At least 5 people killed and dozens of citizens injured in the first hours of the new year 1998, crime on the rampage: 365 days, nearly 6,000 criminal offenses, or 500 criminal offenses per month [the article text is not visible in this part of the page]

Eight years ago, the Albanian press witnessed its greatest achievement. After around fifty years of a closed and controlled press, the first issue of the newspaper “Rilindja Demokratike” came out, the first opposition newspaper in the country. Its first issue was a new breath for the entire Albanian press that would emerge afterward, and it carried the message of free speech to all Albanians. “Rilindja Demokratike” was established as the newspaper of the Democratic Party, the party that opened the way to pluralism in the country. From its very first day, it faced the propaganda of the communist press, the State Security Service and all its instruments, which sought to destroy the newspaper, shut it down, or sabotage its contact with the people. The nature of none of these forms and instruments ... managed to stop “RD”’s drive to make Albanians aware of what the communist regime had done in the country. It became a platform for free thought and opposition thought, and a screen on which people could read about their half-century of suffering, while also seeing hope for the future. By taking on the responsibility of continuing the work begun with the first issue of “RD”, the Democratic Party and its leadership rendered a great service to Albanians’ freedom of thought and speech, opened the way for the exchange of opinions and ideas, and made it possible to inform people from new perspectives. This created opportunities to raise the standard of information, opening the way for another kind of competition—that of the media. Today, after this period, Albanians have around three daily newspapers, with different editorial positions, different analytical perspectives and approaches to information, several private television stations, and a much larger number of radio stations. It is significant that many of the journalists who worked at “RD” continue their work in such media, while some journalists have grown tired and left for other work outside journalism, and others have built careers in the administration this year. Today is the day to remember everyone who contributed to or helped establish “RD”, as well as those who were among the first to be employed at these newspapers. In those days, they did important work at an important time. Naturally, many of them would later no longer find their political orientations and the alternatives they belonged to reflected in its pages, and joined other currents in the now more open and much broader media. One thing is important about those days: the desire for an independent press, one that opposed injustice, the State Security Service, and the other institutions of state oppression and censorship. But after eight years, “RD” and its journalists feel they are facing an almost as harsh a state as before; this time, however, the violence is even more camouflaged and even more brutal. Its people must now face the armed elements in the streets, government thugs, smugglers and corrupt individuals, criminals and thieves, and others who want “RD” not to oppose them with the same professionalism in its pages. Today, they do not frighten the people of the press, who, as can be seen, are not fighting for the establishment of press freedom, but for the defense of press freedom—pursued and threatened, accompanied by manipulators, smugglers, corrupt state officials, and anti-Albanian elements.

Ramiz Alia’s chosen man recounts everything he lost from the Berisha–Majko meeting Turning the Albanian presidency into a central headquarters for NGOs seems to be the best thing the former president of the Kozara Kati association will be able to do ON PAGE 3

Lino stressed that she considers clarifying the Hajdari case to be very important Mariza Lino wishes Berisha a Happy New Year at the U.S. Embassy: Once again, congratulations on the meeting with Majko ON PAGE 3

The foreign minister, just like Nano on Kosovo “Mr. Majko, dismiss Milo, because his positions on Kosovo differ from those of the government, the prime minister, and parliament,” says a letter from the political-patriotic association “Kosova” and the party for the Protection of National Rights. The request by these two organizations, addressed to Prime Minister Majko, that Paskal Milo be dismissed from his post as Foreign Minister, comes at a time when the prime minister has adopted a different, more realistic position on Kosovo and more... ON PAGE 2

Turkey welcomes the Majko-Berisha meeting ON PAGE 3

“The road to development and progress runs through dialogue and democratic procedures” ON PAGE 3

The right declares its political objectives for ’99 Three figures from the right consider it inevitable that a new political solution be found. Among their objectives for the year that has just begun are finding the killers of Heromeracia, Azem Hajdari, as well as Albania’s influence in resolving the national question. For the right, the dialogue begun between the government and the opposition must now be made concrete by the government, so that it does not turn into an artificial meeting. A new government with the consensus of the right, followed by leading the country toward new parliamentary elections, are the objectives the right presents as a solution for taking the country out of the deep crisis into which it has sunk.... ON PAGE 3

The extraordinary conference of the Gjirokastra PD was held At the end of last year, following the actions and elections in the PD branches, the branch conference was held to elect its leadership structures. The branch’s new leadership structures were elected after the former chairman of this branch had been in the USA for some time. The branch conference, which was held at the end of the year, was also attended by the PD’s Secretary for Public Relations, Vili Minarolli.... ON PAGE 2

ON PAGE 5 On Sunday they will announce their objectives ... The extraordinary conference was held ... The price marathon continued until the final minutes of ’98

Durrës cigarette factory on the verge of bankruptcy Whereas one thousand tons were sold annually in 1996, now only 400 tons are sold, and the state suffers losses of 319 million lek a year from taxes and social insurance contributions. ON PAGE 5

Today, 119 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 involvement of Fatos Nano’s government and his successor in the crime that shook the entire Albanian world. The governments of the former communists, which leave free and undisturbed the criminals who took the life of the December Leader, show Albanians that they have been and are on the side of the murderers, who have names of their own but are untouched by those in power. Democrats and all Albanians who loved and honored Azem Hajdari cannot tolerate those responsible for these facts. The government must either capture the criminals and bring them to justice, or publicly declare that it itself carried out the murder of Azem Hajdari. ...with a measure of one...

A bloody start to the year in the coastal city ON PAGE 4

Shkodër, the year begins with a protest ON PAGE 5

“Post their removal for another year” ON PAGE 5