Police forcibly escort the head of the newspaper “Rilindja Demokratike”, Astrit Patozi, to the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office Two hours of questioning over a complaint by Finance Minister Arben Malaj. After returning from the prosecutor’s office, the editor-in-chief of “RD” finds a “fesë” from the Tirana court in his office, ordering him to appear as a defendant on Monday in connection with a complaint by Parliament’s Deputy Speaker, Namik Dokle ON PAGE 4

Thousands of protesters demand the government’s resignation and the release of political prisoners. The democratic storm continues from the square in front of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office ON PAGE 3 Skënderbej Square as it was in 1991. More than 100,000 protesters fill the square and the capital’s main boulevard: “Let’s overthrow it, let’s overthrow it, let’s overthrow the scoundrel” Stop the killers of people [?] FREE THE POLITICAL PRISONERS STOP POLITICAL IMPRISONMENT

The EDU Governing Council discusses Albania At the meeting of the EDU Governing Council, attended by DP deputy chairman Genc Pollo and Secretary for International Relations Leonard Demi, the severe crisis in Albania was one of the important issues discussed. Pollo presented the situation in the country, the economic crisis, government theft, the attack

At the meeting of the EDU’s Executive Council, attended by DP co-chairman grave the government’s actions, the crackdown on Democrats, and the arrest of six senior DP officials. Pollo’s remarks were received with interest, and after he spoke there was considerable discussion about these grave developments in Albania. Later, at a meeting between DP leaders, Saul Nishinte, Deputy Prime Minister of Finland, and EDU Secretary Aleksis Wintoniak, both stressed EDU’s support for the DP in the very difficult circumstances it is going through and confirmed that a fact-finding mission would be sent to Albania to determine the next steps toward the Nano government. A member of the Executive Committee stated that only the political leaders of America, Russia, England, or China, who possess nuclear weapons, could be accused of “crimes against humanity” that remained at the attempted stage. The Secretary-General of the Austrian People’s Party, Otmar Krah, whose party is led by Deputy Chancellor Shyzel, said that they would address this issue at parliamentary and governmental level. The representative of the British Conservative Party, Richard Normington, and the International Secretary of the Swedish Conservative Party, Eva Gustavson, informed Mr. Pollo that the West Minster and Halmarson delegations would soon begin cooperation projects with the Albanian Democratic Party. At a meeting held in the Italian Senate between Mr. Pollo, Demi, and Collaku of the Student Forum, and Forza Italia Senator Jash Gawronski (a spokesman for the Berlusconi government), Forza Italia representative, lawyer Pan-teleza, was also present. Mr. Gawronski expressed the Italian opposition’s deep concern about the situation in Albania, trans-Adriatic trafficking, and the crackdown on the Albanian opposition and the DP in particular. The Italian opposition would discuss these matters in the Chamber of Deputies and in the Senate. Among other things, Genc Pollo and Leonard Demi met with Gustavo Selva, Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the National Alliance, with whom they discussed all the problems mentioned above. He pledged to raise these issues in the Italian Parliament and the Council of Europe, and said that he would come to Albania with a group of colleagues to follow the situation in the country closely. At the meeting of the EDU Executive Committee, Mr. Pollo also spoke about the situation in Kosovo and called for coordinated common positions as well as NATO military intervention in Kosovo, as the only way to resolve Kosovo’s problems.

The DP chairman said the opposition is determined to use all peaceful means, just as it is determined to defend freedoms by every means Berisha received the OSCE ambassador at DP headquarters Everts: Peaceful rallies are legal The DP chairman said the opposition was determined to use all peaceful means, just as it was determined to defend freedoms by every means DP Chairman Sali Berisha received the OSCE ambassador to Tirana, Dean Everts, yesterday at DP headquarters, at the latter’s request. They discussed the grave political situation in the country and the climate of conflict created after the arrest of six former senior officials of the democratic government. Berisha told Mr. Everts that Albanians were deeply angered by the government of Fatos Nano, were massively calling for its resignation, and that the opposition would never allow prisons and political trials in Albania. The opposition is determined to use all peaceful means, Berisha said, stressing that it was just as determined to defend freedoms by every means. Mr. Everts said at the meeting that the OSCE was very concerned about the worsening political climate in Albania and called for dialogue between the political forces to be restored. Mr. Everts said that the OSCE was closely monitoring the proceedings against the six former officials who had been arrested, and had already issued a statement on them. The OSCE ambassador meanwhile called the role of State Radio and Television in covering all political developments in Albania unacceptable. DP Chairman Sali Berisha asked Mr. Everts for the OSCE to condemn the actions that had denied the opposition in Tirana its fundamental right to assemble, as well as the arrest of DP activists and supporters during peaceful rallies. Mr. Everts stressed at the meeting that citizens’ right to gather at peaceful rallies was an inviolable right.

The Union for Democracy is organizing a large popular protest in Durrës tomorrow at 18:00 against dictatorship, for the overthrow of the Nano government, the release of political prisoners, the opening of state television, and the defense of democracy. Protests continue throughout Albania Durrës back in the square

Interview with former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry PERRY: I knew Mr. Zhulali when he was Minister of Defense, and I can say that he worked with great dedication for Albania. I would have liked to see Albanians move forward rather than commit acts that cause them to lose the achievements they have already made. ON PAGE 2

The Gjirokastër commissioner asked for the city garrison’s tanks to attack Lazarat Commissioner Qebini waged a battle against Lazarat over Bashkim Fino’s smuggled coffee. Although there was not the slightest evidence that Fino’s coffee had ended up in Lazarat, Gjirokastër police commissioner Qebini, a close associate of the deputy prime minister in smuggling, ordered the Tirana special forces to surround the village and seize the coffee. Although the Gjirokastër police knew their commissioner very well as a bandit, and refused to take part in such an operation because they knew Bashkim Fino’s smuggling network, Qebini carried it out at the expense of the RENEA forces, causing eight of them to be wounded—all over Bashkim Fino’s smuggling and Commissioner Qebini. After the special forces were wounded, the madness of the Gjirokastër police commissioner went even further. He asked the commander of the Gjirokastër garrison to attack with the garrison’s tanks and armored vehicles, saying he had orders from above to do so. The garrison commander rejected such a request and refused to send the garrison’s weapons against a village. After the special forces were wounded, and after RENEA’s leaders learned the reasons behind the operation, a major argument broke out between the commissioner and the special forces’ commanders. Their commander called Qebini over the radio, accusing him of being responsible for the wounding of the police officers from his unit. Meanwhile, not only the Democrats of Lazarat but also the Socialists in the village are deeply outraged by the government’s attack using police forces. Socialist representatives have demanded that the incident be clarified immediately; otherwise, the Nano government should resign as responsible for the ordeal the village endured for several days.

Yesterday, the rally in Skënderbej Square

Let us all gather today in Skënderbej Square at 17⁰⁰ to commemorate the greatest Albanian of all time. Prayers, candles and flowers for Mother Teresa