nr. 83 / 26 tetor 2005

The University of Tirana: Study on Pharmaceutics in Shkodra

For the first time, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Tirana, the Department of Pharmaceutics, makes this kind of study for Shkodra, the Northern main center, which has shown its culture and knowledge in this field. On June of this year, the student of the Faculty of Medicine, the Department of Pharmaceutics in Tirana, Silvana Alia, made the study of her diploma entitled “The history of development of pharmaceutics in Shkodra”

In her hard work, the student treats the walk of pharmaceutics’ service from its early days until today. Her study isn’t an easy enterprise, even very hard. The work with materials from archives made this even harder, as the archives of the former Pharmaceutics Enterprise and that of Health Propagation Office in Shkodra were destroyed in 1995-1997. So, there’s nothing of this field remaining in this northern town. Yet, none worried, or raised the voice about this! Paradoxes like this occur only in Albania. But let’s return to the good example.

To execute in details the basics of the theme, and completing it with identifying arguments on the development of pharmaceutics’ service in Shkodra, the student Silvana Alia faced and did a good and precious job. With patience and clear scientific goals, she gathered materials from all the pharmacies of Shkodra, where she got large information from pharmacists, not only in Shkodra, but also in Tirana.

With a passionate and correct work she divided the theme in three chapters in which she shows her narrative and scientific attitude, based not only on scientific criteria but also using carefully all the literature on pharmaceutics in Shkodra and all over the country.

As a result of the research, she was able to find in families’ archives of students of Shkodra, authentic documents, facts, elements and early testimonies on the order and ethic norms of work in pharmacy, as well as on the continuous efforts to lift their professional and scientific level, etc.

Silvana Alia, with her observant eye, distinguished some problems in dealing with the leading people in valuating it and the leading work.

This diploma theme is the first one on the history of pharmaceutics’ development in Shkodra.

The realizing of this study was a scientific work as well as a secure testimony that Silvana Alia can realize much more in the future. A great contribution on realizing this diploma theme gave also its’ scientific leader, the well-known pharmacist with a long scientific and practical experience in pharmaceutics, the citizen of Shkodra, Bashkim Laçej. Good words should be said even about Prof. Mirela Miraçi. Bashkim and Mirela gave their precious contribution on this.

Congratulations are addressed also to the Faculty of Medicine and the Department of Pharmaceutics in the University of Tirana and its’ staff that considered a theme like this to learn on the values of the past and culture.

However, we think that in the future it’s good to realize themes like this on medicine, stomatology etc.

Jetlum Delaj

Governments: Berisha OK, Nano a scaring legend

The Albanians lived what they’d missed, the hope, that’s why the voted against corruption and immorality on July 3^rd. They normally chose the only way they had. But how does this prologue of change look like? The analysis, if we want to be impartial as always, is very difficult in this hard beginning, but some things can be touched.

Everyone, even the militants of the pink building, note that the today’s’ governing has a completely different behavior from that which left along with Nano. The Albanian opinion that decided on July 3^rd to condemn the immoral behavior of an extravagant and banal model, seem to feed and strengthen the “branch” engrafted on the political action, either good or bad. Unfortunately politics has shown until now a bad behavior and none could condemn it until the 3^rd of July, when a day of life was given.

Today, at the very beginning of its job, the entire governing system looks like an organic part of the human needs, if we don’t pretend to make an analysis on the shape, time and cost.

The tough struggle against corruption and the dirty businesses, at a first sight are wearing the government, every day more with respect. The understanding and evaluation are increasing, so that even the left-winged, who stole with the left and right hand, cannot express differently but OK. They obviously disagree, but cannot say anything like “This Minister of the Government Berisha is stealing”. There isn’t heard even any joke or offence by the “analysts” of coffee-shops, and neither by the politicians. Nevertheless, the SP is still the focus of banal jokes; the SP which looks ridiculous when contests the laws that didn’t consider until yesterday, because was occupied on consuming energies on defending the image of Nano and keeping others under psychological pressure, wavering the anti-Berishism, as their only flag.

Nano is totally insensible toward feelings and happenings, totally different to Berisha. This last one answers to many people even from his personal mobile, what shows he is not in need of a false image, which was reflected by “Nano Go” and “Edi the narcissist”. This last one, tried to imitate Nastradin, or speak like a Cassandra, in Shkodra and Malësi e Madhe, yet without the Horse of Troy that Majko and two or more deputies said that comrade Nano was as fresh and astute as before. These two last-will keepers of Nano, even Edi and Pandi, whom because of their ages of 41 and 37 years old, can be transformed in enemies for the power, have a very difficult recycling way. The first step is the Municipality of Tirana the next year, facing a Berisha on power. An attentive eye can read on their “pentagram” the Nanoist immorality which loves rumors, brutality and friends, as if Nano was still the motor, the one whose picture seems to Albanians like a scaring legend.

