The state and corruption The Minister of Economy and Privatization sunk in oil The Prime Minister punished the oil minister Zef Preçi too Even to be punished, corruption at the highest levels • Minister Zef Preçi favored two firms, “Kastpetrol” and “Kometa”, by violating the law. • He granted these firms the license ten days before the decision of the Council of Ministers. • He also excluded ten other firms under the same conditions, perhaps even better than “Kastpetrol” and “Kometa”. • For “Kometa”, the minister wrote: The documentation is to be completed after the license is granted EDITORIAL Why was the minister in favor of the firms that were favored? The Minister of Economy and Privatization, Zef Preçi, was believed to be dismissed last Friday by the government cabinet in order to be closer to reform in the banking system, but events suddenly took a different turn. Preçi was dismissed on Sunday evening, and not only from the Ministry of Economy and Privatization, but from the government as a whole. He had for several months been unsuitable because of the blocking of schemes, but quite unexpectedly the document we are publishing in this issue, which was sent to the Prime Minister and the President on 7 January 2000, regarding his decision to favor two commercial firms for the processing and trade of oil, has been the whip of the last few days. It was not meant for the firms “Kastpetrol” and “Kometa” that the minister should act as a favoring party. There were others with proper documents. There were firms that could have carried out this service better. There were firms that had more money and could have taken on such a responsibility with fuller rights. The minister did not write, did not direct, and did not ask about these firms. In the letter we publish here, he ignored them in violation of the law. For “Kometa” it is written that part of the documentation will be submitted later. Meanwhile the other firms met all the conditions. It was clear why the minister sided with the two firms. Indeed, for one of the firms the minister wrote that the documents should be brought later. It is still not clear how it is possible for a minister to act with double standards and measure businesses with different scales. This is also the reason why the government removed him not only from his post, but also from the cabinet. The corruption that has affected governance and the higher levels cannot be closed with half measures. This is proof that favoritism toward clients and violation of the rules is no longer an administrative issue, but a political and moral one. [the text in the lower columns is partly illegible because of the orientation and image quality][?]

By FATOS NANO PSSh Chairman Fatos Nano presents the commitments of PSSh’s political program for the year 2000 P.S. Fatos Nano

• The year 2000 is the year in which local elections will be held throughout the country. • The year 2000 is the year in which the first solutions will be restored, with the necessary statutory adjustments for approval at the new congresses. • The year 2000 is the year in which the Socialist Party will develop its political activity, and have strong directions and impulses in broad and pluralist political debate, in order to transform Albania and 6 million Albanians from the object into the active subject of this destiny. SLOGANS “Modern party, for a modern state” “Together with the youth - for Euro-Atlantic integration” “High humanism, proud Albanianism”[?] “The balance of the state” “Equal opportunities” “Clean capitalism” “Respect for the law, individual freedom”