The Majko government is being abandoned by its militants, too ON PAGE 4

The League Against Dictatorship invites Tirana to protest The League Against Dictatorship invites all citizens of Tirana to a powerful protest on Thursday, November 5, 1998, at 4:30 p.m. in “Skënderbej” Square. This protest rally is being held against the government that protects the organizers and perpetrators of the murder of Azem Hajdari; it calls for the release of political prisoners; and it is against the informational terror against the opposition, corruption, smuggling, the failure to establish law and order and security, rising prices, and increasing poverty. Everyone to “Skënderbej” Square on Thursday, November 5, 1998, at 4:30 p.m.

There is nothing surprising about the robbery of the Tropoja Bank. The 600 million were sent expressly from Tirana for the gang of robbers The large sum of money is equivalent to six months’ salaries for all public-sector employees in this district. There is no justification for such a shipment to an area where the police do nothing except collaborate with the thieves ON PAGE 2

The opposition assesses the Tirana International Conference and its final conclusions Yesterday, the Democratic Party highly praised the Tirana International Conference and expressed its gratitude to all the participating countries and delegations. The chairman of the DP, Sali Berisha, Deputy Chairman Genc Pollo, Secretary for International Relations Leonard Demi, and Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jozefina Topalli, at a press conference at midday, presented the opposition’s assessment of the conference, its proceedings, and its final conclusions. Democratic Party Chairman Sali Berisha described the Conference’s conclusions as very important. “The Conference gave Berisha, demonstrated the sincere and friendly sentiments of the participating countries to help Albania and the Albanians.” Expressing the opposition’s gratitude and respect for the commitment... ON PAGE 3

By Bardhyl LONDO During its year and a half in office, the government, although it has changed its suit three times, has not managed to change any of its propaganda slogans. The predecessor of the current prime minister, after the Rome Conference, the Hong Kong Conference, etc., etc., promised Albanians at least 600 million dollars in aid—aid that, as is known, met the same fate as the former prime minister’s other promises: a 100 percent return of the money and the creation of 200,000 new jobs. Albanians now have no difficulty understanding the morality of their rulers and the promises they make. Forgetting these promises, at the end of the Tirana Conference the Albanian foreign minister once again declared the meeting a “complete success.” And indeed, there is no Albanian who would not approve of this con... not approve of this conclusion, though not in the way the current foreign minister understands it, or at least not in the way he propagandizes it. But what was the “success” of this conference? First of all, the conference confirmed the government’s failure: if the previous meeting of Albania’s friends imposed seven conditions on the current government for it to qualify for 600 million dollars in aid, the Tirana meeting doubled these conditions. This means that over the course of a year the governing team not only failed to fulfill what Albania’s friends had asked of it, but added other negative developments, the result of bad governance or of no governance at all. It is true that the international community is fully willing to help Albania, just as it is willing to help all other countries. The problem, therefore, does not lie in the readiness of the countries that gathered in Tirana. The problem lies in failed governance, which prevents Albanians from benefiting from the international community’s helping hand. While the other countries of the former Communist East continue to receive substantial aid, Albanians “feed” only on their government’s propaganda. Now, especially after the Tirana Conference, the governing team must stop surviving on propaganda aid instead of real aid. Albanians have long resolved this dilemma: as long as this government remains in office, they will “feed” only on promises of aid. If things continue this way, at the next conference the international community’s conditions for Albania will once again double. The “bombshell” of the Tirana Conference was the statement by a senior State Department official about the opposition leader’s brilliant vision for Albania’s future. When the government expected something else, when official propaganda and its offshoots had concocted a kind of ghost story, the representative of the world’s most democratic country declared precisely the opposite. Now, can the current government still be excused for completely ignoring the opposition and its leader? Will this government continue to “cooperate” with a fabricated opposition and not the real opposition? Will it continue to concern itself with “reforming” the larger party and “isolating” the opposition leader, demonstrating, as it has so far, that its sole “governing skill” is to neutralize and control the opposition? The refrain of the Tirana Conference was the “Hajdari case.” Behind the diplomatic presentation and tactful words, these concerns burst forth from international diplomacy; while also taking care not to inflame tensions further, which are already extremely high, the Albanian government must understand that unless it finds the killers and clarifies the motives for the murder, it stands fully accused of political criminality—not only by the opposition but by the international community as well. The consequences of this connection: no one can provide economic assistance to a country where opposition leaders are assassinated, where the opposition is imprisoned, and where its leaders are stripped of immunity. The conditions set by the countries gathered in Tirana are nothing more nor less than those that the Albanian opposition has demanded for a year and a half. The Tirana Conference spoke the language of the opposition. The government must now either put these demands into practice, instead of merely propagandizing, or declare Albania’s friends destructive. Will the Albanian government once again manage to hold another donors’ conference? Everyone wants this, but we are all pessimistic. For the government to get that far, it would have to “break” with the entire dubious contingent that brought it to power and continues to keep it in power. But it cannot do that. First, because it does not want to. Second, because it does not dare. By all indications, the Albanian government will continue on its chosen path. In a year, at the next conference of friendly countries, the conditions for receiving aid will have tripled. To receive help, they must deserve it. failed to deserve aid, despite the goodwill and readiness of friendly countries. This waste and great disappointment on the part of the international community toward the left-wing coalition government is one of the major responsibilities for which the governing team must answer. Albanians deserve aid, but they do not deserve this kind of government.

Tirana demands the capture of Azem’s killers

Fire at the residence of President Meidani’s military adviser The conflict between the former Minister of Defense and Fatos Nano began when the latter dismissed Broka-

CEC, a tool of the Socialists for manipulating the Referendum Çela: If the errors are not corrected, we will decide to leave the Central Election Commission ON PAGE 2

6,200 students from all the country's universities warn the government Students: “If Azem's killers are not brought to justice, then our relations with the government will deteriorate, and our voice of protest will join the voice of protest of all Albanians.” ON PAGE 2

Today, 50 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 leaves free and undisturbed the criminals who took the life of the December Leader, shows Albanians that they have been and remain on the side of the killers, who have names and identities but are untouched by those in power. Democrats and all Albanians who loved and honored Azem Hajdari cannot tolerate this fact 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.

The Ministry of Public Order is filling up with informers and smugglers, as many senior career officers have abandoned their posts and others refuse to take them ON PAGE 4

September earthquake: rubble and suffering still remain for residents ON PAGE 5

A delegation from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the DP headquarters. PDSH Deputy Chairman Genc Pollo meets the Director of the Balkan Directorate DP Deputy Chairman Genc Pollo welcomed at the DP headquarters a delegation from the Spanish MFA, led by the Director of the Balkan Directorate, Miguel Angel Velino. ON PAGE 2

Yesterday, in “Skënderbej” Square Photo: Albes FUSHA Yesterday, in “Skënderbej” Square. Photo: Albes FUSHA

and Fatos Nano began when the latter dismissed Brokaj, following accusations of a sex scandal at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense. According to the police, the people who set fire to the gasoline fled “in an unknown direction.” ON PAGE 4