A verdict is expected on Monday in the case of loan shark Sude ON PAGE 4

The traffic in stolen scrap metal is being added to the cigarette trade ON PAGE 4

The decision coincides with Enver Hoxha’s birthday ON PAGE 4

The falsehood and hypocrisy of Nano’s invitation are exposed. Berisha: The opposition is not a façade for the government. The demand that Albania be helped remains unwavering The government of Fatos Nano yesterday demonstrated the falsity and political hypocrisy of its invitation, which also included the opposition in the delegation to the Rome Conference. Nano’s minister, Kastriot Islami, refused yesterday to sign an agreement under which his government consented to the opposition’s voice on developments in Albania being heard in Rome, alongside Nano’s administration. “Just one day earlier, government representatives had stated that it was the conference organizers’ right to decide the agenda, thus transferring to Rome the possibility for the opposition not to be a façade for the government delegation. But Nano’s alibi of leaving responsibility to the conference organizers came to an end yesterday, when the Farnesina confirmed that it considered this entirely normal and had no objection to the opposition representative also being given the floor at the conference. The Director of the Political Directorate of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amadeo de Frankis, said yesterday from Rome that a simple agreement in Tirana between representatives of the ruling party and the opposition would be enough to make it possible to meet the opposition’s request not to be merely a façade for the government. After the Farnesina passed the ball into the Albanian government’s court, the latter refused the agreement. Simitis to Berisha: “You played an exceptionally positive role in overcoming the crisis in Albania” Donor countries lower their level of representation The Nano government is deflating the Rome Conference Two days before the International Conference on Albania is to be held, bad news from Rome is warning that the expected outcome of the conference may be diminished. The level of participation and representation of many donor countries has fallen significantly. US Secretary of State Madlen Olbrajt has now confirmed her decision not to attend the international conference, but to send a senior official to discuss the aid Albania needs to overcome the dire situation it is in. Sources in Rome also said yesterday that many other European Union countries would be absent from the conference. Some of these states, known as friends of the Albanians, have diplomatically told the conference organizers: “We have no direct interests in Albania that would make us feel obliged to put up our money.” This cooling of the international community’s willingness to help Albania appears to follow its recognition of the primitive policy the Albanian government is pursuing toward the opposition. The former communists who came to power with criminal gangs and committees have carried out an unprecedented takeover of the administration, culminating in a series of political attacks on political opponents. In two months in power, the Socialist Party has shown itself to be an advocate of pursuing paths of confrontation, going so far as to seek the physical elimination of political opponents. After around 80 days of communist rule, the opposition is the most persecuted in Europe. The unexpected decisions by several European countries to abandon their commitment to helping Albania also seem to reflect the Albanian government’s stance in ignoring the opposition’s request to present its assessment of developments in Albania after 29 June in Rome. A. KOPANI party and the opposition would be enough to ensure that it was not the ball into the Albanian government’s court—which was also the author of the invitation—the unexpected happened: Nano refused, with his personal minister, Kastriot Islami, voicing the refusal. With his absurd rejection, Fatos Nano demonstrated that he and his criminalized government are afraid of being at a table where the opposition’s voice would also be heard. Burdened by the guilt of a guilty man with blood on his hands, both during the rebellion and during the short time he has been governing the country in the worst possible way, Fatos Nano has felt the shame and despair of facing the international community. This refusal proves that Nano’s so-called invitation was made with the malicious intent of having Berisha reject it, so that the gang-affiliated officials and the parliament stained with blood could go to Rome and denounce the opposition. The unworthy stance of Nano’s government has also laid bare the fact, made known on the day the Democratic Party’s warm invitation arrived, that despite the political repression in Albania, the opposition would appeal to the international community to help the country. Conscious of its historic and constructive role, the genuine Albanian opposition will not cease calling for Albania to be helped, while naturally denouncing and fighting, by all peaceful means and avenues, to defend the values of democracy in the country. It is ready to take part in the Rome conference and deliver its message that Albania should be helped, even if it has to do so with great urgency in the event that it is physically absent. But its absence from the table of the Albanian government delegation will be another grave accusation against Nano and his government, as well as an expression of the savage revanche that has engulfed the country since they came to power. The representatives of donor countries will face a prime minister whose government, in addition to carrying out terror and political purges, has closed every peaceful avenue for the expression of the opposition. Nevertheless, the opposition will continue to call for Albania to be helped—but not in a way that keeps Western taxpayers from learning about Nano’s and his people’s misdeeds. Italy invites Berisha to Rome. The Albanian government rejects an agreement that would allow the opposition to be heard at the donors’ conference

