Parliament Speaker Gjinushi continues to forge economic-crime connections within the Ministry ON PAGE 5

Police and prosecution ignore the threats ON PAGE 4

Masked police officers rob travelers from Tropojë ON PAGE 2

Protest at the university against the “generals” of the constitution: Down with the criminals. Azemi is alive The Speaker of Parliament orders the use of violence against the protesters ON PAGE 3 Playing games with Shkodër is playing with fire

By Astrit PATOZI Albania has been abandoned by most of its senior officials, who are accompanying the prime minister and president on strange tours abroad. Prime Minister Majko has taken most of the government with him to Greece, on a surprise visit that was made public only one day before the high-level official delegation’s departure. The foreign minister, the minister of defense, the minister of public order, the minister of finance, the minister of culture, and the minister of information have left Tirana and boarded the plane with Majko, as if they were not senior officials in a ruined and poor country, but businessmen set on making a profit, going together to spend their holidays. Such an exodus of ministers, which would have been a major cause for concern even in the calmest days Albania has experienced since the post-communist era, leaves a very bitter taste at a time when we are once again choking on the smell and smoke of TNT and the gunpowder of weapons discharged from the most remote village in the country to within a few steps of Prime Minister Majko’s office. The ministers’ departure for Greece is taking place at a time when President Medani is also away from Tirana, at the head of another delegation in Scotland. The president, prime minister, and ministers have left their seats empty while Tirana is shaken every day by explosions, Shkodër is fighting tooth and nail to escape the serious provocations by SHIK, which is determined at all costs to set it ablaze before the referendum, and the police are carrying out criminal operations, as we have seen at their very best. While Majko and Petro Koçi are abroad, the journeys of death through Oranë have begun at full capacity, with only a small change to their route: the destination is no longer some place in Vlorë, but a place and a road under the control of the police and the government officials in Tirana. Hajdaria, returned from a morgue to renew his Green Card in the United States, has little time to see what happened in the city, especially during the summer, when hardly anyone has been left who has not been subjected to another barbaric provocation. And let us not even mention that our government officials, with the prime minister at their head, have also left their own constitution alone—the one they themselves called a passport for their actions—and, as things stand, it seems to be turning out false on every count. The grave testimonies of Gjinushi, Dokle, Imani, and others in Tirana have completely derailed the hostages and the other parties’ ministers who have all set off for Athens. There is no Albanian who can justify this massive influx of ministers on Prime Minister Majko’s official visit with the Greek prime minister. Quite apart from the fact that relations with our southern neighbors are of no great significance for Albania, the timing for Hajdaraga, Angjeli, Rama, and, finally, Ulqin, in the delegation accompanying Majko, is more than exaggerated. First, this is not something that has been prepared years or even a long time in advance; or else the government itself gave no prior notice of such a visit. Since this is not the case, the ministers’ rush to board the plane with their prime minister looks like a desire beyond their modest duties to take advantage of an opportunity for a little sightseeing abroad, thinking only of their travel allowances. On the other hand, Majko’s bloated delegation, which held talks with Athens yesterday, contrasts sharply with the modest Albanian delegations accompanying the Albanian prime minister to France and Italy. Just two days after returning from Rome, where he met D’Alema, Pandeli Majko sets off for Athens, taking the whole government with him. Add to this the surprise nature of the visit, and it is easy to conclude that Majko’s visit to Greece is a clear political gesture, calculated and conspicuous, aimed at undermining the other opposition parties: the government’s course toward Europe via Athens remains unchanged. The Albanian prime minister thus once again puts his earlier statement to the test: “There is no president; we are in charge, and the government will be the one to decide,” as if the president’s position were irrelevant. This is a fragile and wretched foreign policy, especially toward our neighbors, which has been one of the weakest points; it seems that Nano has caused the government’s own upheavals, while the policy is becoming increasingly harmful and is driving it into opposition. Albanian government officials have abandoned their offices and may even have astonished the Greeks themselves. There is not a single Albanian in Athens, and all the more so at a time when these thoughtless decisions are being made precisely because of the government itself. This scandalous visit is clear proof of their irresponsibility.

