On February 20, all together in defense of democracy, against neo-dictatorship! At 12:00 on February 20, a large rally will be held in “Skënderbej” Square to commemorate the historic day when the symbols of the communist dictatorship were toppled, the day the busts and living symbols of the dictatorship were overthrown. Citizens of Tirana! All together in “Skënderbej” Square on February 20, in defense of democracy, against neo-dictatorship! All together, for our freedoms and rights!

Military plants, a new source of socioeconomic problems ON PAGE 5

The US changes its justification for bombing, threatening that it will now bomb if NATO’s presence in Kosovo is rejected ON PAGE 2 By Mero BAZE Rambuje, February 17

By Bardhyl LONDO Albanian history is rumbling in Rambuje these days. The medieval castle in France has a great chance of becoming a cherished name for Albanians. The Albanian nation is waiting to be fulfilled as God made it, for its head, body and limbs to be brought together as one after a year. The hour of the Albanians has struck. We have it in our hands to earn the blessing and gratitude of generations of Albanians or, if we prove unequal to the task, their curse and contempt. At this unrepeatable moment, the proverbial question “Where were you, Adam?” translates into Albanian as “Where were you, Albanian?” May Prishtina, during these difficult and emotional days, prove us wrong: may it show that we were all in Rambuje, especially the main official institutions of Albanian statehood and their diplomacy, because they have many things at their disposal by virtue of their status that an ordinary person can never have. Yet these days the main official Albanian institutions are still going about their business as if nothing had happened. Today Albanian history puts this question to them: “Where were you, Albanian official institutions, when our history set a Rambuje before us?” So, where were the Albanian institutions? The Albanian Presidency, shrouded in an atmosphere of mystery or perhaps abandoned by the leadership and the Albanian people’s interest in its existence, seems to have forgotten and shut down the functions of such an institution where Kosovo is concerned. So many people in Albania have forgotten that such an institution exists; others think the presidential team’s job was to appear—or stay on the sidelines—at some successful event. With its own Olympic “calm” (Albania and the Albanians yesterday), the president has acted as if Albania were, say, a Nordic country that has solved its problems and spends all day dealing with such matters as depressing rulers or the horrors of coexisting with regions through marriage. Our presidency has taken its understanding of non-governance in the people’s affairs to such lengths that these days, when everyone should be fostering the spiritual mobilization of Albanians and informing the world—a duty and role of the president—he thought foreigners could do it better. So he remained silent, leading Albanians to believe that the moment they are experiencing is quite ordinary and commonplace, and that the presidential team can spend four or five hours of its time on something other than Rambuje. Parliament, even in these most difficult days, has continued along the path it has followed since this government came to power, and has carried on its usual work. This is one task it has performed professionally. After entering the history of the world’s parliaments because majority MPs enter sessions with revolvers and even shoot at the opposition with bullets (these incidents have been reported in the press), it has also made history as perhaps the only parliament of its kind in the world. And now it seems it may make history yet again: the Italian press has accused several MPs, including the Speaker of Parliament, of living off and enriching themselves through cigarette smuggling by speedboat operators. The truth is that in these difficult days nobody has won anything, but parliament has behaved as it does in everything else: it has stayed far removed, bloodied. Thus, preoccupied with all its own problems and activities, it has done nothing while everyone should be fostering the spiritual mobilization of Albanians and informing the world—a duty and role of the president. He thought foreigners could do it better, so he remained silent, leading Albanians to believe that the moment they are experiencing is quite ordinary and commonplace, and that the presidential team can spend four or five hours of its time on something other than Rambuje. The Albanian government, or more precisely the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, remains as opaque as ever in its work: it cannot take up a thousand and one issues with the international community and does not conduct an active policy for Tirana. Even the MPs it sent to France are among those Albanian negotiators who have been so courteous to international diplomats that, not wishing to interfere at all in the affairs of the world (the Albanians), they have socialized only with the staff of the Albanian embassy in Paris, where they were provided with accommodation. They could have acted, for example, like Drashkoviç, Pangalos, or Milosheviç, and others, who have no official role there but are very visible, because foreign diplomats are not particularly favorable to the Albanians. They left no stone unturned and even pressured Serbian officials—something the major countries, which have the means to exert influence, could have done as much as possible. What, then, has the diplomatic corps in Tirana done? Since the Albanian question is not the only important matter these days, the question arises: what is France doing? Rambuje is there, and so are Kosovo and the Albanians. They have done everything to shape their foreign policy on Kosovo. Is that enough? Albanians everywhere in Europe and America are also involved. For a time, diplomacy can do its work, while in Europe the people, the justice of the cause and the blood of the Albanians of this land are enough. Thus, the Albanian nation has no reason not to make these Albanian days count.

The Albanian American Civic League calls on the Turkish President to give strong support to Kosovo The Albanian diaspora in America is calling for a greater Turkish presence in the latest developments concerning Kosovo’s future ON PAGE 3

Trafikant prepares draft resolution for the US Congress Among other things, the draft resolution calls on the US to use every form of assistance and every means needed to secure Kosovo’s independence, including financial support, in order to reach a solution that will ensure peace and stability in the Balkans ON PAGE 3

Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt writes to Deputy Chairman Pollo The opposition leader calls for very deep European engagement throughout the region to prevent conflicts in the future ON PAGE 3

Along with the bank tax, deposit interest rates are being cut ON PAGE 3

Kurdish traffickers and the Vlora police continue their operation to supply speedboat operators with undocumented migrants According to reliable sources, this ferry brought Kurds ashore between Saranda and Ksamil. They were transported in vans and minibuses toward Vlora and then, in speedboats assisted also by the police of Vlora and Saranda, reached the Italian coast ON PAGE 4

The 8th anniversary of the founding of the PD in Kolonjë was commemorated ON PAGE 6

The Youth Forum is moving toward a complete reorganization and stronger structures in all districts ON PAGE 6

Today, 159 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 its efforts in the crime that shook the entire Albanian world. The government of former Prime Minister Fatos Nano, itself a former communist government from the beginning of the 1990s, but the government itself...

The Property with Justice Association calls for private homes to be vacated Former homeowners back in basements, as before This year the state has not opened a loan fund to rehouse those living in former owners’ homes The Property with Justice Association has prepared a draft law that it intends to submit to the government for approval. Its purpose is to vacate privately owned homes occupied by citizens under state contracts. As is known, in 1993 the democratic government returned these homes to their owners and they were registered as property, but many years later this problem remains unresolved. As a result, owners still have not managed to get their homes back. This is compounded by the difficulty of finding accommodation for citizens who rent... ON PAGE 5

Lending to private businesses is blocked while lending to state entities is eased Short-term lending is increasing and long-term lending is decreasing According to sources at the Bank of Albania, short-term lending to the economy has increased by 184 million lekë. From 7 billion and 26 million lekë, the amount of lending previously stood at... ON PAGE 5

Only the PD and Berisha are ready to take responsibility for resolving the Kosovo issue and the plight of Albanians in the Balkans After refusing to recognize Kosovo’s independence, Prime Minister Pandeli Majko has no choice but to resign ON PAGE 6

The US leads the final phase of the Kosovo talks