The socialist Chancellor meets former Chancellor Vranicki, Parliament Speaker Fischer, Swedish Prime Minister, Persën PAGE 7

The Laws Committee brings the draft code to a close *The Laws Committee completes its review of the Electoral Code • 161 articles of the code pass • On Tuesday, the first 32 articles will be reconsidered PAGE 7 Moments of understanding from the opposition

ÇAKALLI - Minister Muçi’s crackdown continues over other tenders Minister Muçi files a complaint with the Prosecutor’s Office against Violeta Camaj, director of the “Profarma Sh.a.” enterprise, for the criminal offense provided for under Articles 248 and 258 of the Criminal Code

“Zero tolerance” for crime everywhere Police step up their crackdown on crime. In Tirana, the “Pastrimi” operation has been under way for 72 hours • 27 automatic weapons, 23 grenades and one pistol seized • 81 people out of 134 checked are taken in for verification • A person wanted for the criminal offense of murder is also caught • Over the past three days, the police presence has increased considerably on the ro...

ISSUE OF THE DAY Although we are on the eve of the local elections and the election campaign has already begun, strangely the PD has focused its entire campaign against the central government. The Government is saddled with such colorful epithets as “robbers,” “smugglers,” “traffickers,” etc., and in Bulqizë, for example, when the PD holds a rally, Nano and the Meta government are brought up! Only the PD knows what these people have to do with the municipality of Bulqizë. This electoral strategy can easily be called an idiotic strategy, but that is not the case. It is a Byzantine strategy, conceived and drawn up with great care, intended to take the finger off the wound. And why? We are on the eve of local elections. The PD has held local power since 1996! In 1996 it won 92% of local power. Meanwhile, since 1992 it has held local power in the country’s largest municipalities, such as Tirana, Durrës, Shkodër, Korçë, Elbasan, Vlora, etc. Before talking about “robbers” and “crypto-communists,” the PD must answer one or two questions: What did it do in the country’s largest municipalities during 1992–1997, when it also held central power? It turned the cities into kiosks. It made Tirana, Shkodër, Durrës, etc., into public WCs! It couldn’t even collect window rents from citizens! It stole the money for children’s schools! It stole the money for school windows and heating, forcing children’s parents to pay out of their own pockets; it sold off squares and building permits by the quintal. It didn’t pave even one meter of road or build a park for the kids to play in... Now, without the slightest shame, the PD wants local power back in its hands! These people have only one answer: bring in a Berlusconi television crew (so that the PD won’t call them “communists” after the broadcast, as it once branded the BBC!), pay them to look at Tirana, Shkodër, etc., as they please, and show this program to the Albanian people three times a day! With 92% of local power in 1996–2000, the PD only sabotaged and burned through funds. Even when it loaded a truck with gravel, it used it in Milot not to fill the deep holes, like graves, but to block the road so the socialists could not go to the north of the country! Under the Constitution, the PD enjoys freedom of speech and can curse and shout itself hoarse as much as it likes! But morally, it has no right to speak! So, does the PD have any moral standing? That is a question for debate!

Government investments held up by the Municipality of Tirana: 7 roads, contracts not signed; also held up, USD 1 million from FSHZH • The Municipality of Tirana receives USD 1.2 per square meter for cleaning from the Government and Albanian taxpayers, but the rubbish is piling up PAGE 10

Us and the Berisha government PAGE 9

Fair wage policies PAGE 3

Dokle meets dozens of people in Vlora and in Sevaster

Government and opposition reach consensus on three amendments Consensus on the amendment concerning army funding reveals its minor deficits: With this result below 2.5%, the money is returned PAGE 7

I CARE FOR YOU

The new field of study sought by young Albanians studying in the West is political science PAGE 13

Students pay fees for their degree PAGE 14

• Prosecutors seek 25 years in prison for Mustafa Leka.............................. 8 • Three police officers arrested; they were guarding a small part of the treasury................... 6 • Remzi Ndreu testifies about how Berisha assigned the duties for 14 September............. 6