The OSCE has the law on the Hajdari case only at the government’s request ON PAGE 3

Prosecutor’s Office obscures the pyramid schemes in Italy and Switzerland ON PAGE 4

A citizen from Requin denounces crimes by the Elbasan police station ON PAGE 4

The US Secretary of State considers the restructuring of the Albanian police and justice system essential. Ollbrajt: The success of the Kosovo talks ensures Albania’s territorial integrity Ollbrajt urges Majko to continue dialogue with the opposition. The government must put an end to human rights violations and respect the independence of the judiciary ON PAGE 3

The Albanians show they will go to the Paris Conference with a united voice ON PAGE 6

Political forces in Albania share the same position on Kosovo Berisha welcomes NATO member countries’ decisions to send troops to Kosovo ON PAGE 3

By Edi PALOKA The factional struggle in the SP seems set to unfold just as we analysts had outlined. Nano will rely on the SP’s hard-line activists, while his opponents, among whom Majko now appears to belong, will also have international support. Nano himself created this division with his statement at the SP’s KD. He spoke out against dialogue between the government and the opposition, and from that moment Nano definitively lost international support—although perhaps he had factored this in, since he had lost that support some time ago. Exactly as predicted, the campaign by the two rival groups in the SP has begun. While Nano announced that he would go to Vlora and spend time with the activists, Majko is heading to the USA. This may seem like an ordinary move, but to people involved in politics it is a clear sign. In fact, although Nano has been Prime Minister for a relatively long time, he never managed to cross the ocean, whereas Majko received the invitation precisely when the factional struggle in the SP was publicly unleashed by Nano. More importantly, this is connected to the State Department’s statement after Majko’s meeting with Ollbrajt. Ollbrajt clearly identified the dialogue begun between the government and the opposition as one of the successes of current Albanian policy—the very dialogue attacked by Nano, which Nano thought he could use as a weapon against others to win points with the SP’s hard-line activists. It seems Majko will be supported in his struggle against Nano, but this does not mean that the support he is receiving extends beyond the boundaries of the SP. Majko has also been confronted with demands from the international community. If another split has taken place within the SP and there is now an open-faced struggle between Nano and Majko, that does not mean at all that the socialist government is being supported. Ollbrajt has made it clear to Majko that he must respect human rights and the rule of law, at a time when it is clear that the opposition’s rights are being violated by those in power, ever since the Socialists came to power. For this reason, Majko must accept by all means and support the order proposed by the opposition. He has been asked to ensure the restoration of order in Albania, fight corruption and strengthen the justice system, and to address this corruption and recover the gold. All these are demands that the Albanian opposition has explicitly made. The Albanian opposition has demanded precisely that its rights be respected, that political prisoners be released, that the former dictatorship’s people be removed from the prosecution and police authorities—people who continue to persecute the Albanian right-wing opposition to this day—and that all the gangs who have taken over the assets of communism be removed from the law-enforcement bodies. In short, Majko must accept the point proposed by the DP, because only with its support can all these demands be achieved; and it seems they are not merely demands of the Albanian opposition. Now it remains to be seen what position Majko takes when he returns from the USA. As soon as he returns, he must declare that the USA is [unclear] and that [unclear] this move has been supported by the international community’s conditions. If another split has taken place within the SP and there is now an open-faced struggle between Nano and Majko, that does not mean at all that the socialist government is being supported. Ollbrajt has made it clear to Majko that he must respect human rights and the rule of law, at a time when it is clear that the opposition’s rights are being violated by those in power, ever since the Socialists came to power. For this reason, Majko must accept by all means and support the order proposed by the opposition. He has been asked to ensure the restoration of order in Albania, fight corruption and strengthen the justice system, and to address this corruption and recover the gold.

Berisha received Belgian Foreign Minister Deryeke The Schuman Institute invites the DP chairman to its Annual Assembly

The Schuman Institute invites the DP chairman to its Annual Assembly At the invitation of the Schuman Institute, the EU institute dealing with European integration issues, DP Chairman Sali Berisha, accompanied by Secretary General Ridvan Bode, left to take part in the proceedings of the Institute’s Annual Assembly, which will be held on 3 February in the capital of the Kingdom of Belgium. During this meeting, he will discuss matters and meet with the leaders of the Schuman Institute and other European figures attending the Assembly.

Head of KESH: Now the lights depend on the automatic switch KESH has decided to solve the electricity problem by directly penalizing Tirana’s residents, installing automatic switches that cut off the power supply at the slightest overload, leaving residents without electricity for 24 hours ON PAGE 5

The Ministry of Culture continues its war against cultural institutions At Albafilmstudio, 40 specialists are being dismissed in violation of Article 148 of the Labour Code. The order was issued by Edi Rama, who wants to become the majority shareholder with 51%, turning the aforementioned institution into a joint-stock company ON PAGE 8

Today, 144 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 shocked the entire Albanian world. The governments of the former communists, which leave free and at large the criminals who took the December Leader’s life, show Albanians that they have been and remain on the side of the killers, who have names and faces but are not touched by those in power. Democrats and all Albanians who loved and honoured Azem Hajdari cannot tolerate this under any circumstances. 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.

Why doesn’t Albania have a national security policy? ON PAGE 2

In February, the kiosks on Kavaja and Durrës streets will be removed The Park kiosks remain untouched Another 200 kiosks will be removed from Tirana’s main thoroughfares ON PAGE 5

Young people are the group most exposed to crime and the total insecurity brought about by socialist governance “The Forum’s structures will strive to provide a detailed explanation of the pact proposed by Berisha in all the places where they operate, so that people can learn about its elements in concrete terms,” Strazimiri said ON PAGE 2