“Nano’s apprenticeship” shakes Legisi and other Socialists on the leadership board ON PAGE 3

Artists from all over Albania protest in the streets of the capital ON PAGE 8

Government officials put on a show with the “Fight against smuggling” ON PAGE 4

Delayed bills concerning the money left over from the pyramid schemes. The government fears revolts The Socialists’ allies, PAD, PSD and PBDNJ, deny having promised creditors that the money would be returned ON PAGE 3

By Mero BAZE The sudden escalation of tension all along the perimeter of Kosovo’s borders, including Macedonia and Albania, and the face-off between the armies of the West and that of Belgrade, are making people believe that a confrontation between NATO and Belgrade may now be a reality. This reality is becoming more palpable by the day, while the negotiations have reached a profound impasse, from which it seems only force can extricate them. Millosheviç is holding the Serbian delegation hostage in Paris, compelling them to act through “insistence” on the political part, while he himself is trying to wage war militarily. All this reasoning leads one to understand that the person most interested in NATO bombing Kosovo and his military positions is Millosheviç himself. His image as an iron-willed man, unbending in the face of Western power, has been the key to the success of his political career to date. For this reason, he has only one way to remain in politics: oppose NATO forces and secure a confrontation with them, in order to add a new anti-Western background to his political credentials. In this way, it is certain that Millosheviç will lose Kosovo, but he is now more interested than anything else in not losing his authority in the eyes of the Serbs. For this reason, it is quite believable that he will follow through to the end on the path of failed negotiations and threats against NATO, so as to justify to the people the intervention in Kosovo through his “revolt.” So far Millosheviç has openly violated the points, and likewise the terms of his agreement with Holbrooke concerning the military presence in Kosovo in October 1998. Millosheviç was supposed to withdraw from Kosovo the Yugoslav troops he had stationed there; now, according to Western sources, he has sent in artillery and 30,000 troops. This means that he is determined to create a new political background through confrontation with NATO. Throughout the Yugoslav crisis, Millosheviç has acted in this way. He has started wars with the West, lost them militarily, and won politically himself. He thus lost the war with the Croats and Bosnians, leaving open the question of the loss of some territories in those republics. Likewise, he has ensured the fate of the Serbs in that republic. Likewise, he has secured his position on Kosovo. The most prominent commentators in Belgrade, close to Millosheviç, are trying to convince Serbian public opinion that what is being demanded of them is the occupation of Kosovo by NATO, but that they must not allow it. In fact, when they “allow” it—that is, when NATO enters—they will have a ready-made justification for the occupation and will withdraw to Belgrade to preserve their political power, which they won by promising Kosovo and are now trying to retain while losing Kosovo. From this perspective, it appears that NATO intervention is a “salvation” for Millosheviç’s political fortunes. But the West must be ready to do Millosheviç this favor today—that is, to remove him from Kosovo—only to then leave his political record in the hands of the Serbs. They themselves must be convinced that the “patriot” and nationalist is the man who rose to power by promising a Greater Serbia and is now trying to preserve that power through confrontation with the West and by losing every chance of Serbian hegemony in the Balkans. The West must punish the Serbs in some way and be content with Millosheviç until they decide what his political merits are. The idea of removing Millosheviç, as is being proposed, as a way of resolving the Kosovo issue, is not a process that works. Millosheviç is a president elected by the Serbs, and if they want to get rid of him, the West must help them from outside, from places where he was neither elected nor voted for. If this “intervention” by force “helps” Millosheviç temporarily, that does not mean it should be allowed to prevail as a solution. Millosheviç is rushing to bring NATO in to save his power, while NATO must intervene to save Kosovo and its own authority.