Ensured peace for the freedom of speech, when Berisha confirmed that no journalist, either right or left winged, shall face tribunals, has infuriated those who fear fight against trafficking, corruption, injustice, abusive profits and misuse of power…

… As far as it concerns, we already had a government who loved crime and corruption.

Sokol Pepushaj

When Medieval Codes menace civilization of the 21^st century

For the civilized world of the 21^st century it seems hard to understand “the ruling” de facto of the Medieval laws of the Canon and blood-feud in a country like Albania, at the heart of Europe. This is dangerous as it doesn’t emerge in a people “whatever”, but in the people of Albania who rightly pretend to be one of those at the base of occidental Europe, which might be those who sacrificed the most for its religion and civilization for hundreds of years. It isn’t patriotic indeed to report this problem of Albania in general and particularly Malësi e Madhe, but to us as written media seems better to report evil instead of trying to hide it. This might burst badly someday, maybe at the measure of a civil war. Our newspaper “Shqipëria Etnike” is reporting this since time ago, as a problem having nothing in common with civilization, but we’ve also brought concrete examples that are known to the State which unfortunately is unable to face the medieval inheritance of blood-feud based on the Canon of Lekë Dukagjini. This time we decided to take another typical case where the law of blood-feud is extended beyond the killer and his family, even to the relatives of the “killer” and those who give shelter to him… The story begins at the end of February 2001, when Rrok Pacaj kills another person for weak personal motives. The police arrested the killer and his son, Pal Pacaj, but released this last one as he was not involved in the murder done by his father. The criminal Rrok Pacaj was condemned with a life imprisonment, while the family of the victim wants to revenge on the only son of Rrok, Pal Pacaj. As revenge was declared, the Police as well as the reconcilers decided to hide him to his uncle, Ardian Melakuqi, in Lohe. For some time he was secure, until the uncle of Ardian and her daughter, Leze, came to visit Pal, and maybe told where the son of the murderer (Rrok) was hiding. After that, the family of the victim was furious and sent a message to Ardian Melakuqi, telling him that they would revenge on him as he was hiding their enemy… This tragic moment of involvement of the innocent Ardian Melakuqi in the medieval laws of blood-feud was made known to the Police and the local reconcilers, who tried to talk to the relatives of the victim of Rrok Pacaj, but they didn’t agreed to reconcile with Ardian, whom they consider involved in hiding Pal, wanted for revenge. Unfortunately, neither the state, nor the reconcilers were able until now in 2005, to assume the responsibility of defending the innocent life of Ardian Melakuqi, who often received death threats, as involved, although unintentionally, in this blood-feud. The worst example given by the family of the victim by killing the son in law of Rrok Pacaj on March 7, 2005, for they thought even he had given shelter to the son of Rrok. We wanted to make this case public as it has to do with the life of a young man like Ardian Melakuqi, born in November 4, 1976. Therefore, not even 30 years old yet, he is innocent and not involved in the medieval law of blood-feud, which no matter the work of the State and the social reconcilers, is still strong and keeps on feeding with young and pure Albanian blood, also innocent in most of cases like this we wrote about in order to make sensible as much as we could the opinion of Malësi, Albania and that international, that of the oldest occidental democratic civilization…

The editorial office

Blood-feud is taking away human lives

The law is powerless in front of the phenomenon of blood-feud. There are many cases every day in Albania when guns, explosive or knifing cause victims. In almost all the cases, the victims are innocent, for the Albanian Canon, becoming now an institution, - as there are legal associations of reconciliation which collaborate with justice even to the point of preventing condemnation of the murderer if the families in conflict reconcile - put on its target not only the murderer or those responsible for the conflict, but the entire family. An old conflict of blood-feud ended in a murder attempt on Wednesday the 21^st of September, at about 8 o’clock in the morning, at the place called “The Market of Zdrale”, in the northern town of Shkodra. The 29 years old K.M. tried to knife Flamur Fishiku, which was wounded and hospitalized immediately. Thanks God he escaped death after a few days of attentive cures. Sources from the Police of Shkodra make known that after the report by relatives of Flamur Fishiku it was possible to arrest the author. But this was not all. Flamur Fishiku, although innocent, as the old conflict between the families had involved other people, was more in danger after this report. The fury of revenge caused growing angry. Lastly he was menaced to be killed, even to blow up his house with explosive. Threats were received even by his wife, Elvie Fishiku and their children Muhamed, Almina and Mevluda. The Association of Reconciliation intervened trying to solve the conflict, but there are no good results until today. The life of Flamur Fishiku and his family is menaced.

