Hundreds of doves of peace will be released in the rally square. Today, the people of Kavaja will demonstrate not only for themselves, but for all of Albania. Today marks the seventh anniversary of the first Democratic Party rally in the anti-communist city. The people of Kavaja are demanding that the date of new elections be announced.

As the year-end holidays approach, Albanians feel more than ever that the administration installed after the 29 June elections is, in fact, the government of their misery. The crazy year-end prices, while children are waiting to celebrate and laugh during the Christmas and New Year holidays, remind Albanians that they are living through the final days of the worst year in their history. The progressive impoverishment of Albanians, who are unable to celebrate—not only as they did in recent years, but even compared with the worst times of the dictatorship—is the clearest indication of the mess into which Fatos Nano’s Socialist government has plunged the country. The year-end holidays find Albanians poorer and more hopeless than ever before in their history. In place of abundance and the progressive enrichment of Albanians have come bread queues on credit and the long strikes of people who have gone more than six months without receiving their meagre wages, or, worse still, their welfare benefits or pensions, for the…[?] most vulnerable strata of society. In remote mountain areas, but also in other provinces, Migjeni’s legend of the wretched has returned, perhaps even more threateningly than in 1990, when the communist dictatorship was in its death throes. But what weighs most heavily on Albanians is the loss of hope for the future under the disastrous rule of Fatos Nano’s Socialists, which is slowly killing the majority of Albania’s citizens. This administration will go down in Albania’s history as the government of hunger and the burial of Albanians’ democratic aspirations. At a time when citizens, exhausted and battered by the rebellion that shook the country for months, are seeking to see Albania calm down and take steps forward toward prosperity, the gang-run government is serving Albanians the terror of armed gangs under its command and government-run smuggling, which is finally destroying every cell of the state. The poverty of Albanians is directly proportional to the boundless power of the gangs brought to power by Nano, Meidani, Malaj, Brokaj, Çeka, etc., and, above all, to the immeasurable enrichment of government officials. Meanwhile, the poverty of Albanians goes hand in hand with the violation of their freedoms and rights by today’s officials, who are gradually installing a dictatorship like the one that set Albania 50 years behind Europe. Violence, constitutional laws, courts with weapons and other repressive means against political opponents, the gagging of the opposition’s free speech, and hostility toward the press are only some of the outlines of the dictatorship that Nano’s regime is installing in Albania. This government, which has tightened the noose around the necks of most of its citizens, is proving more and more each day that it cannot govern in collusion with the bandits who are killing innocent police officers; instead of stopping smuggling, it is organizing the dirtiest trafficking operations, which now bring in huge profits and are sinking the country into… [?], yes, sinking the country into the clutches of the regional mafia. As the year-end holidays approach, Albanians are once again more clear-eyed that the elections (continued on page 3)

425 judges in Tirana today All district judges threatened with dismissal will gather in Tirana today. Around 425 jurists across Albania will leave their jobs for one day in protest against a law passed by parliament that seeks to dismiss them. They will first gather at the Tirana Court and await the decision of the High Council of Justice. If that decision goes against them, the protest will be escalated to the maximum. All the jurists will begin a hunger strike to alert domestic and international public opinion to the flagrant violation of judicial independence and the attack on a judicial system serving politics. Until late last night, the High Council of Justice held an inquisition-like hearing against several judges slated for dismissal. Following the amendment to the law on the High Council of Justice and the parliament’s conflict with the Constitutional Court, this is the most serious blow the current authorities have dealt to the justice system and its independence.

Jurists denounce the Minister of Justice ON PAGE 3

Ceka releases the criminal Dino, while Islami releases the bandit Alushi For the people of Mallakastër, the commissioned report on state television was very ugly, as Kastriot Islami tried to justify the gang of Gëzim Cuko, which killed three police officers ON PAGE 3

Inquisition against the judges Those in power are trying by every means to put an end to the judges’ protests ON PAGE 3 National road blocked in Lazarat The national road near the village of Lazarat has been blocked since yesterday afternoon following the arrest of four people from the village. An intervention by police forces from the Gjirokastër station cleared the road at around 5 p.m., but it was blocked again just 20 minutes later. Witnesses at the scene said there had been tension between the villagers and the police, which had not changed the decision of the people who were [unclear]. The police station announced a new intervention to unblock the road, but until late at night nothing had been done [text truncated] regarding any police operation.

The protest in support of jurists threatened by those in power is spreading Yesterday, the Shkodër Court suspended its work in support of the protest that 425 jurists across the country began a few days ago. Several amendments to the law on the functioning of the justice system, approved by Parliament, provide for the drastic dismissal of jurists. The judges of Shkodër have expressed support for an even broader movement in support of these judges and have called on the government to immediately stop its reprisal against the country’s justice system. Likewise, two days ago the Tirana Court also suspended its work for one hour in protest against the dismissal of jurists, while today around 425 jurists will gather in Tirana to begin an open-ended hunger strike.

At one of the PD’s recent meetings in the districts Enthusiastic meetings of the Democratic Party in Memaliaj, Tepelenë and Ballsh. New elections will save the country The Democrats, who had filled the hall to capacity, call on the PD to lead Albanians once again in the struggle to restore democracy in Albania ON PAGE 2

Saturday, 27 December 1997, at 12:00 Rally, major concert in “Skënderbej” Square The country’s finest artists will take part “UNITY FOR DEMOCRACY”

On Saturday, 27 December 1997, at 11:00, at the Palace of Congresses, the Democratic Party is organizing its second national-level meeting with the local officials of Unity for Democracy. All those elected to local government are invited to attend: council members, commune heads, mayors, and district heads.

Message from PD Chairman Sali Berisha for Christmas To all Albanian Christian believers, wherever you may be—in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and the Diaspora—I wholeheartedly wish you a “Merry Christmas”! This day, the birth of Christ, is a blessed day because it is a celebration of humanity, of life, hope, faith and the future. Christmas, through the human and divine message that springs from the heart of the One who was born: the message of love, peace, kindness and tolerance. This Christmas, Albanians celebrate united in their lives and in their unwavering faith in God that Albania, a land of great faiths and religious tolerance, of believers and clergy who sacrificed themselves but did not surrender their faith in God, will once again return to the path of freedom. As Albanians, honoring and cherishing together the martyrs of our faith and religion, let us resolve tonight that with courage, compassion and tolerance we will overcome the current difficulties we are experiencing, and that next Christmas, with God’s help, we will celebrate it better and freer, as we deserve. Once again, “Merry Christmas!” May God bless Albania and the Albanians! Glory to God!