The 31 August protest is the Democrats’ moment of truth. “Union for Democracy” calls on all honest Albanians who believe in freedom and its values, true nationalists who aspire to a free Albania, and right-wingers wherever they may be in Albania, to join the citizens of Tirana on Monday, 31 August, at 18:00 in “Skënderbej” Square, in their protest against the red dictators who, after seizing power by force, have not stopped applying their criminal platform against the opposition. Patriots from all over Albania! Let us gather on Monday at 18:00 in “Skënderbej” Square to say no to political revenge, no to political killings and trials targeting the opposition. Let us all stand together in defense of our democratic ideal, in defense of the real values of democracy, for the peace of the nation. Together to defend freedom! Tomorrow will be too late.

Today at 19:00, the citizens of Kavajë will protest against the “nanokraturë,” demanding the immediate release of political prisoners.

The prime minister personally signed the orders for the arrests of former PD officials. The government has shown that it set SHIK on the opposition. Fatos Klosi must be prosecuted.

By Bardhyl LONDO The bells of this hot August rang loudly. Nevertheless, it seems that so far only the Albanians have heard their peal, while the politicians in power have not had ears to hear these bells. Their ears are used to other sounds. Albanians, burdened by troubles, hearing these sounds and foreseeing Cassandra-like ill omens, fill the squares with the worthy aim of unblocking our government’s ears. But again, to no avail. Accustomed, as if for life, to the rustle of money and the favors that political power brings, they have given the great and final proof that they have no ears to hear anything else. But what do the bells of this August say? First of all: Albanians can no longer tolerate political arrests, midnight knocks on their doors and then handcuffs on their wrists. Albanians can no longer tolerate the endless demagoguery about creating 250,000 new jobs; we can no longer tolerate lies about getting the money back, or any other kind of lie. Albanians can no longer tolerate the prime minister’s empty speeches, nor the vulgar stupidity of Albanian TV, which warns them ... the state TV that warns them not to attend protests. In fact, had it not been for the prime minister’s speech and the “advertising” by state TV, there would not have been so many people at the last rally. On this occasion, the opposition should thank the prime minister and the TV director and, in any case, remember when it comes to power that they helped it, albeit unconsciously. Nevertheless, the bells ring loudly. And to prevent them from turning into funeral bells, everything depends on us and on politics. It must bear in mind that it can no longer hold on to power through force and fear. Albanians have lost everything and do not care at all about a few underhand blows they might receive at rallies. The way to calm the situation or put a stop to rallies is not to issue warnings about the terror that will be inflicted there, but to provide a genuine guarantee that the 9 March agreement will be implemented; that the doors of prisons and courts will not be open only to jailbirds; that party leaders will not appear on television—even private channels—to call for the largest opposition party to be outlawed; and that the ruling side’s sole alternative for winning elections, Berisha, has now run its course and is no longer believed by anyone. The advisers should make the prime minister understand the solemn promise he once made that the government would remain in office until January. The government is now drawing a line: previously, Berisha was to blame; from now on, the blame lies with our governing. They should even advise him further: appear on TV only when he has real achievements to present, and deliver at least a small part of his deceitful promises. Otherwise, he will only swell the ranks of the opposition and fill all the towns and cities with demonstrators. The satisfaction the governing elite may feel (through the abuse of most of today’s press, and the demonization of Albanians and the PDSH) is unjustified. The press may indeed call for the PD to be outlawed, but no one asked the PD—or any other kind of opposition—when it entered political life; those in power were compelled to sign and recognize its legitimacy. The precedent of outlawing the opposition, however ... The precedent of outlawing the opposition, however ... The precedent of outlawing the opposition expresses today’s government’s vision of an Albania without opposition or, to close the eyes of the European Community, with a controlled opposition, with a single party, by means of opposition activities, while denouncing ... its rallies; this is wholly and utterly anti-democratic. The opposition may be accused, and its demonstrations may be ...; its activities are entirely normal and are a demand of today’s ... To demand that these kinds of activities stop, to label and condemn them, means turning Albania back to the years of dictatorship and saying that ... saying that ... you would have the people themselves outside the law. Despite the openly stated aim of those governing today to threaten the opposition with eradication or to bring it back to normality, the opposition too must be very careful at this time not to give any opening for amplifying the powerful propaganda of the governing coalition. Calm, organization and, above all, protection against provocateurs planted and paid to cause confrontations must be at the center of its attention from now on. The bells of this August ring loudly: after the law on the secret police and the draft law on the protection of secrets came the violation of the 9 March agreement. And so that these midnight clangs and Cassandra’s warnings do not turn into cries, the opposition must ... The bell ... should not ... when the PD ... extended its hand for consensus on the draft constitution. Or perhaps all this was done because it cannot accept the hand extended to it in an offer of agreement by the opposition? If so, all the worse for it.

