Call by the Union for Democracy. Powerful protests until democracy is restored Citizens of Tirana, each of you who calls yourself Albanian, each of you who loves freedom and democracy and aspires to a secure future, well-being and prosperity, come out to the protest rally today, 31 October 1998, at 11:30 a.m. in “Skënderbej” Square. This protest rally has the noble purpose of forcing the state to find the organizers and perpetrators of the murder of the legend of Albanianism, Azem Hajdari; to release the political prisoners; to reinstate those dismissed from their jobs for taking part in Azem Hajdari’s funeral; and to compel the holding of early elections, so that democracy and the security of the national cause may return to Albania. Everyone to “Skënderbej” Square today, 31 October 1998, at 11:30 a.m., to protest against the government that continues the legacy of crime, smuggling and anti-Albanianism!

The Assistant Deputy Secretary of State urges the Tirana government not to exclude the opposition Malloi: Berisha did not encourage the violence of 14 September ON PAGE 3

The Tirana International Conference puts the government coalition in the dock. Geremek: “The killers of Azem Hajdari must be caught” Instead of aid, damning accusations of corruption, smuggling, lawlessness and illicit trafficking ON PAGE 3

By Sami NEZA The Tirana International Conference laid down conditions of lead for the Albanian government. Once again, it brought back the language used in Rome a little more than a year ago, which means that Albania’s left-wing government has failed completely in the period between the two conferences. Why has the international community, in addition to condemning Albania, returned to those issues that were supposed to have been resolved a year ago, such as establishing law and order, judicial independence, national reconciliation and political dialogue, and the fight against smuggling and corruption, thus prolonging the country’s suffering for a long time under a new government, but with the conditions that come with taking power through Kalashnikovs? After the Tirana conference and its conclusions and conditions, it is necessary to clarify to the public why the left should be allowed to experiment on the backs of Albanians for another year, as long as it may be judged that the above conditions can be met. It is essential to establish how far the governing capacity of the left-wing forces extends or, conversely, how far their destructive capacity will go, so as to become at least somewhat aware of the fate awaiting Albanians through another year of conditions, another year of smuggling, corruption, criminality, insecurity, political violence and state poverty. Yesterday the conference concluded its proceedings successfully, as the Albanian foreign minister said after it ended, but it was not successful for the Albanian government and consequently offered no hope that this government, inheriting another bad administration, will be capable of absorbing, for the international community’s decade, the readiness of friends to help Albania in the interests of the country’s future. Only the commitment of foreigners will prove successful. Yet this concern and willingness have been left orphaned in the face of a sluggish government and administration, drowned in crime and participating in all the phenomena that the government and others have brought into the country. Meanwhile, around 30 delegations had come to guide, at least to some extent, the distorted governance of the left in the country; before them stood once again the same distorted government as in Rome, as ugly as in Brussels, as distorted as in Tirana on 22 August, on 12 September, and on every day from last year up to now. This is no longer a matter of individuals or teams incapable of governing the country. This is a mafia-political structure, wholly imposed on Albania, whose deception is adept at governing crime, organizing, encouraging and feeding it, and which has no inclination or interest in following the advice of friends or receiving investments and complex donations. In the face of EU donations, the Albanian government has set smuggling revenues; in the face of aid or social programs from friendly countries, government officials have set betrayal of work and of the direct investments that could come from investors. Thus the country’s future is cut off by the arrangements the rulers have made around revenues from drug activity and trafficking, as well as dozens of other forms of organized crime. At yesterday’s press conferences, the highest representatives of the relevant important organizations, participating in the country and in the organizations, said that it was essential to take part in this conference in order to express the necessary role of cooperation between the government and the opposition. Shusel, Mallow, Gereni and others, with some committed remarks on the advanced precedent, reiterated the role of the Albanian opposition. Hajdari, by Majko and his government, who have been affected by Hajdari, was reiterated throughout yesterday’s conference; the left-wing government was told repeatedly that the Tirana conference yesterday and its conclusions confirmed the Albanian opposition and the role of the opposition, as represented by opposition representatives. Albanians, naturally, yesterday showed that their closest ties should be with their brothers. This is because 13 foreign delegations took part in the conference. This makes the government’s daily presence amount to saying that it has fulfilled only its own daily routine of governing. Albania’s friends have seen crime, fear, insecurity, poverty and violence. Their hopes and dreams, and the relevant organizations that repeat every hope and belief, are being placed before the left-wing government, ahead of every hope and belief that has come.