Albert Vataj

The “Clean hands” of the Government Berisha in appointing Loro Mandi as Provincial Director of Education in Shkodra

The Democratic Party and its allies came on power on July 3^rd 2005, most of all because of the philosophy of fighting corruption. The meaningful slogan, although invented by a foreign judge (the Italian Di Pietro) “Clean hands”, invited many Albanians, to vote another alternative - the right-winged - after 8 years of government dipped in corruption from the highest offices to the base. The perception in the international arena was the same. There was much encouragement from foreigners supporting the Government Berisha, and there are many initiatives of the Prime Minister and his staff to fight corruption. Albania needs honest people to lead, more than anything else, and the first evidence was the Government made up of the DP and its allies.

Lastly, another message came from a prestigious organization like “Transparency International”: Albania has a coefficient 2.4 in fighting corruption, listing amongst the countries having one of the most corrupted administration, even behind Afghanistan (?!),still in the state of war. The signal to the Government Berisha is to decrease this level as soon as possible, bringing in the leadership of all levels, individuals with a pure past, not only professional but also social and moral.

We were astonished at the last movement at the leadership of the Provincial Directory of Education in Shkodra. It’s true that education is one of the most problematic areas. During these last 8 years, but even before, the position of the Provincial Director was one of the most preferred. There is rumor that not only there was “competition” to have this position, but after that the directors themselves have organized “competition” for a job. All the directors, during their position at the head of the Directory, and even after, were mentioned as “new” millionaires, enriched in a short time, proprietors of luxurious cars and personal villas. With these explanations we wanted to make clear that the picture of education in Shkodra isn’t grey or dark, but deep black.

In these conditions, at the head of the Provincial Directory of Education of Shkodra, comes a former colleague of ours in syndicates, whom we know very well, as a syndicate of education, for he was the chairman not only of the Independent Syndicate of Education but also of the UISA (the Union of the Independent Syndicates of Albania) in Shkodra. After a long period leading the UISA, Loro Mandi gave the “demission”. It was officially declared for “personal motivation”. There wasn’t any further pronouncing of Mr.Gëzim Kalaja, president of the UISA, and neither by those who replaced Loro Mandi as chairmen of UISA. In this first part of this writing, we can simply say that a convenient “compromise” for both pairs was reached. Mandi left with “demission” and honored, while UISA begun to breathe and strengthen. For our colleague and “leader” of syndicates we know more about his activity as a “teacher” of English. Ask his pupils: How many classes did the “teacher” Loro do to them during the time he occupied the position of chairman of UISA? The answer obviously is zero. Loro might justify by the fact he was “elected in syndicates”. We have another question: How many classes has done the “teacher” Loro since he gave “demission” from the position of chairman of UISA of Shkodra. We cannot say zero, but almost none. There was “an order” not verbal, of the Provincial Directors of Education to pay his wage to the former chairman even if he doesn’t teach. The motive of the order is clear and there’s no need of explanation.

Our opinion as a syndicate of education is that the “Clean hands” in Shkodra, especially in the area of Education, cannot be represented by a Provincial Director like Loro Mandi. Perhaps someone knew or came to know the story of “demission” of Loro and wants to keep him as a hostage through it, or to simply use him as a marionette for different motives, but not to fight corruption or rebuild education in Shkodra.

We don’t know who made the proposal, approved by the Minister of Education Genc Pollo or someone else. This name, the first in the process of “Clean hands”, puts shame on the slogan and all those who used it and were trusted by the Albanians on the 3^rd of July 2005.

This is enough for the moment. This is an open letter to the Minister Pollo, the Prefect Kolombi, but even to the Director Loro Mandi, to whom we ask for the sake of transparency, to declare publicly what were the motives - except the “personal” motives - of his “demission” from the position of Chairman of UISA in Shkodra? If the “director” Mandi doesn’t answer publicly to this question, we’ll feel obligated to prove the “demission” for personal motives of our former chairman of syndicates.

The editorial office