Protesters in front of Nano’s villa (left) The villa of former Prime Minister Shehu, later of former President Alia, now the residence of Fatos Nano (right)

The Democratic Party leadership decides to escalate the protests The Democratic Party leadership decided yesterday to oppose, by all means, the establishment of Nano’s neodictatorship and the return of the era of political prisons in Albania. At its meeting, held before Berisha and Pollo returned from Germany, it was decided to escalate opposition protests throughout the country in order to force the government to abandon its efforts to bring Albania’s communist past back. The meeting discussed all the new forms of resistance and protest, which will intensify, identifying the release of political prisoners as its first objective. Speakers said that Democrats throughout the country must realize that they are facing a decisive moment, and that any evasion of their responsibilities will have extremely serious consequences, not only for the Democratic Party but for all of Albania. The leadership declared that it was determined to ignore all threats by those in power to curb opposition protests, and called on all Democrats and DP supporters to join the peaceful demonstrations against Nano’s neodictatorship. Chairman Berisha and Deputy Chairman Pollo briefed the leadership on the success of their visit to Munich, Germany, where they held productive meetings with prominent figures in German and European politics. They said that everywhere they had encountered concern about the grave political situation in Albania, as well as solidarity with and support for the Democratic Party.

Arbnori meets with US Ambassador Mariza Lino Pjetër Arbnori, a member of the Democratic Party leadership and an MP, met on Friday with the US ambassador in Tirana, Mariza Lino, at the latter’s request. Both sides expressed concern about the grave political situation in Albania following the arrest and imprisonment of six former officials of the Democratic government, and discussed ways and means of overcoming it. Mr. Arbnori thanked and commended the US ambassador for her statement concerning the recent events in Albania, and stressed that Washington’s position has always been important for democratic developments in Albania. The former Speaker of the Albanian Parliament told Ms. Lino that the midnight arrest and imprisonment of former DP officials was a purely political act aimed at bringing back the era of political prisons and the persecution of political opponents in Albania. Ms. Lino listened attentively to Arbnori’s explanations and expressed concern about the possibility that the situation in the country might become even more radicalized, as it had a year earlier, something she said nobody would wish for. At the meeting, Arbnori said that the immediate release of the political prisoners was the foremost obligation of those currently in power, who were seeking to destroy the opposition with this new attack. He expressed the Democratic Party’s determination to stand up to the authorities’ increased aggressiveness and its readiness to continue with protests and all other democratic means of defending the freedoms that had been won.

SHIK, the political police against the opposition ON PAGE 3 SHIK, the political police against the opposition Klosi must be prosecuted ON PAGE 3

Breaking news. Explosion on Elbasan Street A powerful explosion shook Elbasan Street yesterday when two young men threw an offensive grenade at a citizen who was passing through the intersection with the ring road. The victim, Zenel Buzuku, was injured and was subsequently taken to the Military Hospital, where he is out of danger. According to initial reports, Buzuku is a journalist for Radio Tirana; there is no information about the assailants. According to witnesses, the two young men, who immediately fled the scene, threw the grenade from a distance in an attempt to take the journalist’s life.

DP representatives meet Ambassador Everts Yesterday at noon, DP leadership members Pjetër Arbnori, former Speaker of Parliament, and Albina Karamitro, head of the Economic Department, met with the OSCE Ambassador in Tirana, Dan Everts, and his associates to discuss developments in the situation that had arisen in the country following the six politically motivated arrests of former government and state officials. The DP representatives explained why the arrests of the six senior officials were political and said that these developments were leading from the prospect of dictatorship toward neodictatorship. The DP representatives presented the opposition’s immediate demands: the release of political prisoners, implementation of the law on state radio and television, and an end to violence and terror against the opposition in all the forms used by the government. The OSCE Ambassador in Tirana, Dann Everts, expressed the organization’s commitment to taking into consideration and assessing the opposition’s concerns regarding all the issues raised. He also expressed the OSCE’s support for restoring a climate of understanding and for peacefully bringing the current situation to an end. Everts assured them that the OSCE would work toward creating a climate that would make democratic developments in Albania possible. The opposition representatives expressed the Democratic Party’s position that, despite the future government’s anti-opposition actions, the opposition considers the political imprisonment of the six former senior officials—who have been involved in processes such as constitutional accusations—to be urgent, irrespective of the government’s efforts to exclude the opposition from such a process. The meeting took place in a friendly atmosphere.

Protesters in front of Nano’s villa (left) The villa of former Prime Minister Shehu, later of former President Alia, now the residence of Fatos Nano (right) Protesters in front of Nano’s villa (left). The villa of former Prime Minister Shehu, later of former President Alia, now the residence of Fatos Nano (right)