Kosovo Conference fails. Serbs do not sign The document was signed by the leadership of the Albanian delegation and by the American mediator, Christopher Hill, as well as the European Union’s mediator, Wolfgang Petritsch. Meanwhile, the Serbian delegation and the Russian mediator Majorski did not take their seats at the signing table. The group of

New political elections, hope for Albanians ALBANIAN CITIZENS! “Union for Democracy” invites you to the peaceful protest rally “New elections – Hope for Albanians,” on Monday, March 22, at 17:00 in “Skënderbej” Square. After two years of rule by the Alliance for the State (Pocket), you who feel deceived by its election promises to create 250,000 new jobs, double pensions and low wages, return 100% of the money, and ensure public order and calm within 100 days. JOIN OUR PROTEST - Against a government that in two years has created half a million unemployed people and doubled prices and taxes, misery and poverty. - Against the rule of state-mafia clans (as they themselves have admitted) who, through the smuggling they control, have appropriated more than 680 million dollars in two years—3.5 times more than all the wages paid over the same two years combined. - Against the rule of the speedboat republic, during which more Albanians have been killed in Albania than in Kosovo and 90% of foreign entrepreneurs have left. - Against a government that seized 120 million dollars in creditors’ funds and all the assets of the usury firms. - Against a government that executed the Hero of Albanian Pluralism, Azem Hajdari, and protects his killers; whose prosecutors reopened the killings and shield criminals; and which kills and imprisons political opponents. Let us protest together to give the country new elections, the only way to restore hope, order and security to Albanians, and to bring them back from poverty.

The Democratic Party condemns the political trials against the opposition: a discredited indictment by a group of discredited prosecutors

Berisha and other leaders of the Union for Democracy Parties meet with the Russian delegation The leaders of the Union for Democracy Parties, Sali Berisha, Zef Bushati, Remzi Ndreu and Hysen Selfo, received a delegation from the Russian Federation’s Duma, headed by Sergei Baburin. Vice-President of Parliament Jozefina Topalli and the chairman of the Democratic parliamentary group, Pollo, also attended the meeting. The participants presented their views in full on the situation in Albania, relations between the two countries and the situation in Kosovo. Clear differences emerged in the participants’ positions on NATO. According to the Russian parliamentarians, NATO poses a threat to Russia, while the leaders of the Union for Democracy stressed that NATO is a factor for peace and stability. In their view, Russia’s membership in NATO is in Russia’s interest. Albania’s membership in NATO has been and remains a priority for the Union for Democracy parties. On Kosovo, the Russian parliamentarians pointed out that they oppose NATO intervention in Kosovo, just as they opposed Milosevic’s positions. The leaders of the Union for Democracy stressed that NATO’s presence in Kosovo is a fundamental condition for restoring peace in the Balkans, and that Kosovo’s independence is the best solution in this regard. The meeting was open.

Convict all politicians opposed to the opposition in order to discredit a group of discredited prosecutors They want to convict all politicians opposing the opposition in order to discredit to keep its seats. Pollo: “In the coming days, the Democratic Party will launch a series of initiatives aimed at raising public awareness in the country, internationalizing the issue, as well as taking various actions on the ground.” ON PAGE 3

While awaiting aid, customs officials are seizing the state’s money . IMF sets a condition for the government: stamp out smuggling. The International Monetary Fund has demanded implementation of the customs plan, which has not been carried out for several months, as one of the main conditions for continued assistance. ON PAGE 5

Today, 189 days since the murder of the December Leader . The government protects Azem Hajdari’s killers. Every day that passes since the murder of Azem Hajdari, the symbol of democracy and pluralism, proves imb... the policy of Fatos Nano’s government and of the successor to a criminal who shook the entire Albanian world. The governments of the former communists, which have been [in office] and have left the criminals who took the December Leader’s life undisturbed, show Albanians that they have been and will forever remain [in power], untouched by those in power. Democrats and all Albanians who loved and love Azem Hajdari cannot possibly tolerate this fact. 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.

Breaking news . President Meidani takes advice from children. President Meidani received a group of children from the Zadrima region. Together with the children, the president discussed the country’s problems, such as the population’s access to weapons, establishing law and order, borders, relations between the government and the opposition, etc. The children suggested that Meidani have more contact with them so that they could achieve results in all areas of the country. The president also consulted with the children on national security and the administration of justice. The president’s spokesperson reports that the reception took place in a warm atmosphere and that both sides held the same views on all the issues raised. F. ÇAKULI

The mine is being shut down by government decision . Memaliaj, miners’ protest resumes. ON PAGE 5

. The Democratic Party Parliamentary Group will meet on Friday at 11:00 at the Democratic Party’s Central Headquarters.

ON PAGE 2, March 18