Gangs clash. Innocent citizens fall victim ON PAGE 4 Gangs clash. Innocent citizens fall victim Crime resurfaces violently in Vlorë ON PAGE 4

On Monday, August 11, 1997, at 11:00, the meeting of the National Council of the Democratic Party will be held in the Hall of the Palace of Congresses in Tirana. The agenda will be: - the political situation in the country; and - the DPA’s position on Parliament

The political parties participating in the political grouping “Union for Democracy” will hold a press conference today, August 8, 1997, at 11:00, at the Palace of Congresses (press conference room). Albanian Democratic Party Legality Movement Party Albanian Christian Democratic Party Social Democratic Union Party Albanian Democratic Union Party

RTSH has two heads. Activist members of the Council’s expanded body cast their votes. The head of the Government Services Directorate is dismissed

The Albanian administration is experiencing the most difficult moments of its existence since 1945, when the Communists began installing the harshest dictatorship in Eastern Europe. A letter from the prime minister of the government that emerged from the Kalashnikov parliament, Fatos Nano, is today the symbol of the brutal communist revanche that is shaking all the important institutions in Albania to their foundations. Yesterday Nano took over Albanian Radio and Television in a completely illegal manner, following an inhumane procedure in Parliament, where an addition of 10 party activists to the institution’s governing council was concocted solely to secure enough votes to carry out the purges of its leaders. Albert Minga was appointed yesterday as the Socialist Party’s commissioner at Radio and Television, while he is also listed as the successor following the dismissal of the Director General by the governing council—but only his appointment [is noted]. In this way, Nano took over Radio and Television yesterday, installing his trusted people there and disregarding the law, which still recognizes Pollo as the head of this institution. The takeover of Albanian Radio and Television was so swift that it even stunned MP Nikollë Lesi, who could no longer contain his dismay and protested in Parliament against the trampling of laws and the appointment of people controlled remotely. This is an extremely compromising fact, considering that during the election campaign Lesi was presented and supported as a candidate by Fatos Nano and Skënder Gjinushi, and was portrayed as a deputy of the left-wing alliance. The fact that even Nikollë Lesi, so visibly pro-socialist, reacted harshly against the schemes of the Nano-Meidani clique to usurp the only state television channel shows how disgraceful and shameful this whole operation has been. Not only were the people added to the TVSH governing council all totalitarian figures aligned with the governing parties, but the way Nëma was selected as director was also discreditable and disgraceful. Meanwhile, all the disasters also include the suspensions and dismissals of non-political officials, who are being replaced day by day with activists from the political forces that, with the help of the gangs of the so-called PS, are rushing to power. The Nano-Meidani clique. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pashkë’s request to resign the directors has been frozen, following their failure to attend their union meeting to carry out the minister’s arbitrary order. The “tendering one’s resignation” tactic has been one of the most effective measures used by senior officials in the Nano 3 government to enable their radical revanche. Hiding behind a mask of extreme courtesy, many of the bandit ministers in Nano’s cabinet have wanted directors and other employees to be brought into line before removing them from the administration. It is true that some of Nano’s closest associates, also proposed by important party generals, have been told that Fatos Nano and the government would take care of their families during this storm, by placing them in another job. Faced with this total expansion over the Albanian administration, the opposition is trying to stand by them with political and humanitarian support, as well as legal assistance. An office has now been opened at the Democratic Party for [unclear], where hundreds of complaints about the political purging of employees in Tirana’s main institutions have poured in within two days. The people of the new post-communist administration must face this fierce storm of communist revanche with dignity, in order to minimize the serious consequences it could inflict on them or the country. They must not accept the trampling of their values and dignity in these circumstances, for the sake of the clan interests of a small group of people. Only the council of revenge and the revanchists will [unclear]. A. PATOZI

The Union for Democracy protests the political purges by the Nano-Meidani clique ON PAGE 3 The Union for Democracy protests the political purges by the Nano-Meidani clique The communist revanche suppresses the opposition ON PAGE 3

The Nano government, the restructuring of the DP, the communist revanche through Aleksandër Meksi’s lens Restructuring without

The Nano government, the restructuring of the DP, the communist revanche through Aleksandër Meksi’s lens I am not in favor of a fight within the party. Take an example from the other party that is oppressing Albania today. You don’t even call the thieves by their names, while we do nothing but use the newspapers and slander, or resort to other methods that are truly shameful for a democrat ON PAGE 2

Xheka resigns and is declared an honorary member The Independent Trade Unions’ Federation yesterday elected Xhevdet Lubani as its new chairman at a meeting of its National Council. Sources close to its headquarters said yesterday that, following the resignation of trade unionist Valer Xheka, who moved to Greece several months ago with his family, the national council had to make this replacement. After the vote, Xhevdet Lubani, the former secretary-general of this federation, was elected chairman by a majority vote. The trade unionists were unanimous in their decision to declare Valer Xheka an honorary member of the union, which is known for its contribution to defending the interests of Albanian workers.

The revanche continues. The director of the Government Services Directorate is dismissed Mr. Buza’s dismissal is connected with the plans of senior officials in the “Nano 3” government to have new homes and offices that are much more comfortable than those of their predecessors The wave of political purges continued throughout the Albanian administration. Prime Minister Nano has dismissed, by his decision, the director of the Government Services Directorate, Hekor Buza, who has been replaced by someone else. The standard letter used to dismiss—and throw out of work—dozens of state administration employees states that Prime Minister Nano proposed to the chairman of the Council of Ministers that Buza be dismissed. For all the dismissals to date, the Nano-Meidani clique has not deigned to present a single credible legal reason. It is quite possible that Mr. Buza’s dismissal, besides being politically motivated and a reward by the head of the installed socialist regime to his own activists, is also related to the major changes the new rulers want to make to the infrastructure of their personal services. A few days ago, the press wrote about a reconstruction project involving drastic changes to the Palace of Brigades, which apparently is intended to become President Meidani’s residence; meanwhile, it is planned that his family will soon move into one of the government villas. At a time when Albania has urgent needs and people are still being killed every day in many cities, the new rulers have begun their work by seeking homes and offices more comfortable than those of their predecessors. The high-ranking state official, with a [unclear] motive for making all these changes, may have been the reason for Mr. Buza’s dismissal; on Wednesday, he became the latest victim of Prime Minister Fatos Nano’s purge. A.GJ.

The Minister of Defense puts on a show in the Parliament of Kalashnikovs Minister Brokaj, a proven and genuine partisan of the most extremist faction in the Socialist Party, deliberately and in the interests of his party avoids the true causes of the army’s destruction ON PAGE 6

From the makeshift port of Velipojë, smuggler ships carrying cigarettes from Russia are processed for Montenegro. The new rulers are owners and speculators According to a senior official, 10-ton trucks loaded with cigarettes of the Rothmans, Dunhill, Malboro and LM brands are processed in Velipojë every day. In any case, responsibility is placed on Fino, deputy prime minister of the socialist government, Çeka, the interior minister, and several other members of the government cabinet. The theft of the budget is directed by the prime minister, Fatos Nano, who is well versed in such matters

Tomorrow, August 9, at 11:00, a meeting of the FRPD National Council will be held at the PDSH Central Headquarters, with the participation of the members of the National Council and the FRPD district chairpersons. Agenda: 1. Analysis of the FRPD’s new role in the context of the country’s new political situation. 2. Issues concerning the full restructuring of FRPD structures. 3. Other matters. FRPD Presidium

A tank in front of the Albanian Radio and Television building

Albert Minga appointed Socialist Party commissioner at RTSH. Pollos’s dismissal is illegal