. Newspaper “Koha jonë” journalist Altin Hazizaj arrested. Yesterday, at the request of the Mayor of Tirana, police forces intervened forcibly to remove around forty families of former political persecuted people from their homes. The police forces responded to the resistance of these families with violence and repression, just as they have on other occasions. And the result: injured people and hospital admissions on both sides. Without wishing to take sides … which, it seems, has remembered that an apartment building has been occupied illegally. But has not half of Tirana been illegally occupied? Have not thousands of kiosks been erected, destroying green spaces?… Why has the municipality not also sought the help of the police forces to demolish them? In any case, the newspaper “Koha Jonë” was once again not spared during yesterday’s police operation. According to the serious spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior, its journalist Alin Hazizaj “while trying to enter the area of the police intervention, punched two of the police officers …” and was arrested for this.

Yesterday at the Constitutional Court, Rustem Gjata declared the two laws, “anti-genocide” and “on the verification of credentials,” constitutional . The Constitutional Court in crisis Under constitutional law, if the Constitutional Court is unable to decide by a majority vote on matters within its jurisdiction on which it is asked to rule, that court must be dissolved. Constitutional Court Rustem Gjata, president Veli Budo, member Zija Vuci, member Franc Jakova, member Alfred Karamuço, member Metush Saraçi, member Hilmi Dakli, member Three months ago, the Social Democrats Gjinushi, Milo, Apostoli, as well as the Socialists Dokle, Abdiu, Majko, addressed the Constitutional Court of Albania, requesting that Article 3 of Law No. 8001, dated 22.09.1995, “On genocide and crimes against humanity committed in Albania during communist rule for political, ideological and religious motives,” and Law No. 8043, dated 30.11.1995, “On the verification of the credentials of officials and other persons connected with the protection of the democratic state,” be declared unconstitutional. The Constitutional Court “dragged its feet” on 30 October ’95, 10 November and 17 January ’96 in issuing a ruling, but no such ruling was made, with absurd justifications being offered, such as “the laws have not yet been published in the Official Gazettes.” Many people in the opposition’s political circles said afterwards that “the commander-in-chief,” Mr Berisha, had helped it continue to “drag its feet”

The law on elections is of particular importance to the political life of the country. For this reason, today many constitutional scholars have expressed support for including the main principles of the electoral system in the Constitution, to avoid the risk that every parliamentary majority might alter this system according to the circumstances; as the well-known political scientist Xhovani Sartori says, it “is the specific instrument for manipulating politics.” In any case, even when it is not included in the Constitution, in the practice of every parliamentary democracy an election law is adopted only after the broadest possible consensus has been reached, following discussions that may continue for a long time, as is currently happening in Italy. Attempts to impose an electoral system by exploiting the majority of the moment run counter to the request expressed by the United States of America, the European Union and a number of international organizations that the next elections in Albania be “free and fair.” Page 5

SP of Albania Vice-Chairman Ilir Meta and MP Kastr(i)ot Islami held meetings yesterday at the embassies of the United States of America, the European Union and the Republic of the Russian Federation. At these meetings, they informed the diplomats of the comments made by the SP of Albania and its parliamentary group regarding the draft electoral law submitted by the Democratic Party, which compromises free and democratic elections. Press and Information Office of the SP

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The Meksi government financed the newspaper Albania with 250 thousand dollars Page 6 [text in the image of the reproduced newspaper:] Albania The latest news m[…] … Dynamite has been placed in q[…] The Socialists and the “pashkuinites” […] Tremt[…]

The editorial office of the newspaper “Zëri i Popullit” is looking to employ 10 women up to 25 years of age in the marketing department. Applicants with higher education and communication skills are preferred. Interested applicants should report to the newspaper administration every day between 10:00 and 11:00. The Editorial Office