Cekaj offers the Italian authorities a compromise ON PAGE 4 Cekaj offers the Italian authorities a compromise Hold on to the people of Vlora, send the others back ON PAGE 4

On 26 August, women and children begin a hunger strike ON PAGE 4 On 26 August, women and children begin a hunger strike Refugees in Italy accuse Nano ON PAGE 4

Police take revenge on the terrorist in Kavajë ON PAGE 4 Police take revenge on the terrorist in Kavajë Gjinushi’s hired criminal is killed ON PAGE 4

. Dozens of statements in support of the hunger strike by MP Pjetër Arbnori. The strike may spread beyond the cell, into the People’s Assembly. Prime Minister Fatos Nano sends deputy ministers and prefects out onto the street. The Albanian government and the country’s three principal leaders are adding more and more fuel every day to the tensions that pervade Albania. By exercising state censorship against the opposition, the Speaker of Parliament has put Albania’s Mandela—the former Speaker of Parliament and Democratic Party MP Pjetër Arbnori—in a cell in the People’s Assembly. He is on hunger strike, and by now hundreds and thousands of people have expressed their support for him; there has also been no shortage of people ready to continue the strike alongside him. Statements from anti-communist associations are more forceful than ever, thereby warning of the beginning of a protest against the communist offensive in Albania. At the same time, the government media have made no change in their conduct. They broadcast nothing about the hunger strike and likewise create an information blackout around opposition activities in general. The left-wing press is trying to demean this sublime act by the anti-communist Arbnori, pouring still more fuel on the anger of the people at the conduct of the present government and its officials. Yesterday the Albanian prime minister took a broom to the prefects and deputy ministers. Twelve prefects were put out on the street, and 20 deputy ministers were also removed from administrative leadership, leaving vacancies for the reform’s adolescents, who come from Socialist Party rallies or from the quick feet of the southern cities. The prime minister of the gangs is taking his offensive to the highest levels of the country’s administration, gradually creating the circle in which he himself will be trapped and excluding the entire opposition from participation in government. Yesterday the puppet president dismissed the head of SHIK, a man who had been appointed to lead the secret service by an inter-party agreement. Karkini comes from a family persecuted under the communist regime, so it is impossible that he was placed in the government’s service. In his place comes the seal thief. Who knows how much he will steal now that he has also become head of SHIK. Fatos Klosi is heading for this prestigious post with a court-case precedent, as well as carrying the burden of manipulating votes in the referendums and, likewise, votes for the Democratic Party in a large part of the country. Klosi is a symbol of theft and manipulation in Albania. With a contingent of Sigurimi men, Albania will never see any good come of him. Under the guise of cooperation, Interior Minister Neritan Ceka has demanded all the emigrants from March from Italy and suggested that only the Vlora people be kept. This is a major breach of moral rules, as well as a deliberate punishment of the sons and the rest of the emigrants from Tirana, Durrës, Fier, Shkodra, etc. At the same time, Ceka’s vehicle is filled with band mercenaries and journalistic lackeys. Two days ago, the “RD” journalist Mujë Buxhapaj was wounded by bullets of this kind. This is the whole scheme: the left’s usurpation of the state and the hemming-in of the entire opposition behind walls. Just as great is the opposition’s effort to break through this wall, which it is making every day. The return of emigrants to power is a clear example of what the Albanian left represents. People now have the chance to see with their own eyes what the communists can do with people’s votes, and how they can violate the young Albanian democracy in every respect. Today is the fourth day of the hunger strike. Albania’s Mandela defies the communists. Gjinushi, the new warden

Sources from the Democratic Party’s parliamentary group report that official letters have been sent to the Council of Europe, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and other international institutions, as well as various non-governmental human rights organizations, to inform them about MP Pjetër Arbnori’s hunger strike. The letter explains the reasons that prompted MP Arbnori to take this step and also details the information embargo that the neo-communist majority has imposed on the democratic opposition.

Statement in support of MP Pjetër Arbnori’s hunger strike, by political organizations in the Shkodër district ON PAGE 3

Order of the Guard Commander Yesterday afternoon, the current Commander of the Republican Guard ordered the tearing down of all notices that merely announced the location where PDSH MP Pjetër Arbnori was holding his hunger strike. He ordered the soldiers to use force to remove anyone who dared to put up any kind of notices, including anyone who wished to visit Albania’s Mandela. We understand the commander’s desire to also be a commissar, and we sincerely regret that he has not yet regained that appointment. We urge him to show greater humanity toward the protest of one of the symbols of resistance to violence, and we must remind him that all those who come to greet Albania’s Mandela knew how to resist the orders of his communist predecessor (D.B), when he ordered that those who toppled the dictator’s bust be shot.

Major military movements toward anti-communist areas Yesterday, the Nano 3 government ordered the movement of large numbers of military forces toward cities in the north of the country. Residents of Mamurras and Laç confirmed yesterday that for nearly an hour dozens of tanks, cannons, armored vehicles, “Ira” trucks carrying ammunition, and soldiers had passed through their city streets. The long convoy blocked other vehicles from moving for a long time, spreading smoke and dust through the towns it passed. The soldiers who were asked did not know where they would be stationed, but believed they were being taken to the city of Shkodër, whose residents did not welcome the violent victory won by left-wing extremists in the June 29 elections. Yesterday, the Ministry of Defense issued no notice about the large movement of military troops toward the north. Crisis analysts said this military movement could be explained by the alert issued by Interior Minister Neritan Ceka, who said that in several northern cities, elements of SHIK and the DP were preparing unrest against the left-wing government.

Tributes to the great artist Çesk Zade PD leader Sali Berisha and its Secretary General Genc Pollo paid their respects before the body of the artist Çesk Zadeja ON PAGE 3

PD protests Karkini’s dismissal The reason for the dismissal—he exposed the smuggling Mr. Karkini’s dismissal came immediately after he submitted a report concerning cigarette smuggling on the Patras–Velipojë route, the killing of the chief of the Malësia e Madhe police station, and the arrest of the head of the Tirana police anti-drug unit with 600,000 German marks. In this report, Mr. Karkini revealed that officials and people directly connected to Prime Minister Nano, the Deputy Prime Minister, and ministers Ceka and Brokaj were implicated in the cigarette smuggling . ON PAGE 3

The Democratic Party of Albania welcomes Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi’s commitment to propose to the Italian Council of Ministers an extension of the deadline for the repatriation of Albanian refugees, which expired this past March. The Democratic Party is following the emigration issue with great concern. It considers the socialist government’s agreement and commitment to repatriate the emigrants irresponsible, and therefore responded, as has already been made public, using every democratic means and form to prevent their return. The Democratic Party once again calls on the Italian government to reconsider the possibility of seasonal processing for Albanian refugees who left that country because of the violence and terror of the committees and their gangs, and considers this a valuable and humane act of assistance for Vlorë and all of Albania. The Democratic Party undertakes to make efforts with the government in Rome and Italian political parties to have this issue treated as a priority.

Statement by MP Pjetër Arbnori on the third day of the hunger strike So that the violations listed above are not repeated, I declare that I will not end the hunger strike unless the parliamentary leadership and the left-wing majority guarantee: - the full broadcast on television, after the news, of plenary debates on important issues, interpellations, etc. - the allocation of a specific amount of time on the main TV news program, and at other appropriate times, to present the opinions, positions, and activities of the opposition, expressed in its own voice and with its approval ON PAGE 3 Arbnori’s strike continues