Yesterday, in Skënderbej Square

EUCD Congress in Spain. European right-wingers stand with the DP At this EUCD summit, the Democratic Party delegation will inform its sister European parties about the difficult situation of the opposition in Albania, about the exclusion, violence, killings, and terror inflicted on it by the government . A DP delegation headed by Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha left yesterday for Madrid to participate in the proceedings of the Governing Council of the European Democratic Union. At this summit, the Democratic Party delegation will inform its sister European parties about the difficult situation of the opposition in Albania, Berisha said. He stressed how important it was that the DP delegation would have the opportunity to inform the summit about the exclusion of the Albanian opposition from parliament and the constitutional process, as well as the killings, violence, and terror being inflicted on it by the government. The leader of the Albanian opposition also said that the DP delegation would hold important meetings with the heads of the European delegations participating in the summit. As is known, the DP is a full member of the EDU (European Democratic Union) as well as the EUCD (European Union of Christian Democrats). Albanian Democrats have consistently received full support and backing from these two high-level European forums. One expression of this good cooperation and support is the presence in Albania over the past two days of a high-level EDU delegation in Tirana. M.B.

Bode, Topalli, and Beja in Vlorë. The DP has a draft constitution that it will present as the first chapter of its electoral program More than 10,000 citizens currently present in Vlorë are left off the lists. At the meeting, Vlorë citizens said they would never again accept the constitution of the minority and that on November 22 most of them would ignore it ON PAGE 2

At the place where the Hero of Democracy was killed, now a monument This memorial, being built with contributions from citizens in many cities across the country, will be completed on December 8, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the beginning of the student movement ON PAGE 2

Berisha condemns the terrorist act against the president of the Constitutional Court EDU calls on the Albanian government Find Hajdari’s killers ON PAGE 3

EDU: We understand the DP’s abstention

Today, 61 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 complicity of Fatos Nano’s government and his successor in the crime that took place. One thing is clear in the 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 in the service of the same people as the killers, who have names and surnames but are untouched by those in power. The Democrats and all Albanians who loved and honored Azem Hajdari

Local government under pressure and violence from the coalition government ON PAGE 7

Today, November 12, ’98, the “Hajdari Case” commission held a special meeting with the students and presented its platform and members to them. The commission announced that the petition had reached 6,200 signatories so far, while a petition signed by students from universities in other districts of the country is also being gathered. The commission, supported by the students, decided to request a meeting in order to EDU: We understand the DP’s abstention The rules were changed at the last minute The commission stressed that such meetings would help further clarify the issue and Local government under pressure and violence from the coalition government Hajdari petition, thousands of signatories. Students seek a meeting with the President ON PAGE 3

City Council decides unanimously The Fushë-Arrëz City Council decided yesterday to name the December Leader, Azem Hajdari, an honorary citizen. He was killed two months ago by the criminal clique in power. The members of the City Council of the remote northern town voted unanimously to honor the symbol of Albanian pluralism and democracy, Azem Hajdari. Yesterday’s decision by the Fushë-Arrëz municipality follows a series of similar decisions by a number of municipalities across Albania, which have thus expressed their sorrow at the loss of the hero and their respect for his immortal name.

“December ’90 Group” in the fourth week of its protest The “December ’90 Group” informs all print and electronic media that today at 11:00, in front of “Nënë Tereza” Square, the group’s weekly procession will continue, demanding that the government capture the organizers and killers of MP Azem Hajdari and restore his parliamentary immunity. The procession will be held with a flag and unprecedented support. The “December ’90 Group” will also present the April 4 declaration. At the end of the procession, a press conference will be held, as usual, at the place where the December Leader was killed. Journalists are invited to cover this event.

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