12 December, eight years since the founding of the Democratic Party On 12.12.1998, at 12:00, a grand rally will be held in “Skënderbej” Square to commemorate the anniversary of the founding of the Democratic Party on 12 December 1990 and to protest against the government, which continues to conceal the killers of Azem Hajdari, hero of democracy and tribune of Albanian nationalism. On 12 December 1998, three months will have passed since the day the ruling clique killed the hero of December ’90, the hero of Albanian pluralism, Azem Hajdari. No one has made any effort to find his killers; on the contrary, the government in power has intensified its acts of violence against the Democratic Party, with killings, imprisonment, mistreatment, threats and assaults against Democrats. Everyone in the square to defend pluralism, everyone in the square to restore democracy to Albania, everyone in the square against the government that protects Azem’s killers, against the government of misery. Brothers and sisters, on 12.12.1998, at 12:00, all together in “Skënderbej” Square.

their demands, they choose the supreme sacrifice. Students on hunger strike 120 students occupy the cinema hall in the “Studenti” City. Alongside the students from Tirana are those from the Universities of Shkodër and Korçë. Prime Minister Majko calls for the students’ sacrifice. The students’ protest reaches its peak. After the government rejects their demands, they choose the supreme sacrifice.

. Eight years after the Student Movement against communism, the students are back again. Yesterday, after boycotting classes for more than a week and having their demands ignored by the government, after the Prime Minister’s disregard—he says he is a December student—they decided to go on hunger strike. The courageous act the students have chosen to fulfill their demands is enough for any government to see how low it has fallen through its policies and misrule. The students of December this year, at a time when they had won the right to continue their higher education, never imagined that one day they would unwillingly become the protagonists of a movement to raise awareness, even to the point of self-sacrifice, for their basic demands. The students who occupied the Student City last night and began a hunger strike, precisely in the place where eight years ago their peers held the first hunger strike for the removal of the symbols of the dictatorship and the dictator, are asking only for better conditions for studying and living—not conditions like those of their peers in Europe, but simply not to be treated as slaves and as playthings for Nano, Majko, or policemen of every kind, as the regime of Hoxha and Alia did eight years ago. The students are neither smugglers nor politicians, neither politicized nor thieves; above all, the students who occupied the building last night, together with thousands of others who showed solidarity with them, do not have so much free time that they can devote it to strikes and protests. But in fact the government forced them to occupy the building; Prime Minister Majko forced them to choose the act of self-sacrifice! For more than a week, the government has not only failed to address their demands, but its own people have also ignored and denigrated the students. The students of Tirana, Shkodër, Elbasan and other university centers have been called “hooligans”; they have been [unclear: “vënë nga njerëzit dhe strukturat e qeverisë”], and the government’s propaganda has constantly denigrated them ever since the day they presented their demands. The students, moreover, have been [unclear: “rralluar”] by the Majko government in Shkodër, Elbasan, Tirana and elsewhere. Majko’s police have robbed the students, and they have been imprisoned by [unclear: “burraçe të komisarit”] because they are asking for better living, study and teaching conditions. The government has not only ignored the students’ demands and failed to resolve them; on the contrary, Majko’s government, which was [unclear: “së Shteti i diktatorit”], yesterday confined the peers of its own [unclear: “his”] eight years later, to drive them toward [unclear: “fujtimit”]. Majko and his government’s morality, now that the students have occupied the building, is on a par with that of Adil Çarçan’s government; indeed, it is even lower, because Majko says he is a democrat. Majko’s government is now identified with Alia’s government. As eight years ago, students have been [unclear: “rralluar”], imprisoned and mistreated by the government and its secret police. As [unclear: “të vetë më parë”], it has disregarded all the students’ demands. It has not only failed to take them into account or meet any of their basic demands; on the contrary, it has [unclear: “rralluar”] the students and forced them to go on hunger strike. The government has chosen Alia’s way of communicating with the students. Majko’s choice is his own. But under all circumstances, he has chosen defeat. The students began to win the moment they decided to make this sacrifice. SH. PEPOSHI

Students occupying the cinema hall in the “Studenti” City.

The situation in Tropojë is catastrophic. The district council sounds the alarm, addressing the country’s highest officials: Councillors: In the district

Councillors: In our district, the state has not been functioning properly for a long time, and the situation has continued to deteriorate ON PAGE 2

Statement by PD chairman Sali Berisha on the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ON PAGE 3

Dozens of police officers surrounded the cinema-theatre building late yesterday, where the striking students have barricaded themselves. Police forces blocked vehicles from entering the Student City, while passers-by and students were under the close watch of the police themselves, as well as dozens of unmarked cars belonging to SHIK. Last night, the Student City also experienced a power outage. For several minutes. ON PAGE 3

The Rector of the University of Tirana has issued a statement saying that even the last lecturer in a faculty to start classes must record absences for students who do not attend classes and are strike activists. This has been considered undemocratic and immoral by members of the Union, who have been offended by the indifference and intolerance of the head of the University. “Our strike is legitimate, its demands are entirely reasonable, and it deserves to be respected and valued ...” ON PAGE 3

Yesterday, Prime Minister Majko once again sought the police’s help to violently suppress popular protests against the neo-dictatorial regime being installed in Albania. While the striking students were waiting to hold a dialogue with the head of government about their strike demands, Majko appeared on state TV alongside the senior police chief, promising to further strengthen the police forces, which to date have been deployed against the opposition, but not against crime. While the students were waiting for the prime minister to arrive... ON PAGE 3

Today, 89 days since the murder of the December Leader Each passing day since the murder of Azem Hajdari, the symbol of democracy and pluralism, provides evidence of the involvement of Fatos Nano’s government and his associates in the crime that shook the entire Albanian world. The government’s betrayal and its lenient, inaccessible stance toward the criminals who deny the December movement justice show Albanians that it has been and remains on the side of the killers, whose names are known, but whom those in power do not touch. Democrats and all Albanians who loved and honored Azem Hajdari can never tolerate this case of criminal justice, which speaks for itself. The government must either capture the killers and deliver justice, or publicly admit that it itself carried out the murder of Azem Hajdari.

Universities swept up in a strike over poverty and lack of working conditions ON PAGE 5

Workers’ ultimatum: either one of the solutions we are demanding, or the blocking of the factory’s sale by any means ON PAGE 5

By Bardhyl LONDO December 8, a day marked as National Youth Day, found Albanians divided between two celebrations: the Democrats and their allies at two events: Skënderbej Square and the inauguration of the memorial dedicated to... ON PAGE 2

Yesterday, in the hall where the students’ hunger strike is taking place Photo: Alves Fusha Yesterday, in the hall where the students’ hunger strike is taking place. Photo: Alves Fusha