Candles lit in memory of Azem

The boats of death off the coast are owned by government officials Three speedboats carrying around 100 clandestine migrants, which set off from the coast of Vlorë, managed to evade the Italian guards and reached Italy, while two other speedboats were spotted by the Italian police in the Strait of Otranto and turned back. ON PAGE 4

Three speedboats carrying around 100 undocumented migrants who had set off from the coast of Vlora managed to evade the Italian patrols and reach Italy, while two other speedboats were spotted by Italian police in the Strait of Otranto and turned back. ON PAGE 4 Three speedboats carrying around 100 undocumented migrants who had set off from the coast of Vlora managed to evade the Italian patrols and reach Italy, while two other speedboats were spotted by ON PAGE 4 Prefecture of Berat: Gangs “dismiss” cashiers Municipalities: Send us the salaries with police officers...

The DP’s organizational secretary speaks about the European right’s fact-finding mission in Tirana ON PAGE 2

UNDP — The Human Development Index is lower than that of countries such as Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Mongolia 28 million dollars had been given to Albania by 1997, while the 1998 figures put foreign investment at 0 ON PAGE 5

The managers of the newspaper “55” must report periodically to the prosecution ON PAGE 2

Today, 49 days since 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 the entire Albanian world. The government of the former communists, which has allowed the criminals who took the life of the December Leader to remain free and unpunished, is showing Albanians that it has been and remains on the side of the killers, whose identities are known but who are untouched by those in power. Democrats and all Albanians who loved and honored Azem Hajdari cannot tolerate this under any circumstances. The government must either capture the criminals and bring them to justice, or publicly declare that it itself committed the murder of Azem Hajdari. We cannot tolerate this under any circumstances, [honored] Azem Hajdari. murder of Azem Hajdari. The honored Azem Hajdari

Celebration at the Ministry of Defense The return of the asylum-seeking minister, Luan Hajdaraga, was celebrated yesterday with an exercise by army units. More than Hajdaraga’s return, the celebration had to do with the promise the minister made to his military personnel and soldiers to send all the refugees to America. Hajdaraga said that, in the Majko government’s plans, sending refugees, ministers, military personnel, etc. abroad remains a priority. He told them that the first time he went himself; next time other ministers would go, and so on, right up to the last member of government—all for the good of Albania.

Nano mobilizes the police and SHIK for the referendum Petro Koçi’s criminal police have been ordered to take control of the referendum campaign. Two to four police officers will be assigned to accompany each Socialist MP with a Kalashnikov, to carry out the “assigned role” under the secret, highly confidential order of Interior Minister Petro Koçi. Koçi’s order arrived yesterday at every police directorate, which, in addition to being on standby for any other order, was instructed to take measures to position the police in the referendum process, seeking security for the parliamentary process. This internal order, despite being highly secret, could not remain locked away in police directors’ safes, nor be concealed from their conscience and political morality. It could not survive—not only from the moment it was communicated, but also because of the police’s role in maintaining order, which some specialist police officers had encountered in the course of their work. By treating the referendum process as a problem for those in power, the deployment of police structures and left-wing MPs carrying Kalashnikovs makes it abundantly clear who...

Nano mobilizes the police and SHIK for the referendum circular sent to the police, PS offices and SHIK Nano’s constitution has already failed before being put to a popular vote. On the other hand, a PS circular bearing Nano’s signature has compelled the most militant PS structures to do everything possible to fill the referendum ballot boxes with “yes” votes for the passport of the failed party leader. The circular says that the DP will sabotage the referendum and the constitution, so Socialists must keep their eyes open and “make the referendum happen”; that is the PS’s watchword. “Nano’s circular says that every district committee must mobilize the movement as if in an election situation. Behind every propaganda activity, the resolution says, will be all the necessary structures. This also means that SHIK will have special missions. So, to impose Nano’s passport on Albanians, the police and SHIK will stand alongside the referendum’s political agents. As a result, in recent days SHIK and the police have undertaken special missions in the villages. Vatnik TERZAU

ON PAGE 2 Photo: Albes FUSHA Women of Tirana, yesterday, protesting along “Skënderbej” Square