Government officials’ salaries soar, while the lek sinks ever lower The deputy prime minister receives as much as 103 pensioners combined; a minister is paid as much as 78 elderly people, while a deputy minister earns as much as 74 of them ON PAGE 5 The left-wing coalition government is plunging the country deeper into a severe economic crisis every day, yet, ironically, the impoverishment of Albanians contrasts with the luxury enjoyed by government officials. While the lek falls lower every day and prices become unaffordable, the state’s senior officials have doubled their salaries. The President, the Prime Minister, and Nano’s brigade of ministers, deputy ministers, advisers, and directors of “inclusiveness” have for some time been receiving modern-day salaries, in some cases more than 100 times higher than those of their country’s pensioners. Other officials are following suit, such as the Governor of the Bank of Albania and the directors of other banks, who do not want to lag behind the government in their greed to be highly paid. The fact that the Prime Minister is doubling his salary at the height of the crisis, making it equivalent to that of 120 pensioners, needs no comment. Albanians are running out of words to describe the government of poverty and deception.

Banking system executives follow the government step by step The Governor of the Bank of Albania and the directors of the country’s other banks will be paid twice as much, following the government of Fatos Nano step by step. of the country’s other banks will be paid twice as much, following the government of Fatos Nano step by step. A decision has been made to raise the Governor of the Bank of Albania’s salary to 800,000 lekë, from the 400,000 he was receiving until yesterday. The same drastic increase scheme has also been applied to bank directors, amid growing doubts about whether citizens’ deposits are guaranteed. This decision is another example of the insatiable zeal of senior officials in the governing coalition, who are doubling and tripling their salaries while pensioners and other segments of the population live below the poverty line. According to official figures also published by the Consumers’ Association, 900,000 Albanians live below the minimum poverty line, although the actual figure is believed to be higher.

Seven years ago, the State Security and the communist political police opened fire on the leaders, members, and supporters of the Democratic Party in Shkodër, killing four people and wounding around 60. The communist hand killed one of the Democratic Party’s leading figures, Arben Broci, as well as the well-known Shkodër democrats Bujar Beshanaku, Nazmi Kreziu, and Besnik Ceka. Unfortunately, seven years later, the very same people have come to power in Albania. The Prime Minister of April 2, 1991, is also the Prime Minister of April 2, 1998; the Interior Minister of April 2, 1991, is the Socialist Party’s Coordination Secretary, waiting to become Interior Minister very soon. Likewise, the people who were there seven years ago, when the Shkodër massacre took place, have been called back into the structures of the police and the secret service. The masterminds and organizers have not changed. They have returned to where they were before, once again alongside the Prime Minister of that period. The bullets fired at Shkodër protesters on April 2, ’91 were a prelude and warning of the Leninist revolution that took place in the 1997 parliament. Those bullets that struck four democrats in the uprising showed that the communists, nothing… [?] would not accept losing power and were ready to overthrow everything, even by force of arms. Their weapons did not grow cold after that day. They came onto the scene precisely when Albania had recovered and was moving forward on its own path toward Western democracy, when it had almost integrated into all the infrastructure of developed countries. For the communists, this would have been entirely unacceptable. They took up arms and turned them specifically against democratic people. They burned, destroyed, and brutalized all of Albania in an unprecedented wave of destruction, which, sadly, continues even today. [the state of smuggling, crime, violence, and worse] After the gruesome killings of representatives of the democratic state, the communists and State Security agents encouraged an increase in the movements of all Albanians. At various times, through beatings, attempts were made on the lives of democratic leaders during the previous spring. Two days after they came to power in June ’97, just as in April ’91 in Shkodër, a Democratic Party member, Agim Gjonpalaj, was killed in Tirana as he took part in a peaceful protest against vote-rigging. Likewise, in the middle of Parliament in the autumn of last year, a Socialist Party MP attempted to take the life of the leader of the Dhejtorit, Azem Hajdari. The Socialist Party and the criminalized state have set in motion and activated hit squads to physically eliminate the opposition, opposition journalists, Democratic Party activists, and local government leaders. Over the course of dozens of months, they have experienced this several times under this government. But the former dictatorship did not forget to exact revenge on Shkodër either. Two months ago, by putting provocateurs at the head of the city police, it organized and carried out the scenario of the burning of Ujës [?]. This was done to subdue the democratic spirit in Shkodër, to abuse its democrats, and to bring Shkodër’s civilization down to the level of the security service’s bellies; it would justify one of the most unprecedented acts of police violence against innocent citizens. More than 30 people were arrested, while dozens of homes were raided by special units sent by the State Security. Now, seven years later, Shkodër and all of Albania clearly understand who today’s rulers are—the same people who were there on the bloody day of April 2, ’91. Their removal as soon as possible is a duty for citizens and a necessity for the country.

On page 3 Berisha opposes Papulias. Atavistic positions appear from time to time within the EU

The former minister of April 2, currently a secretary in the Socialist Party, is seeking Ceka’s post. Gjergj Zefi is also seeking a ministerial seat ON PAGE 3 The former minister of April 2, currently a secretary in the Socialist Party, is seeking Ceka’s post. Gjergj Zefi is also seeking a ministerial seat. ON PAGE 3

The television director creates the best comedy piece of recent years Let us hope that the television director, Mazi, will say that this is a slip-up and that he has not gone so far as to take such an action ON PAGE 3

The parliamentary majority decides to extend the mandate for a Greek military company to remain ON PAGE 3 The parliamentary majority decides to extend the mandate for a Greek military company to remain Greek soldiers deployed in Tirana ON PAGE 3

The government’s game with the budget for political parties ON PAGE 3 The government’s game with the budget for political parties The Ministry of Finance backs phantom parties ON PAGE 3

The Democratic Party denounces the socialist government's wage policy

The Independent Student Union calls on students ON PAGE 5

The criminal clique sets up barricades for the December Movement’s leader “I will be in Shkodër today to lay flowers on the graves of the four Martyrs of Democracy” The criminal state is preventing the leader of the December Movement, Azem Hajdari, from taking part in the ceremonies that the Democratic Party will organize in Shkodër in honor of the victims of April 2, murdered seven years ago by the same clique that is now in power. The communist Gestapo also compelled Hajdari not to miss the questioning session with the prosecutor, in accordance with a decision made last week by judges placed under the government’s control. Thus, they are determined to prevent Hajdari from paying tribute at the graves of Nano [?], where the democratic movement began seven years ago, when the people’s vote forced it to leave its seats along with the communist system. Deputy Hajdari said that he would comply with the Gestapo’s decision so as not to give the state a pretext to create incidents. Nevertheless, he added, this police act will not stop me from being present at some of the ceremonies scheduled to take place today in the city of Shkodër. “I will be in Shkodër today,” Hajdari said, of Democracy.”

Refugees expelled from Greece reach 12,000 ON PAGE 5

Creditors protest against Arapi and Deloitte & Touche ON PAGE 5

Gangs regain control of national roads ON PAGE 4