Today, a major rally by “Union for Democracy” in “Skënderbej” Square “Union for Democracy” calls on all conscientious Albanians who believe in freedom and its values, true nationalists who aspire to a free Albania, and people on the right wherever they are in Albania, to join the citizens of Tirana today, September 10, at 18:00 in “Skënderbej” Square, in their protest against the red dictators who, after seizing power by force, have not ceased to apply their platform against the opposition. Patriots from all over Albania! Let us gather today, at 18:00 in “Skënderbej” Square, to say no to political revenge, no to political killings and trials against the opposition! Let us all stand together in defence of our democratic ideal, in defence of the real values of democracy, for peace, for the nation! All together to defend freedom! Tomorrow will be too late!

The opposition warns of its strongest response to defend constitutional order. DP: “The order to launch investigations is dictatorship” ON PAGE 3

Ambassador Daan Everts at the DP headquarters. OSCE opposes opening investigations against the six The Chairman of the PDSH, Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha, and other leaders of “Union for Democracy” met with the OSCE Ambassador in Tirana, Mr. Daan Everts. At this meeting, Berisha and the leaders of the other parties in “Union for Democracy” told Ambassador Everts that Fatos Nano’s recent announcement about initiating court proceedings and an investigation into the March events could provoke a conflict in Albania with unforeseeable consequences, for which Fatos Nano would bear direct responsibility. They also presented him with clear evidence of abuses and terrorist acts directly targeting the opposition, and asked the OSCE to take a position on these acts. The leaders of “Union for Democracy” asked Ambassador Everts to monitor the trials of the prisoners of conscience and to monitor Nano’s trial concerning Levante & Co. According to the indisputable evidence held by the opposition, his lawyer’s statements about new documents brought from Italy that prove Nano’s innocence are a lie. No such document exists that could exonerate Nano. The leaders of “Union for Democracy” told Mr. Everts: we ask you to monitor the case file and make these claims of innocence public. They stressed that it should not be forgotten that Qazim Gjonaj, the former head of the Tirana court, was removed solely for political reasons, while Nano appointed Pajtım Hoxha in his place, likewise for political reasons. Ambassador Everts, for his part, stressed that he did not support suspending the investigation and court proceedings against the six former senior DP officials unless all political forces agreed to the suspension. He pledged to monitor the trial of the six and the “Nano” case file. He also condemned the government’s violation of the opposition’s rights and its refusal to grant permits for the opposition’s peaceful rallies, describing this as a violation of citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms. Ambassador Everts also undertook to monitor the court proceedings against the six. He further pledged to monitor Fatos Nano’s court file in the proceedings concerning whether new evidence exists to reopen the case.

The home of Bano, the deputy from Lushnje, was blown up, as was the city’s cinema-theatre, where an extraordinary meeting was to be held SPECIAL REPORT ON PAGE 4

The Minister of the Interior did not carry out the order to fire on the protesters He is expected to be replaced by a “strong hand to crush democracy” The Minister of the Interior, Perikli Teta, is under increasing pressure from Fatos Nano’s hardliners, who are demanding his dismissal and replacement by a “strong hand to crush democracy”. Nano’s clan is deeply dissatisfied with what it sees as the police’s passivity during the tense days of Democratic protests across the country. Sources in the Ministry of the Interior say that Teta opposed the order to fire on peaceful protesters during the days of the major “Union for Democracy” rallies, following the arrest of the six. This appears to have been the cause of the serious rift between him and Nano’s clan, which is seeking to replace Teta immediately. The Socialist Party newspaper, “Zëri i popullit”, attacked him yesterday—the text repeats that the clan is seeking to replace Teta immediately—and also harshly criticized the Minister of the Interior, who, it said, should have followed Arben Malaj’s example and submitted an irrevocable resignation. Meanwhile, Teta’s departure is viewed with suspicion as a possible sign that the Democratic Alliance may leave the coalition. Voices within this party say Ceka himself is extremely dissatisfied with Nano’s positions, but has chosen to remain silent and speak at the appropriate time. In any case, Nano has said that dismissing Teta will not be easy, despite the pressure being brought to bear on him by the hardliners. More than the PAD’s departure from the coalition, the prime minister fears the fallout from the fact that there was an order to fire on the protesters, which Teta did not carry out. If the Minister of the Interior were dismissed, he would not hesitate to make public all the pressure he had faced from Nano’s clan, and especially the order to fire on the Democrats, which recalls Ramiz Alia ordering gunfire in 1991 to protect Enver Hoxha’s statue. T.GJ.

