Albanian courts will close their doors ON PAGE 4

Interview with the prosecutor investigating the city of Lecce ON PAGE 4

Police seize only five speedboats in Durrës ON PAGE 4

In Flag Square: “Give us our money back,” “you drowned our people at sea.” Italian television channels expose Nano’s television network Yesterday, the Flag City of Vlora spat on the government of crime, poverty and deception, hastening the departure of senior officials from the official ceremony marking the 85th anniversary of Independence. The people of Vlora, who have suffered more than all other Albanians since this Nano-Medani clique came to power, whistled and threw eggs at the senior officials who brought misfortune upon them and all of Albania. Italian television channels broadcast footage yesterday of the chants “you drowned our people,” “give us our money back,” “Vlora does not deceive,” and the piercing whistles during the ceremony, which turned into a funeral procession for the senior government officials who had taken their places on the podium. Yesterday Vlora reminded Fatos Nano that it could never tolerate the great deception in Flag Square over the return of the pyramid-scheme money, nor could it tolerate the fate of all the innocent victims and the tears of the mothers whose children drowned in the Otranto tragedy, all so that the former communists could come to power. Yesterday Vlora spat on those who imported and brought the Serbian symbol into the sacred Flag Square, with all their might trampling the dignity of Ismail Qemali’s city and staining its history. But the city, massacred and liberated through rebellion, showed yesterday all its gratitude to those who are rapidly driving the country toward catastrophe, taking great steps every day toward installing a neo-dictatorship. The people of Vlora whistled at chief deceiver Nano and at President Meidani of Cërniç, while reminding Brokaj, Malaj and Gjiniushi that those who stole the money of the people who died tragically in Otranto would very soon be punished by history. At the great celebration of the 85th anniversary of Independence and the country’s liberation, the officials of the installed regime were more isolated than ever from the Albanian world. The opposition was absent from the official ceremony in the square: it could not celebrate with the officials who desecrated Independence Square with the Serbian symbol and killed the city of the flag. Also absent were most of the leading figures in the political and intellectual life of Albanians in Kosovo, Macedonia and the diaspora. Their absence from the national celebration further underscored the abandonment this government of gangs, deception and anti-national politics deserves from the Albanian people. If the face of some Milosevic messenger from Prishtina was seen on the podium, this further reinforces the fact that this government is now unacceptable not only to Albanians in Albania, but also to Albanians in Kosovo, Macedonia and all the other countries where Albanians live. The officials of the neo-dictatorship remained isolated and abandoned by the rest of the Albanian people during the celebration of the country’s Liberation Day. Most of the country’s citizens celebrated Independence Day and Liberation Day together, leaving the officials in their loneliness; today they shamefully raised the symbol of Enver Hoxha once again. Today Meidani, Nano, Gjiniushi and the others are free to celebrate their real holiday, in the company of the gangs that helped them come to power and another postal-judicial farce they are creating to legalize the Communist Party. This government has already been brought down by the people and the bright-hearted Albanian world. Berisha and other Democratic Party leaders pay their respects at the National Martyrs’ Cemetery

The Democratic Party refused the government’s celebration in order to celebrate in Vlora. The Serbian three-part symbol was displayed in Vlora by the socialists The Democratic Party could not celebrate in Vlora with those who desecrated Flag Square with the Serbian three-part symbol. This is the DP’s statement explaining its refusal of the government’s invitation to attend the official ceremony in Vlora on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the Proclamation of Independence. By decision of its leadership, the DP press release says, the Democrats refused the invitations from the government officials to celebrate the 85th anniversary of Independence together with them in Vlora. This refusal is also a great expression of respect for Ismail Qemali, for his work for Vlora and its contribution to Albania’s history. This is because, for the Democratic Party, celebrating the 85th anniversary of Independence with those who desecrated Flag Square with the Serbian three-part symbol is a grave insult to Vlora, the flag and our national history. Not celebrating Liberation with those who, out of loyalty to Enver, punish and condemn every truth about themselves is a lesser insult and a good deed for Albania in its liberation. In the Albania we have seen, they brought the Serbian three-part symbol into Flag Square and, by falsifying history, changed Liberation Day from 28 to 29 November as a tribute to the dictator Hoxha. Yesterday, members of the Democratic Party leadership went to the country’s main city to mark Flag Day, the country’s Liberation Day and other occasions, and to explain the foundations of Albania’s independence and freedom. Once again, the Democratic Party wishes Albanians happy holidays: the 553rd anniversary of Skanderbeg raising the Albanian flag in Krujë, the 85th anniversary of the Proclamation of Independence and the 53rd anniversary of the country’s Liberation.

The Communists politicize the National Holiday Most of the Albanian world was not in Vlora yesterday. Its highest representatives, intellectuals, prominent figures and well-known people from Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and the diaspora were not in Vlora yesterday. The Presidency of the Republic of Kosovo and Ibrahim Rugova were absent from Vlora, as were the legitimate representatives of Albanians in Macedonia and Montenegro, intellectuals, other prominent figures and people from across the border. The diaspora was absent from Vlora yesterday, from the USA to Egypt. ON PAGE 3

Albania’s participation in the Islamic Conference in doubt An adviser to Albanian President Rexhep Meidani said in Tirana on Friday that the presidency had not yet discussed whether Albania would participate in the Islamic Conference, which it joined in 1992. ON PAGE 3

The Second National Assembly of the Politically Persecuted held its proceedings The Association of Former Political Prisoners of Albania: arrows aimed at Nano. Communism is rising again, along with its symbols ON PAGE 2

The DP press spokesperson responds ON PAGE 3

Arapi: Here are our results. Cuts in expenses and staff, pay reductions and closure of operations at five state-administered companies Kamberi is going bankrupt. Albania’s number-one egg producer is now in its final throes ON PAGE 5

Panajiri ’97 in defense of the speculators The fair, on its third day yesterday. Behind the glitter of the advertisements loom poverty and high prices

Ministry of Privatization: The state is the largest shareholder ON PAGE 5

Albanians celebrate the great holiday of the country’s Independence and Liberation