AND MEKSI WANT TO OPEN EUROPE WITH AN OIL LAMP, THE CANUN OF LEKË DUKAGJINI[?] NO PASSA[?] SYSTEM[?] DRUGS BLOOD FEUD THEFT AND EMIGRANTS[?] POSSESSIONS[?] THE CANUN OF LEKË DUKAGJINI POLITICAL[?] BLOOD FEUD[?] UNEMPLOYED WITHOUT CAREER[?] MESSAGE FROM THE EURO-SOCIALISTS TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PSSH, FATOS NANO Message from the Euro-socialists to the Chairman of the PSSH, Fatos Nano Dear comrade, On behalf of the Albanian Euro-socialists, we wish to congratulate you and say: Happy New Year 1996! On this occasion we express our confidence and our determination to turn the year ahead into the year of our shared freedom, into the year of victory over injustice and anti-law, into the year of a real fight against poverty, into the year of triumph over political apathy in favor of hope, into the year of the defense of human rights, into the year of liberating Albanians from the anguish of political revenge, into the year of national dignity, into the year of recovering the lost head. By expressing our strong solidarity with you, we express our conviction that the victory of the opposition and of the PSSH in the SPRING that is approaching, there will be no force that can stop or undo it. At the same time we know: Happy New Year 1996! All the books and such, and finally the happiness that was quietly interrupted in your family. The Presidency of FRESSH Tirana, 30.12.1995

1996, full of hope! Because, as is known, the nourishment of hope is another hope. The Albanian electorate, quite rightly, is eagerly awaiting the 1996 premiere. The general parliamentary elections will undoubtedly be the most important event of the year that is knocking at the door. We foresee and wish for a victory of the opposition forces, among which the PS as the first party. This would create new space for democracy and for the advancement of reforms. The country would get a new lease on life. Hence this greeting: Happy New Year 1996! For Albania, genuinely free, equal and democratic elections, victory for the opposition forces, a formula of government, an alternative that would pull the country out of crisis, out of economic and political collapse, and would open the way to a more solid integration with Euro-Atlantic structures and a solution to the national question. The opportunities do not allow it, and the Albanians do not want it.

“The torch of democracy, Zyrbyl Hasani...” “The torch of democracy, Zyrbyl Hasani..., although the alley was uninformed, managed to get at once, together with his words about democracy and about the light that will come after this...” This was the news reported by ATSH about a rally in the Studenti district where another man decorated by the president also spoke. This news item was also translated by foreign press correspondents. But they had difficulty because in English there is no corresponding word that can convey the meaning of “pishtari” (torch). Thus the Reuters correspondent translated it as “The Torch of Democracy.” The BBC correspondent translated it as “The Candle of Democracy.” The A5 Press correspondent translated it as “The Oil Lamp of Democracy,” while the Xinhua correspondent translated it as “The Illuminating Lantern of Democracy.” The most faithful to the original and at last the true meaning was given by the ANSA correspondent: “two lit candles of democracy.” No one would have understood what had been translated into the respective languages if television, as usual, after giving the ATSH news item, had not also provided a commentary from the world press to avoid it with words. And the English translator was put in a tight spot: How should he deal with the different variants of the torch transmitted by the foreign agencies? He thought it appropriate to use the word “bishtuku,” but was immediately told that this was highly improper, with “a real title,” because it constituted a crime. Then he corrected it to “a burning piece of firewood,” but suffered the same fate. And he was saved only by the Chinese translation variant “the illuminating lantern of democracy.” Z.H.

You will read in it: 1996 will bring the opposition to power Page 2 People of the year, Page and victory Pages 20 - 21 Greetings from the diplomatic corps to the Albanian people Pages 23 - 24 Retrospective of intellectual thought Pages 12 - 19 Satire by Dritëro Agolli Page 12 Humor, postcards, epigrams, fables, and many other interesting materials