The poor beast drags itself to the side of the road, squealing in anguish and terror. Albania is not yet dead, but it is in agony. In Vlore, the so-called rebel capital, three armed gangs fighting for the lucrative proceeds of drugs and gun smuggling have made themselves fat with weaponry and inhumanity. Their bloodthirsty competitiveness keeps the civilian population in a permanent state of terror. In areas where President Sali Berisha's police are still in control, Mercedes, Rolex watches and burgeoning shantytowns mark the obscene gulf between rich and poor.
Politicians threaten each other with hellfire and vengeance.
In this atmosphere of fear, the notion that Sunday's elections can be either free or fair is preposterous. In central Albania, the Italian-led peacekeeping force has declared two industrial centers, Cerrik and Gramsh, too dangerous to enter. No peacekeeping force, no election observers. In the remote northeast, where Mr. Berisha's Socialist opponents fear to tread, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has been forced to leave large gaps in its election monitoring work. The O.S.C.E. is trying valiantly to salvage something from this disaster zone.