Police catch a “smuggler” who had brought in two sacks of coffee without paying customs duty on his donkey Ruci’s son brings in ships with coffee ON PAGE 4

Bill Clinton and Javier Solana assure Milošević of air strikes President Bill Clinton and NATO Secretary General Javier Solana warned Slobodan Milošević on Friday that air strikes by the Atlantic Alliance against the Serbs would be launched very soon if they did not submit... ON PAGE 7

Special group in Tropojë to recruit a volunteer who will take responsibility for September 12 A huge sum of money and a trial similar to that of Zani Çaushi are promised in exchange for being arrested as a suspect in Hajdari’s murder arrested as a suspect in Hajdari’s murder ON PAGE 3

New political elections, hope for Albanians ALBANIAN CITIZENS! “Unity for Democracy” invites you to the peaceful protest rally “New elections – Hope for Albanians,” on Monday, March 22, at 17:00 in “Skënderbej” Square. ALBANIAN CITIZENS! “Unity 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 government by the Alliance for the State (Xhepi), 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, and doubled prices and taxes, misery and poverty. - Against the government of state-mafia clans (as they themselves have admitted) who, through smuggling and control, have pocketed over 680 million dollars in two years — 3.5 times more than all the rongo paid over the two years combined. - Against the government of the speedboat-public, during which more Albanians have been killed in Albania than in Kosovo and 90% of foreign entrepreneurs have left. - Against the government that looted 120 million dollars in funds belonging to depositors and all the assets of the pyramid schemes. - Against the government that executed the Hero of Albanian pluralism, Azem Hajdari, and protects his killers; that, through its prosecutors, legitimizes murderers and criminals; that 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 lift them out of poverty.

Serious incident on the northern border. The shepherds are only defending themselves against the attack by Yugoslav forces Border police forces and residents of Kamenicë village fought alongside the shepherds Several Serbian soldiers were wounded yesterday during a serious border incident in the area of pyramid markers C-6 and C-4 in the Tropojë district. According to the Ministry of Public Order, the incident occurred at around 11:00, when approximately 20 Serbian soldiers entered Albanian territory and suddenly opened fire on several shepherds in the area. The Serbian soldiers used infantry weapons as well as a light machine gun and mortars during the attack, while the shepherds returned fire in self-defence, supported by residents of Kamenicë village and border police forces. The exchange of fire lasted about two hours, until the Serbian soldiers withdrew to their own territory. No Albanian police officers or local residents who took part in the fighting were injured. The Ministry of Public Order’s statement did not mention any injuries among the Serbian soldiers, but sources from Tropojë confirm that several of them were wounded. However, the sources did not specify the severity of their injuries or the soldiers’ condition after their withdrawal. This is one of the most serious border incidents, which have been occurring frequently lately along Albania’s northern and northeastern border. A day earlier, a resident of the Tropojë district had been killed by Serbian soldiers’ bullets near the border. Tensions at the border have risen considerably in recent days, following the unsuccessful Kosovo peace talks in Paris, France. “RD” correspondent

Berisha presents the priorities of the future democratic government Order, the rule of law, national reconciliation, social policy, unemployment, and the improvement of relations with neighboring countries: the things that will change Albania’s face ON PAGE 3

The court chairman, Fajt(im) Hoxha, gets the September 14 case caught in the sieve

Tirana’s creditors: We will gather every day at VEFA’s headquarters

The court chairman, Pajtim Hoxhaj, gets caught in the sieve with the case of September 14 The Judges of Fact reject the “rebellion” The latest draw, held for the cases that have arrived from the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office, was unable to determine the judge who will try the “rebels” ON PAGE 4

Let us protest against those who robbed us of our money ON PAGE 5

One person dies from electrocution, frozen in the snow ON PAGE 4

Ignoring the Hajdari case fuels Albanians’ anger The “December ’90” group calls for the release of political prisoners, the reinstatement of those dismissed for taking part in the funeral ceremony, and the adoption of a law to shed light on the murder of the Leader of December ON PAGE 8

What conditions do the citizens of Tirana live in, from the city centre to the outskirts? Statistics on poverty show that villagers in remote mountain areas live on 100,000 lek a year, while beggars—mostly elderly people and children—do not even have this “privilege” ON PAGE 5

For the second time, the DP was forced to refute the statements made by Ambassador Everts in Tirana regarding the Hajdari law. It is a rare case involving the activities of a foreign diplomat in a country; likewise, Everts’s desire for things to be true is incomprehensible, when they do not last any longer than the physical moment in which the ambassador makes his statement. A few months ago, a bunch of associations and NGOs, with financial resources from Holland and other countries, spared no effort in defending the OSCE ambassador, after he had been defended in the Albanian daily press. Even if we were to believe that Everts had not instructed them to make such statements, the tone running through their declarations showed their dependence on the donations and on the donor Everts, the servile quality pervading them, completely absolving them of the civic function they are supposed to perform. It is well known that most of the leaders of those NGOs have a declared left-wing position, indeed an extreme one, as in the case of the Helsinki Committee. But Everts has persistently defended these positions, which are so frequent that one day Everts himself risks ending up pink, even red, like the newspaper of the former Albanian communists, which defended him fanatically three days ago in response to another article published in an independent daily. Now in Tirana, just as Everts has been identified as a governor, the trenches where Everts stands have also been identified, in case he is attacked, as have his attackers, who, at worst, given their extreme politicization, only refute him with pleasure. The head of an office of great importance to Albania has become identified with one part of Albanian politics, with some NGOs, and with another group that lives on the spirit and donations or scholarships Everts brings to Albania. He is at rallies, at important meetings; he advises even the prime minister and, naturally, the President, ministers and directors. With such an intense activity, he has managed to place Albania under his shadow, at the top of the list of countries with the greatest corruption and smuggling, with state and ordinary crime at levels higher than during the months of communist rebellion, to fill the prisons with political prisoners, impoverish more than 2 million Albanians to the minimum subsistence level, and raise unemployment to as many as 500,000. In all the cases mentioned, Everts’s role is equal to that of those people who stand alongside the government—not within the structure of the rule of law, but in the service of a disgraceful government. Now everything is in disarray and ruin, to such an extent that even if Everts were to leave, or at least stop going to the offices of the government and presidency, the offices of ministers and directors, and the offices of NGOs; even if he stopped calling people to his office to advise or instruct them, the country would not stop its downward spiral, which, even if the governor had not foreseen it, will be long-lasting. People who have had and still have faith in international organizations will have to make a great effort in Everts’s case to separate out the OSCE rainbow, to determine where Everts’s colors end and where the colors of this important organization begin. Sami NEZHA

Today, 190 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 government of the former communists, which leaves free and undisturbed the criminals who took the life of the December Leader, shows Albanians that they have been and are on the side of the killers, whose names are known, but who remain untouched by those in power. Democracy that remains untouched by those in power. Democracy and all the Albanians who loved and honored Azem Hajdari can in no way tolerate this fact. The government must either bring the criminals before justice, or publicly declare that it itself committed the murder of Azem Hajdari. Portrait of Azem Hajdari

Interview with the writer Zija Çela, winner of the prose prize (And in between, the underworld of mythology, the river Lethe? No, right through the middle, the Lana, which washes no one clean, while making us all dirty.) ON PAGE 9 Portrait of Zija Çela

On the occasion of the anniversary of the victory of democracy, March 22, a festive gathering will be held at the “Skampa” Theatre in Elbasan. Members and supporters of the Democratic Party and of the forces of the Union for Democracy from Elbasan, Peqin, Gramsh and Librazhd are invited to attend.

of the state mafia (as they have admitted — [partially cut off at the top edge])