Who bears the crisis and who gets the “medals” Report from Kukës ON PAGE 8

A conversation with the well-known writer Kim Mehmeti ON PAGE 11

By Sami NEZA Alongside resolving the Kosovo issue, an imperative of the day, the international community is also calling for the development of democratic, Western-oriented infrastructure in Albania and, more broadly, in the Balkan region. Visits to Tirana two days ago, made at the same time by French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, British Defence Minister Robertson, Austrian Foreign Minister Shusel, and US Army Chief of Staff Shelton, may have had such potential. Despite the fact that the left-wing government has met Albanian generosity with the theft of aid—which is itself a result of Western generosity—there are also other resources that honest people within the administrative structures can bring to light. It is a good thing that, at the very least, awareness remains of the hundreds of thousands of tons of aid lost to the corrupt system of left-wing government. This means they have no intention of acknowledging the need to correct the way the country is governed, or the time lost in making such a correction. They have built, or are moving toward building, a humanitarian system in the country managed entirely by them, while they seem to think that another government will come to power as soon as circumstances dictate such a change—which naturally also depends on resolving the Kosovo issue, or on advancing the results of NATO’s strikes against Serbian military forces. The Marshall Plan, which is expected to be discussed in Brussels in two weeks, is not a piecemeal plan and does not simply involve building numerous bridges, highways, factories, or farms in the Balkan countries. Among other things, it also aims to establish a democratic network that will function across this region, with honest managers of the resources that will be created. Albanians now feel that they are more of a problem of governance than a problem of orientation. During two years of left-wing rule, the divide between Albanians’ aspirations and the Eastern policy pursued by their rulers has become fully entrenched. There is a huge gulf between the West, to which a good part of the political establishment—and almost all Albanians—looks, and the antiquated Eastern mechanism that the left-wing government has built in the country. Alongside Western assistance for development or infrastructure projects, Albanians also need the political counterpart to this development, which, unfortunately, has not taken root across the entire Albanian political spectrum, but mainly on its right or center-right. At yesterday’s press conference, the parties of “Union for Democracy,” which in reality also represents the majority of Albanians, declared their support for, or readiness to cooperate with, the current government in overcoming the crisis. What they called for was the release of political prisoners, who are held hostage less by Tirana’s political prosecution service than by the daily temptations of the neo-dictatorial Eastern outlook of the “Alliance for the State” coalition. Such a concession, when there is a series of dramas between government and opposition that have fallen on the latter’s shoulders, does not show weakness on the right, but a desire to address this country’s poor governance with as little upheaval or political tension as possible. In any case, this should not be understood as a circuit built between the regime and progress, but as a way to overcome the crisis that has engulfed the country and Albanians in general. Kosovo, although burned, killed, devastated, and emptied, is becoming an ally in bringing about major changes in Albania. It is further consolidating Albanians’ Western outlook and consigning all those who built Kosovo and its sons in this country to a futureless minority. The West’s gaze upon Albania these days has precisely this meaning.

Several hundred Albanian-Americans were the first volunteers to fight in Kosovo against the Serbian aggressors Three million dollars allocated to the battalion have disappeared, while Thaçi’s Ministry of Defence orders six volunteers to return to the US Bode: “With its stance, supposedly aimed at not falling prey to Serbian provocations, the Albanian government is carrying out the cleansing of entire territories populated by Albanians” ON PAGE 2

ON PAGE 3 The Socialists are exploiting the situation of The population of Albania’s border villages

The Socialists are exploiting the situation created in the country for political speculation ON PAGE 3

After visits to Austria, Italy, Germany, Brussels During the Kosovo prime minister’s stay in the USA, important meetings are scheduled with leading figures in American politics ON PAGE 3

The population of the border villages of northern Albania flees Serbian bombings ON PAGE 2

Resume the show trials against opposition journalists Interview with the renowned journalist and former deputy director of TVSH, Antoneta Malja ON PAGE 4

Today, 232 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 that of his successor in the crime that shook the entire Albanian world. The governments of the former communists, which leave the criminals who took the December Leader’s life free and undisturbed, show Albanians that they have been and remain on the side of the killers, who have names and identities but are untouched by those in power. Democrats and all Albanians who loved and honored Azem Hajdari can never tolerate this fact. The government must either apprehend the criminals and bring them to justice, or publicly declare that it itself committed the murder of Azem Hajdari.

A group of UÇK volunteers disembarking at Rinas airport

Members of the National Council and MPs of the Democratic Party of Albania are hereby notified that a meeting of the National Council will be held in Tirana on Monday, 3 May 1999, at 11:00, with the following agenda: 1. The DP’s political positions concerning the national issue and developments in Kosovo, as well as the engagement of its structures in dealing with arrivals from Kosovo as they seek to escape the genocide and ethnic cleansing undertaken by the Milošević regime. 2. The situation in the north of the country and ensuring the protection of state sovereignty and territorial integrity. 3. The DP’s position on the continuation of political revenge, violence, and political proceedings undertaken by the governing coalition.

If you wish to contribute money to help the exhausted children of Kosovo, you can deposit your donation into account number 34220/00/0376 at “Dardania Bank” in the name of the association: “The Children of Kosovo, Our Children.”

To help those expelled from Kosovo, the newspaper “Rilindja Demokratike” is making its pages available free of charge for various notices, such as requests and offers for accommodation, messages from arrivals from Kosovo to other members of their families, and so on. You are welcome to visit the editorial office or contact us by calling the numbers provided: 303 29 and 323 55. THE EDITORIAL OFFICE