Thousands of people from Shijak demanded the proclamation of Fatos Nano ON PAGE 3

Kurbin: more than 30 minutes of fighting between the blue uniforms and unidentified individuals Kurbini Police Station attacked with firearms. Last night, at around 19:00, a group of unidentified people attacked the Kurbini Police Station building in Laç with firearms. The blue uniforms returned fire. So far, there have been no reports of anyone wounded or killed. The battle between the police station’s forces and the group of unidentified people lasted about half an hour. The blue uniforms held out inside their building, apparently determined to defend and secure it, forcing the armed group to leave the police station building. A source from Laç told “RD” late last night that all state institutions in Kurbin are at the mercy of fate, because the police are no longer protecting them. The blue uniforms have shut themselves inside the police station, apparently determined to defend and secure the building. The motive for the armed attack on the police station and the identities of the armed men are unknown. The group that carried out the attack consisted of about 10 people, who left after the police resisted. The blue uniforms and police station buildings in many districts of the country have become targets of armed attacks by various armed groups. L.M.

Berisha holds talks with the Swiss parliamentary delegation Yesterday, the chairman of the PDSH, Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha, received Mr. Ernst Muhlemann, a member of the Swiss Parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee and head of the Swiss delegation to the Council of Europe, the Swiss National Council, and the delegation he led. After thanking him for the welcome, Mr. Muhlemann asked for the opposition leader’s views on recent developments in Albania and on the means and ways of bringing Albania out of this collapse without a civil war. Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha thanked him for the visit and for the Swiss friends’ interest in developments in Albania. He gave a detailed account of the mistreatment, persecution, and killings of opposition members by the current government. He spoke about the opportunities the opposition had systematically offered the government from last year until today, all of which the government had rejected. “Today,” said Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha, “Albania has a government that does not respect the laws. Nano,” he continued, “tore up the agreement of March 9, 1997, the agreement insistently sought by the opposition of that period, an agreement that got Nano out of prison and saved the lives of the current leading figures in power, who organized and led last year’s rebellion in order to come to power. After coming to power, they called for investigations into the events of March. We agreed, but before the investigations, the amnesty adopted by the Albanian Parliament on March 11, 1997 had to be revoked. At a time when the PD was offering a round table of political parties on the draft constitution, Fatos Nano ordered the midnight arrest of six former senior PD officials, taking the country back to the political prisons of 50 years ago. Our unchanging demand is the immediate release of the former senior PD officials. The current Prime Minister proposed freezing the court proceedings against those arrested for three years; this is unacceptable. A freeze means the destruction of justice and the violation of the state and its institutions.” Mr. Muhlemann asked what the PD’s view was on finding a solution. Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha said that we see the solution in respect for the laws and institutions. It is not enough that the requests by “Bashkim për Demokraci” to organize peaceful protests have been rejected. If we do not resist, we will have to accept a dictatorship. “We insist, our Swiss friends,” he said, “that we want Albania to avoid a civil war. There is no greater evil than war. The Council of Europe, the EU, the OSCE, and Albania’s friends all have an interest in this.” Expressing their full agreement with the account given by the PDSH chairman, they said they would make efforts to find a civilized solution. Thanking them for their concern and encouraging them to pursue the proposal, Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha recalled that all agreements reached through OSCE mediation had been violated by the current government. He said he believed that European multilateral organizations should listen more to the voice of the opposition. On August 31, we gave Fatos Nano the opportunity to take part in the round table of political parties, but his answer was prison for political opponents. We are determined to defend democracy. Our struggle is peaceful, but we will not allow political prisoners to exist in Albania again. The meeting took place in a warm and understanding atmosphere.

PD MP Ilir Bano and his house, destroyed by dynamite

Block the airport ON PAGE 3