Poverty, violence, lack of governance, smuggling, corruption, crime, trafficking in weapons, drugs and illegal migrants, but also a little dialogue at the end and, in any case, plenty of humor

The most spiritually empty year and the one most unworthy of people’s attention in the country and of the economy, since it takes itself in hand without being able to lift its head ON PAGE 5

By Bardhyl LONDO Taking on the task of making a summary of the year just past is always difficult Taking on the task of making a summary of the year just past and singling out events, phenomena, developments and processes of weight in it is always difficult for many reasons. First, in the assessment of various events and phenomena there is always room for subjectivity. Second, summarizing an entire year of events and processes is, of course, an attempt to see the present through yesterday’s eyes. However, if one approaches 1998 not as a cold analyst, but with the interest of the ordinary citizen, one can say without fear that the socialist governance of Albania during the past year produced violence, misery, corruption, trafficking in weapons and drugs, human casualties amounting to around 250 killed and missing officers and soldiers, more than 1,000 murders (innocent citizens and ordinary criminals alike), hundreds of thousands of unemployed, empty political rhetoric, an all-round deterioration in living conditions and a great incapacity of the state to deal with the situation. Never during these years has Albania been more economically ruined and less governable than in 1998. If there is a distinguishing feature of this year, it is precisely the complete bankruptcy of the socialist state in all fields and the inability of the government to impose the law and the authority of the state. The peak of this incapacity, also driven by the thirst for power of the mafia clan in government, was reached during the month of September with the coup d’état and the communist rebellion that the Albanian people suffered. For 11 straight months the entire government propaganda machine and the media controlled by it tried to impose on public opinion the idea that the Albanian opposition was the force of the past, of violence, chaos, destabilization and anti-Europeanism. This entire arsenal of accusations and slanders, which at the beginning of the year started with the funeral of the historic leader of the Albanians of Kosovo, Adem Demaçi [?], later with the political exploitation of the tragedy of the Jashari family, with the protests over replacing empty promises with real aid to Kosovo, with moral and political support for the peaceful movement and for the right of the Albanians of Kosovo to freedom, and up to the uprising of the people of Tirana after the murder of Azem Hajdari, was nothing but an attempt to hide the government’s failure and to blame the opposition for the deepening crisis. Nevertheless, by the end of the year even the most determined opponents of the opposition were forced to admit that it remained the only political force that managed to articulate the popular revolt, mobilize different strata of society and defend democratic ideals. It knew how to stand up to repression, withstand slanders and provocations, and preserve broad popular support. In this sense, 1998 was undoubtedly the year of the opposition. Not because it took power, but because it gave Albanian society a new hope for change, a voice against arbitrariness and a western orientation at a time when the country risked sinking into complete chaos. ON PAGE 4

12 months of terror by government gangs against opponents ON PAGE 2

Today, 112 days since the murder of the leader of the student movement ON PAGE 4

After a deception by the Minister of Public Order, for the release of the hostage, Petrit Cakiri ON PAGE 4

PD Political Diary ON PAGE 3

The editorial staff of the newspaper “RD” sends greetings to all its readers In today’s issue you will find 6 special pages with humor and cartoons Prepared by: Filip CAKULI

Albania, “Albania Interlines”, sends greetings to the Albanian people, Diaspora and return... May fate watch over you[?] Happy 1999

HUMOR Photomontage illustration ON PAGE 2