Tomorrow, a major rally in remembrance of Azem Hajdari

League Against Dictatorship: Let us all gather in “Skënderbej” Square On Monday, 12 October, at 17:00, the League Against Dictatorship calls on the residents of the capital to gather in “Skënderbej” Square to commemorate the December Leader, the hero of pluralism, Azem Hajdari, one month after his murder by the phalanxes of Fatos Nano’s clique. The memorial rally for Hajdari will be an accusation and protest by Albanians against the Majko government, which pledged in the parliament of Kalashnikovs that it would not investigate Hajdari’s killers and would continue to attack the opposition. On Monday, everyone to “Skënderbej” Square.

Economic program: a continuation of the crisis

Bode and Karamitro: Here is why the Majko government will fail ON PAGE 5

Parliament falsifies the votes

on the ’76-model draft constitution is manipulated Parliament falsifies the votes Two-thirds are missing for the draft constitution; 104 MPs were required Not a single opposition MP votes for the “passport” of the rule of gangs and committees. The vote in principle on the ’76-model draft constitution is manipulated

A right but belated decision

Berisha welcomes the Albanian government’s decision on airport facilities for NATO The chairman of the Democratic Party, Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha, said last night that he welcomes yesterday’s decision by the current government, through which, albeit belatedly, it adopted the opposition’s proposal, announced in its statement of 4 March 1998 and earlier, and reiterated several times, including recently, to offer the North Atlantic Alliance all the airport facilities necessary to carry out its mission in operations to punish the Serbian military machine in the territory of the former Yugoslavia and to protect 2 million Albanians in Kosovo. Berisha stressed that what matters is for the government to abandon the absurd demands of the former prime minister for the deployment of NATO troops on the Alpine border between Albania and Kosovo.

NATO, air strikes against Serbia ready

NATO, air strikes against Serbia ready

This Is How We Should Cooperate

Memorandum of the Democratic Party on political dialogue in Albania Addressed to the President of the Republic, the parties, the embassies, and all Albanian citizens Memorandum of the Democratic Party on political dialogue in Albania This Is How We Should Cooperate Addressed to the President of the Republic, the parties, the embassies, and all Albanian citizens The September 24 resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, also voted for in Strasbourg by representatives of the Albanian governing coalition, constitutes, for the Democratic Party, a solid basis for dialogue among the political forces in Albania. ON PAGE 2 Serbian soldiers open fire on the border unit in Zogaj

Serbs Fire Again in Tropojë

Serbian soldiers open fire on the border unit in Zogaj The Serbs fire again in Tropojë. ON PAGE 4

The Rulers, Behind the Cannibal Boatmen

Italian Carabinieri save nine Albanian babies from tragedy Albanian clan-boat traffickers were yesterday at the top of the news in foreign newspapers and agencies, as the perpetrators of a tragedy that, thank God, was averted in time. God and the Italian Carabinieri saved at least the lives of nine children whom the boatmen threw into the sea in an attempt to lighten the boats, which needed to escape pursuit by the Italian coast guard. Known in Albania as boatmen, this most criminal segment of Albanian society remains active, just as it was during the months of the rebellion last year. This group of traffickers, visibly linked to the current past, is now stronger than ever. Thanks to the guarantees they receive in the highest state offices, they have... In Vlorë, anyone can tell you that the owners of the speedboats are Malaj’s, Brokaj’s, Ceka’s, and Gjinushi’s men. Entire areas in the south of Albania have been turned into drug plantations, where the barons have been identified as senior Socialist officials. ON PAGE 3

“The Socialists May Kill Some of Us, but the Others Will Carry On”

Interview with Azem Hajdari, given to the Helsinki Human Rights Group a few months earlier The following passages are excerpts from an interview that the Helsinki Human Rights Group (BHHRG) conducted with Azem Hajdari, leader of the 1990 student movement, a movement that overthrew Albania’s last communist government (led by former Socialist Prime Minister Fatos Nano) and brought an end to communism. The interview paved the way for free elections after 50 years of communist dictatorship. The interview was conducted at the headquarters of the Democratic Party, a few months before Hajdari’s murder. ON PAGE 7

The Government Protects Azem Hajdari’s Murderers

Today, 29 days after the murder of the December Leader Every day that passes since the murder of Azem Hajdari, the symbol of democracy and pluralism, proves the involvement of Fatos Nano’s government and his successor in the crime that shook all Albanians. The government of the former communists, which leaves free the criminals who took the life of the December Leader and lets them roam the Albanian world, shows Albanians that they have been and remain on the side of the murderers, who have names and identities but are untouched by those in power. Democrats and all Albanians who love and build democracy cannot under any circumstances tolerate this fact. The government cannot tolerate Azem Hajdari’s murder under any circumstances. The government must arrest the criminals and bring them to justice, or publicly declare that it itself committed the murder of Azem Hajdari.

The Clans Demand Nano’s Departure

Great discontent within the SP over the chairman’s plans. Blushi’s and Prela’s advancement is not accepted Fatos Nano risks losing even the leadership of the Socialist Party, after he was forced last week to resign from leading the first communist government since Albania’s transition to democracy. His dangerous ambitions to fill vacant party secretariat posts with people close to him have set off alarm within the Socialist structures. ON PAGE 3

Bode: The Prosecution Is Letting Azem’s Murderers Go Free

The DP is interested in establishing a constitution for the country, but the government must abandon exclusion “There were eyewitnesses who are ready to testify about the circumstances of Azem Hajdari’s murder, but they have never been called to testify by the prosecution.” ON PAGE 3

The Risk of Encouraging Anti-Democratic Practices in Albania

Following Mr. Foley’s unexpected statement A statement published yesterday by Deputy Assistant James Foley, which sidestepped the essence of the conflict in Albania, systematically fomented by the government and the former-communist majority, risks encouraging Mr. Majko’s government to continue its violence, terror, and repressive policy toward the opposition. This is all the more so because Mr. Foley’s statement presumes to label the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party, according to the familiar notions of the Fidel Sherpe Club and certain foreigners with interests in Albania that are even criminal in nature—labels that have annoyed most Albanians after more than 15 months of Socialist rule. Mr. Foley’s statement yesterday came after a position by the U.S. State Department was made public ... ON PAGE 3

Unemployment on the rise, state assistance declining

INSTAT: At the end of June, 220,000 Albanians were unemployed . Unemployment on the rise, state assistance declining. ON PAGE 5

A DP activist arrested

Mallakastër, political police continue violence against the opposition Xhezmi Skëndari, chairman of the DP group section in the village of Kutë and a member of the district council, was taken to the police yesterday and held for several hours without any explanation. ON PAGE 2