With us, everyone starts The Albanian state is still not prepared to hold free and fair general elections to be held on October 20. This serious situation, warned about and known to all political forces in the country, is made evident by many phenomena in Albanian life in recent times. The invitation of 13 political parties and opposition forces by the President of the Republic a few weeks ago was an initiative that, up to that day, was inconsistent with the language, momentum and intensity needed to guarantee fairness, but on the other hand it was somewhat vague so as not to understand the need for such an intervention in order to regain the proper conditions for the election, still and in line with the appearance of his political intervention. Meanwhile, with the negotiations that began right after the fake and irregular victory of May 26 still unfinished, Fatos Nano, imprisoned by the authorities for the second year in a row under political punishments, is also being dealt with in this situation in view of early elections, and it is no longer clear whether within Albanian political parties there can be arrangements with the president on the eve of the elections. It would not be merely a matter of the government and the elections forcing Albanian political parties, in yet another phase of rallies, to come closer to the electorate. The state must be neutral and impartial in these elections, guaranteeing freedom and equality for participants. If the president, the prime minister, the courts, the police and the administration seek to use the state apparatus, the media and public funds for electoral gain, then it will be clear that the October elections will not be democratic. (Continued on page 2)

In whose name is Mr. Mezni speaking? Page 5

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The Socialist Party in response to the challenges of the times Page 2

Idajet Beqiri responds to the accusation: They are judging me because I am an opposition figure and chairman of PUK Page 6