Tomorrow, on 27.06.1997, at 19:30, in Skënderbej Square, the Democratic Party is organizing the great victory rally. President Sali Berisha will also take part in the rally and address those present.

Enthusiastic rallies for President Berisha in Peshkopi, Bulqizë, Burrel and Milot DP identifies perpetrators of violence against Leonard Demi and Ylli Vejsiu Socialists must rein in Ruçi and the thugs Fatos Nano, Gramoz Ruçi and all PS deputies in the south of the country are illegitimate Yesterday, the Democratic Party denounced the criminals who brutally assaulted Leonard Demi and obstructed Ylli Vejsiu during the campaign. A DP statement says it has complete information on all the perpetrators of the criminal acts committed against DP leaders Leonard Demi in Sarandë and Ylli Vejsiu in Memaliaj. The DP has managed to identify the perpetrators of the assault on Mr. Leonard Demi. The terrorists belong to a well-known PS gang operating in Sarandë, led by Xhevat Koçiaj, Mersin Lapa, and others. Meanwhile, in Memaliaj, Mr. Vejsiu was obstructed by Gramoz Ruçi's first cousin and the son of the sister of Fatos Shehaj, the current minister in the Fino cabinet. The PS gang terrorizing the entire electoral area where Fatos Nano is a candidate demands that 100 percent of the vote go to him alone. This clearly demonstrates that Fatos Nano, Gramoz Ruçi and all PS deputies in the south of the country are illegitimate deputies, since they are trying to win not with votes but at gunpoint, the DP statement says.

Dibra WITH THE PRESIDENT Peshkopi, Thousands of people from Dibra cheer for President Berisha

OSCE envoy warns the Albanian left Europe and the USA are very interested in Albania continuing along the path of democracy ON PAGE 3

Vlorë DP denounces Fatos Nano's gangs for political crime The communist gangs of the PS and Fatos Nano have blown up the DP's new headquarters, tortured the chairpersons of polling-station commissions, and terrorized their families. On the day the DP candidates' introductory rally was due to take place, the communists of F. Nano and the gangs he now commands in Vlorë bombed the city's sports hall, where the candidates' introductory rally was to be held. Zani's and Shyti's gangs have brutally assaulted Besnik Lulaj, head of the Democratic Youth in Vlorë, in recent days, terrorized his family, and threatened to kill Besnik. ON PAGE 3

The 300,000 dollars are not enough for the Socialists The people of Shkodër, as always, turn their backs on the Socialist Party The three hundred thousand dollars offered by Nano to enter Shkodër brought only two hundred people to the city's sports hall for the Socialist Party. Most of those present were not residents of Shkodër but had come from other surrounding areas. The Socialist leader was not present at the rally, and his absence was explained in the ironic words of Shyqir Vukaj. ON PAGE 3

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Every neighborhood, a gang: chief thug Nano's alternative for the Albanian state The situation has developed so far in this city criminalized by the Socialists that Nano's political experiment has degenerated into a biological experiment. Nano is not enough, the PS is not enough, to make up for what they have taken from Vlorë so far. ON PAGE 3

The Finance Minister received money from fraudulent usury schemes Finance Minister Arben Malaj admitted yesterday at a press conference that he had received fees from pyramid schemes, having worked as their consultant. This statement clearly demonstrates his involvement in the intermediation of four pyramid schemes in Albania, a DP response says, and clearly answers the question of why Minister Malaj, rather than pursuing transparency about the pyramid firms where he worked, is interested in their dismissal … Calling on Mr. Malaj to perform his principal duty, for which he received parliament's vote of confidence, the DP expresses its conviction that the Albanian electorate is finally free to judge for itself who the authors and actors were behind the blocking of the pyramid schemes and their empty noise for electoral purposes, the DP statement concludes.

Nano and the other leaders of the Socialist Party are exploiting the [unclear] to bring their campaign to an end by setting up gangs to unleash terror against people from the DP and all citizens in areas occupied by its armed [unclear]. It is no coincidence that, when gangs intensified terror in several southern cities, [unclear] accompanied the ridicule being directed at Socialist Party leaders throughout Albania during these final days of the campaign. The DP's organizational secretary, Ylli Vejsiu, was attacked near Tepelenë with [unclear] and machine guns by Fatos Nano's armed gangs, while the latter could not go to Shkodër because there was no one to listen to him. The previous day, Zani's and Albert Shyti's gangs had burned down the DP headquarters in Vlorë and carried out other reprisals, while the citizens of Elbasan ignored Fatos Nano's rally, sending the Socialist Party a clear message of its defeat in all areas where the rebellion has not managed to destroy the state. It is now clear to everyone that all the fury displayed by the criminals gathered in small numbers in the South is, in fact, the revenge with which the Socialist Party leaders are anticipating their certain defeat. Fatos Nano is taking revenge on [unclear] in a genuinely normal Albania, but in the place he defines, where he can vent his criminal rage. After trying several times, with weapons, to disrupt Berisha's and the Democratic Party's rallies, summoning all the contingents of thugs who broke out of prison, they returned once again to the strongholds of rebellion, the only places where they still feel safe behind their weapons. The violence and terror inflicted on Leonard Demi and the other DP candidates in the southern areas, the criminal attack on Ylli Vejsiu, and the reprisals in Vlorë are only some of the terrible scenes the Socialists are showing people as they seek to impose their rule. DP candidates have been prevented not only by physical violence but also from campaigning in their areas; their posters and all other campaign materials have been [unclear], while for several months [unclear] have been carrying weapons to prevent even a single page of their press from getting in. Fatos Nano will bear heavy responsibility before all the citizens of Vlorë and other parts of the South, who are being driven from their homes in terror because PS gangs have threatened them, assuming that they will vote for the Democratic Party. The forcible removal of votes from an area where the rebellion cannot [unclear] Nano and his party's total defeat in the elections of 29 June. PS Chairman Nano will go down in world political history as the most cowardly leader of a party that claims it wants to take power but does not allow its rivals to campaign. The use of gangs in the South is the strongest sign yet of the inevitable defeat of the party of committees and armed gangs in the 29 June elections. The blue votes will give Albania the only alternative that will finally support the [unclear] of communist rebellion, one of the greatest evils to have plagued this country throughout history. Berisha's march, together with that of the other DP leaders, will culminate in the great event of 29 June. It cannot be stopped by the supreme fraudster who lies to Vora and all Albanians, promising the return of their money, nor by Finance officials who have publicly stated several times that he received money from the pyramid schemes, which they use as a spectacle for 16 September in Albania. PS's armed gangs and the other prisoners, [unclear] of the social-democratic rebellion, have three days left. On 29 June, Albanians will vote to put an end to political gangs' attempts to restore communism in Albania.

Presidency clarification regarding the decree on transparency The Press and Information Office attached to the President of the Republic announces that, in decree No. 1813, dated 23.06.1997, “On certain additions and amendments to Law No. 8215, dated 9.05.1997, ‘On the financial supervision of non-bank legal entities that have borrowed from the general public,’” the letter “e” in Article 5 was omitted from the text because of a typographical error. For this reason, after it was rewritten by the President of the Republic, the full decree was sent urgently to the Chairman of the Council of Ministers for objections. Any attempt to present this technical inaccuracy as a substantial change to the draft decree is nothing but deliberate speculation.

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