In the third week of demonstrations in the capital Protest traps Nano The Prime Minister exits through the back door of the Palace of Culture Prime Minister Nano was held up for about an hour yesterday in the Palace of Culture by the usual protest of demonstrators in Tirana’s “Skënderbej” Square. Nano, who was inside the Palace of Culture, was unable to leave through the main entrance while protesters continued to chant forceful slogans against the government. After a long wait, it is reported that the prime minister, accompanied by his entourage, left through the back door of the Palace of Culture to avoid a possible incident with the protesters, who continued their unusual demonstration in the capital’s central square. Perhaps this is the first time Prime Minister Nano has felt so close the growing anger and dissatisfaction with his government. And he but the escalation of the protests will soon force him to leave through the back door of the government building.

Protests continue in Skënderbej Square Last night, as every night over the past three weeks, residents of the capital took to the streets of Tirana and then gathered in Skënderbej Square to protest against the government. They protested against the government’s policies toward the opposition, rising taxes and prices, and Fatos Nano’s massive deception over the return of money invested in pyramid schemes. MP Azem Hajdari, commenting on the visit of the Greek government delegation to our country, condemned agreements made behind closed doors with government cabinets. Any such agreement by Nano’s deceitful government will not last long, Hajdari said. How can you hold talks with a prime minister who will not raise the Cham issue with a neighboring country?! How can one hold talks with the prime minister of a country that is a member of the Atlantic Alliance without raising the outlook and the violence against the people of Kosovo?! Furthermore, Hajdari once again pointed to the criminalization of parliamentarians and the government. The Communists’ coming to power, Azem Hajdari emphasized, is a struggle for Albania. Albanians, he said, must not allow themselves to be governed by a government that came to power over the blood of its own people. In closing, Azem Hajdari once again called on the police authorities to show tolerance toward the protesters, since, as he said, they are demonstrating for an issue that matters to all honest Albanians. They are demonstrating to restore democracy; they are demonstrating against violence, high prices and high taxes. Do not look for the organizers among the youth; I am the organizer, MP Hajdari said. The chairman of the National Association for the Return of Fajde, Mister Sahiti, said that it was now clear that the government not only had no intention of returning the money, but was, on the contrary, entirely committed to bankrupting VEFA. It is therefore clear that the thousands of creditors of this company have no reason to go to the company’s counters with their money. Those who show up there will be lining the pockets of the administrator, his nephews and the transparenti. Therefore, Sahiti said, those who promise to return the money with interest have deceived people, and they will soon be completely bankrupt. Zef LLESHI

The Albanian government faces serious accusations The human-rights organization Human Rights is asking the donor countries attending the Rome conference to make aid to Albania conditional. The human-rights organization Human Rights is asking the donor countries attending the Rome conference to make aid to Albania conditional, because of the political repression the Nano administration is inflicting on the opposition and on the freedoms and rights of Albanians in general. The US-based organization reminds the donors, who will meet in Rome tomorrow, that before receiving aid, the Nano government must be required to respect fundamental human rights and freedoms in Albania, put an end to its campaign of retaliation against the opposition, political purges, police violence, and a series of other serious accusations against the former Communists in power. The message from the human-rights organization arrived in Rome two days before the Donor Countries Conference, which is of vital importance to Albania. In addition to criticism and accusations coming from all sides and surrounding Fatos Nano’s Socialist government, it is reported that many countries have downgraded their level of representation at the conference, while some others have decided not to send representatives to Rome at all. In support of the opposition’s demand for free and fair elections, representatives of the International Community...

Open letter to the President, the Speaker of Parliament and the Prime Minister Former employees of the State Audit Service decide to protest.

Residents will protest by blocking the national road Brutal violence by Tirana police against residents of the Kamza Agricultural Institute ON PAGE 2

The Italian Senate’s Vice President writes to the PD: Italian politicians express their support for the PD’s resistance to the Communist revanche in Albania. In a letter to PD secretary Genc Pollo, the Italian Senate’s Vice President calls on the PD to resist the Communists. “I know that the Democratic Party and the Albanian opposition are facing a difficult situation, but you must not allow yourselves to be prevented from resisting the former Communists, who are now firmly entrenched in power. For this, you should count on my political support,” writes Italian Senate Vice President Domeniko Kontestabile. He expresses regret that this time he cannot attend the PD National Congress. Representatives from many Italian political parties are expected to attend this congress. This letter comes on the eve of the conference on Albania for donor countries, which will be organized in Rome by the Italian government. ON PAGE 2