By Filip ÇAKULI ON PAGE 5

The rapid-intervention police in Elbasan terrorize and rob a gas station Çeka’s friends, masked robbers ON PAGE 5

Customs continues to miss its targets; November was worse than the preceding months Smuggling once again prevails over the state ON PAGE 6

Yesterday afternoon, Klosi’s plainclothes officers attempted to violently break up the strike. Hundreds of students and citizens protect those barricaded in the hunger strike. Klosi’s plan fails ON PAGE 4

The government is sacrificing our friends’ lives. Find the killers of the December Leader, Azem Hajdari ON PAGE 2

By Bardhy LONDO This scholar would tell you that he would preserve for Albanians a realm that would chill them more than the unusual temperatures of this winter: representatives of students from most Albanian universities are now barricaded in a hunger strike, right in the hall where the only ones who had previously seen Tirana’s student youth successfully carry out the famous hunger strike were those who witnessed an event that now forms part of Albanian history. Nevertheless, no one wants this strike, much less wishes for it. Those who want it least are undoubtedly the students, because they have to endure hunger, the cold of a harsh winter, and confinement in a closed hall. The strike is now a fait accompli. After an extremely difficult economic situation, the authorities’ unwillingness to engage in dialogue, and the indifference and insults of government bodies toward their demands, the students embarked on the final act available to them among democratic forms of protest. In a short period of time, this is the fourth such strike, following the strike by a group of Democratic Party MPs, the one by students who had completed accelerated law courses, and the strike by a group of former political prisoners. History has dealt Albanians unpleasant surprises with these kinds of abuses: we are the only people in Europe forced to go on hunger strikes. But what was the chronology of the strike? For more than three weeks, students in Shkodra have completely boycotted classes, demanding better living and study conditions. When the government was expected to enter into sincere dialogue with them, it met the students with indifference and stubbornness. Taking a position of strength, it even tried to intervene among the students through the police and SHIK. But it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to silence young Albanians or forcibly stop their initiative to act; they are now conscious of their rights and worthy of all the rights and freedoms they won back in the days of 1990. This is why the strike grew on a large scale: it spread to all the universities, until we reached the high point we are now witnessing—confinement in a hunger strike. It is painful to think that we are the only ones in Europe who go on hunger strikes. But, as fate would have it, instead of learning lessons so that such actions are not repeated, exactly the opposite happens: mistakes are either not corrected or are made even worse. What, then, might be some ways to resolve this aspect of this tangle in Albanian history? First of all, there must be institutions for dialogue, and dialogue must function and be carried on continuously. Unfortunately, this institution barely exists at all in Albania. As soon as a party or group of parties takes power, it immediately adopts a paternalistic stance and forgets that governing a democratic society means, first and foremost, engaging in open and equal dialogue with all citizens. If, up to now, the revocation of cases, pressure and blackmail have been curtailed so as not to take over powers for the benefit of political impartiality, then at the meeting with the students—a meeting that could have prevented the strike—the opposite of any compromise was offered: ‘revenge’ more in keeping with today’s Albanian society. Attempts to silence the students drove them to explode as people who had been abused, and in this way they became part of a history that now belongs to future generations and what lies ahead. Secondly, there should be a clear and complete answer to their demands; this is a case of the abuse of power by the highest authorities in Albania. Students’ demands in particular could never be ignored, much less made the subject of jokes and satire. Students are among the oldest and most vital forces in Albanian society, and if they ask to live with dignity for themselves and their children, this is no occasion to excuse the situation with demagoguery. (Continued on page 5)

Two thousand residents of Tirana in the “Studenti” district in support of the hunger strikers Photo: Albes FUSHA

The 8th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic Party is commemorated The chairman of the DP highly praised the idealism of those who founded the Democratic Party. “I am an authentic witness to their energy, passionate spirit and actions,” Berisha said, adding that some of them have found other paths, which I respect, but the majority have remained in the DP and, moreover, never came to claim credit for founding this party... ON PAGE 4

Here is an overview of Albanians’ demands for work and a normal life Across the country, social and economic strikes have broken out. These strikes have been brought about by the government’s stance on (not) solving the problems people face and that concern them... ON PAGE 5

An appeal by former political prisoners Albania is experiencing the darkest days of the neo-communist dictatorship established after the violent elections of 29 June 1997. We have returned to political killings... ON PAGE 4

The Prime Minister sends a letter to Berisha Prime Minister Majko yesterday congratulated Chairman Berisha on the eighth anniversary of the founding of the DP. A letter received yesterday at the DP headquarters says: “Allow me to wish you, on this first anniversary, success and joy, and a life filled with meaning, in view of the particular historical responsibilities the Democratic Party has assumed throughout its existence. I remain hopeful that in the future as well, you and your colleagues, all the members and supporters of the Democratic Party, will know how to express and bring to fruition those principles and virtues of democracy on the basis of which the Democratic Party was founded. Only this path of respect for free opinion and the free vote will pave the way for the emancipation of Albanian politics and dialogue between competing forces; it will enable our country to prosper and develop, making it equally easy to... those who harbor feelings of revanche and revenge toward anyone who thinks differently,” concludes Prime Minister Majko’s letter.

Today marks 91 days since the killing of the December Leader Each day that passes since the killing of Azem Hajdari, the symbol of democracy and pluralism, proves the involvement of Fatos Nano’s government and its successor in the crime that shook the entire Albanian world. The former prime minister’s government seeks to leave the cause of the December Leader’s murder unclear, showing Albanians that they were and remain on the side of his killers. The fact is that those responsible are not being touched by the authorities. They cannot tolerate any attack on the Albanian democracy and freedom that they cherished and dreamed of, nor on Azem Hajdari. The government must either immediately bring the criminals to justice, or publicly declare that it itself carried out the killing of Azem Hajdari.

Interview with Albanian Nobel laureate in medicine, Ferid Muradi The DP’s nationalist education would be able to bring the overwhelming majority of the Albanian people closer to their national identity Why should we be afraid of nationalism? ON PAGE 7

Support from Shkodra for the hunger strikers in Tirana All secondary and eight-year schools in Shkodra will be on strike tomorrow in support of the hunger strike by students in Tirana. It has been decided that the strike will be total and will include the teaching staff as well as all the students, who will demonstrate in support of the students. The hunger strike by 120 students in Tirana has received support throughout the country. Thousands of Tirana citizens demonstrated yesterday in the “Studenti” district in support of the young people who have decided to barricade themselves in. Petitions and messages of support also reached the newsroom yesterday from universities across the country, associations and social-aid groups. The strike is expected to spread throughout the country.

Thousands of Democrats in the square for the Democratic Party’s 8th anniversary. From Skënderbej Square, the protest moves to the Student City. Solidarity with the students

The petition arrives. “Ismail Qemali” University supports the hunger strike

ON PAGE 4