Two-hour protest against the government over bonuses ON PAGE 5

The mysteries surrounding the murder of Kosovo’s Minister of Defense ON PAGE 3

A recent INSTAT report and the crisis in the country show that: ON PAGE 6

The West tosses the Albanian government’s accusations of an opposition “coup” into the wastebasket. Joint statement by the Troika: Europe strongly condemns the murder of Azem Hajdari Tens of thousands of citizens protest against the government of crime in Tirana, Durrës, Kavajë and Elbasan. All of Albania is demanding that the prime minister be ousted

Tragedy in Koman. Masked men shoot at the car that was going to pick up the bride Nano’s black detachments begin a punitive expedition in the North. Shkodra in terror. Two wounded in Shirokë and two others in Beltojë. Police shoot without warning

Photos: Albes FUSHA

By Sami NEZA The joint statement by international institutions concerning the crisis in Albania constitutes a major step in defending Albania’s democratic values and another blow to Fatos Nano’s criminal government. Once again, international organizations identify it as a group of people who, through their silence or cooperation, have encouraged smuggling, corruption, and organized crime in Albania. Never before has the international community as a whole directed its attention to such phenomena, since governments like Nano’s have always brought the country to ruin within a few days. Europe is spreading the worst-case scenario across Europe, when key segments of Albanian society are mired in crime, have lost faith in rebuilding the country and, worse still, are seeking to destroy it even further. The joint statement by the EU, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the BEP cites the Albanian government as one that has done nothing on the fundamental issues for consolidating democracy in the country, such as public order, the fight against organized crime, and the fight against corruption. Europe’s important institutions warn that assistance to Albania will depend on developments in the country. The joint statement is an optimistic message for all the Albanian people, and a particular point of support for the Albanian opposition, which has been systematically attacked, imprisoned, killed and abused by this government, which Europe condemns. Meanwhile, it calls on the Albanian government to remain calm, stressing that the killer must be brought before justice very soon. The international community encourages a political solution to the Albanian crisis, precisely the solution that thousands of people in the streets have been calling for for a month. The statement says that it supports an initiative guided by broad political agreements. Bearing in mind the hail of bullets directed at the Democrats, the killing of December Movement leader Azem Hajdari in front of the Democratic Party headquarters, and the killings of Skënder Kalenja, Adem Shehu and Isuf Uka in front of the prime minister’s office, Europe calls on the government to end its repression of the opposition. “The government must respect the democratic role and rights of the opposition,” the statement says, “and must not encourage actions that contribute to further polarization.” The statement also calls for an end to violence and condemns its use by both sides, expressing categorical opposition to the use of violence. Europe also calls for all parties to take part in the final stage of the constitutional negotiations, an opposition initiative that Fatos Nano sabotaged by arresting and then also killing Democratic leaders. The scenarios of a “coup d’état” concocted by the Albanian government have failed, while the US government, in a statement concerning Monday’s events, condemns violence by both sides, thereby clarifying what the Albanian government concealed from international public opinion: the bullets it fired at Azem Hajdari’s funeral procession. This statement also differs greatly from the report presented by Greek minister Papandreu at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, confirming once again that his statements in Tirana against the opposition received no support from European institutions. The opposition is supported, not isolated.

Everyone to Skënderbej Square on Saturday The “League Against Dictatorship” is organizing a protest rally on Saturday, 26.09.1998, at 11:00, against the dictatorship that Fatos Nano’s criminal gang is seeking to impose in Albania. Every citizen of Tirana, just as in 1990, will contribute to bringing down Fatos Nano’s clique by taking part in this protest against violence—a clique that is inflicting new wounds on Albania and democracy every day through its betrayal and the gang it leads. Everyone to the square, to overthrow Nano’s government.

The groom of Mat democracy ON PAGE 4

More reshuffles in the criminalized government After a meeting at the Socialist Party, the prime minister announced possible reshuffles involving the most theatrical minister in his cabinet, Thimio Kondi, the head of smuggling, Malaj, the clean and honorable Perikli Teta, as well as other parallel moves. ... ON PAGE 4

The government offers 200 thousand dollars, after Nano has paid his henchmen multiples of that amount Fatos Nano continues to gloat over Azem Hajdari, even after having him killed in the courtyard of the Democratic Party headquarters, while his phalanxes remain at his disposal. While Nano publicly announces that he is offering thousands of dollars to anyone who captures, or provides information about, the killer of the December Movement leader, Hajdari’s killer, Jaho Salihi, continues to serve as police chief at the Tropojë police station. Sources from Bajram Curri said that, as far as they know, no investigation has been opened against him, nor has any administrative measure been taken to suspend him until the investigation into the tragic event that has shaken all Albanians is completed. Nano, responsible for all the opposition’s killings and imprisonments, says the government is offering 200 thousand dollars for the capture of Hajdari’s killer, after previously paying his phalanx’s private operatives multiples of that sum to carry out the barbaric and treacherous execution of the MP. Recent events show that what matters to Nano is not the capture and punishment of the head of his phalanx, but [??] for the killing and imprisonment of all political opponents he sees as a threat to his power, which he has arrayed as a military army.

Nano’s black detachments begin their punitive expedition in the North. Shkodër residents in terror. Two wounded in Shirokë and two others in Beltojë. Police open fire without warning Nano’s black detachments begin their punitive expedition in the North. Shkodër residents Beltojë. Police open fire without warning Two people were killed and another was seriously wounded by masked police officers as they were going to fetch the bride in Bërdicë, in the district of Shkodër. The incident took place near Koman, at around 1:00 p.m., at a place called Qafa e Lacit, when police officers in a van and a Mercedes immediately opened fire on the wedding guests, killing the groom, Gjergj Aligjoka, 37, and another wedding guest, Gëzim Gjoka, 22, while Mark Biba was seriously wounded. All three victims were from Cërmicë in Tropojë and had set out to fetch the bride in the village of Bërdicë, but never managed to get there. Thus, the wedding of the late Aligjoka, who was expecting to bring his bride home yesterday, ended in a terrible tragedy. Instead of the bride, the groom’s lifeless body arrived in Tropojë, riddled with bullets by masked criminals. The news was also reported by the local television station in the city of Shkodër, “Rozafa,” which confirmed that masked police officers had fired on the wedding guests without warning. According to initial testimony, the vehicles used in the crime immediately left the scene, while the bodies of the victims were left in the road. Witnesses said they had seen police officers wearing black masks, similar to those worn by special forces, firing from the van and the Mercedes used in the crime. Meanwhile, sources in Shkodër report that serious incidents also took place in Shirokë and Beltojë, where four people were wounded, two in each village. Sources say the victims were shot without warning by masked police officers, and it is highly likely that these incidents are organically linked. The press reported yesterday that a large number of special forces had been sent to the district of Shkodër to destabilize public order there. This is not the first time that the area around Shkodër, and the Tropojë–Shkodër region, has become a bloody arena with many victims, while in many cases the aggressors have been members of the police force. The latest case is an extremely serious crime that must be urgently investigated in order to bring the criminals wearing uniforms to justice. It seemed that the prime minister’s destabilization and terror campaign had begun implementing its plan to spread terror in Shkodër and the other northern districts of Albania. R.L.

Yesterday, in “Skënderbej” Square

The Office of the Republic of Kosovo in Tirana announces that Ahmet Krasniqi’s funeral will take place in Tirana on September 24, 1998. The memorial gathering will be held at 10:00 in the hall of the National Museum. The public tributes will take place at the Central Army House from 11:00 to 13:00. The funeral procession will leave the Army House at 13:00 for the Sharrë cemetery in Tirana.