Tension in Gjirokastër. The national highway is blocked ON PAGE 4

By Sali BERISHA The political line of the pro-Serb lobbies in Tirana’s current government is becoming more dangerous and more active every day. Just 10 days ago, they called in Strasbourg for vigilance in favor of improving the unitary state and autonomy for Kosovo—a position that astonished the Council of Europe Assembly when it spoke of the minorities of Albanians in Kosovo. Then, also in Strasbourg, they voted through their representative Dokle against opening a Council of Europe office in Prishtina, on the pro-Serb pretext that Milošević would not accept it. After denouncing the G-8 and remaining silent about the violation of the Albanian embassy in Beijing by pro-Serb, anti-American and anti-Albanian forces, these lobbies have presented a draft resolution in Parliament that can be considered an anti-Albanian pamphlet, aimed at discrediting the West and NATO, dismantling Kosovo’s institutions and stripping Kosovo of its standing—as well as openly endangering it through their alignment with Milošević. This draft resolution uses Stalinist terms to declare that “all attempts to divide the Albanian factor by promoting particular individuals according to particular political preferences are rejected.” The pro-Serbs in the Albanian government are thus warning against and rejecting the recognition and appeals made to President Rugova by President Clinton and Chancellor Schröder, His Holiness Pope John Paul II and Prime Minister D’Alema, Her Majesty’s Government (of Great Britain), the French Government and NATO. Indeed, in the spirit of the draft resolution, Tirana’s pro-Serbs brand the West as a whole as a force dividing Albanian actors, thereby disregarding Milošević in the Balkans, who is fighting like Don Quixote against the Western world. This warning is as unreasonable as it is comical. In fact, however, by recognizing Rugova, the West recognizes and supports the extraordinary efforts of the people of Kosovo for freedom, dignity, independence and identity. By recognizing Rugova, the West recognizes the centuries-long struggle of Albanians in modern history; it recognizes the parallel Albanian state that they created, which performed several of the principal functions through extraordinary sacrifices. By recognizing Rugova, the West is not dividing Albanian leaders; on the contrary, it recognizes the leader chosen by the Albanians and thus respects their will. It is the official authorities in Tirana that are trying to appoint the leadership of the 2 million Albanians in Kosovo. And, in response to the West’s recognition of Rugova, the pro-Serb lobbyists among the Albanians in Tirana denounce the United States and Europe for exposing their divisive policy toward Kosovo’s political and military forces. In the anti-national pamphlet presented by the Socialist Parliament, the Republic of Kosovo is stripped of its institutions: the existence of all Kosovo’s institutions is denied, and Parliament, the Presidency, the President and everything else are rendered nonexistent—except for the government created by the bloc of pro-Serb lobbies within Tirana’s government—even though these institutions were included by the International Community at Rambouillet and were an important part of the Albanian delegation there. According to Parliament—or the pro-Serb lobbies in the Albanian government—the state-building power of Kosovo’s Albanians begins with the government created in the block villas, outside all institutional procedures. In other words, the elections held on 22 March 1998 and internationally recognized are denied; 10 years of Albanian struggle and efforts to win independence are erased; and their efforts after the imposition of the 1974 Constitution to have national institutions and develop their identity, even in territory occupied under that Titoist constitution, are rendered nonexistent—or, indeed, denied. In their pamphlet presented to Parliament, Tirana’s pro-Serb lobbies ignore all Kosovo institutions and recognize only the Thaçi Government, which has not been recognized by any country or international institution, thereby exposing the Albanians of Kosovo. Moreover, by declaring the Thaçi Government a decisive factor in the final solution, Tirana’s pro-Serb government lobbies continue their propaganda at the expense of the Westward orientation, claiming that we will win within NATO. The Don Quixotes in Tirana must be reminded once again that the decisive factor in this situation has been the North Atlantic Alliance, and that the West, together with the Albanians, will continue to be decisive. Those who move the settlement of this issue and the solution to the Kosovo problem outside this framework, those who try to smear Albanians in the eyes of the West, are the same people who earlier denounced the G-8, even insisting beyond the scope of its document’s provisions as if it disregarded Albanian interests; they are the same people who remain silent about the premeditated attacks by pro-Serb demonstrators in the streets of Beijing, and the same people who do not react to Milošević’s violation and damage of other parts of Albanian territory. The Democratic Party, as the main opposition force, demands an end to this anti-national, anti-Albanian government and its pro-Serb lobby in Tirana. This government has become anti-national and anti-Albanian. The Party is following their actions with great concern and is determined to raise public awareness and ensure accountability for all these actions, because this government aims to seriously obstruct the resolution of the Kosovo problem and the national question as a whole.

Fierce battles between freedom fighters and Serbian forces in Koshare. Milošević’s army uses combat aircraft. Serbs enter Tropojë e Vjetër ON PAGE 2 Border police have requested the army’s assistance, but so far neither the Ministry of Defense nor the Ministry of Public Order has confirmed whether such assistance has been provided. Meidani and the government are handing the North over to the Serbs

Business built on Kosovo’s suffering. 100 marks for an identity card

President of Kosovo: I have never asked for NATO’s attacks to be stopped

The Democratic vice-chairman addresses the High Court: The chairman’s dismissal was undertaken for political motives Meidani orders Shehu’s removal and replacement with Kondi ON PAGE 3

Kosovo’s Ministry of Defense denounces the arrest of fighters by mysterious Marxist groups ON PAGE 2

The former Speaker of Parliament, the special guest of President Konstantinesku ON PAGE 3

ON PAGE 7

PD MP Sandër Uldedaj was assaulted yesterday by a large number of police officers who surrounded him as he was returning from Tirana to Shkodër. The PD MP was stopped near the Shkolla neighborhood of the city of Shkodër. The police officers pointed their automatic weapons at him and ordered him to get out of the car in which he was traveling. The PD MP explained to the police officers that he was an MP and had immunity. But the police officers replied that they did not care about parliamentary immunity and pulled him out of the car by force. After pulling him out of the car, the police officers searched the PD MP, thereby violating all the laws, according to which no MP can be assaulted by police officers without a warrant from the prosecutor’s office. This is another provocation directed at PD MPs, following many, many other such cases. According to the PD MP, the police assaulted him because he has often used the city’s television station in Shkodër, Rozafa, to expose links connecting certain elements of the Shkodër police with crime.

Today, 242 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, who leave the criminals who killed the Leader of December free and undisturbed, shows Albanians that they have been and remain on the side of the murderers. They all have names, but those in power do not touch them. Democrats and all Albanians who loved and honored Azem Hajdari can in no way tolerate this. The government must either capture the criminals and bring them to justice, or publicly declare that it itself committed the murder of Azem Hajdari.

The “Dhjetori 90” Group commemorates Hajdari’s murder The “Dhjetori 90” Group announces that on Wednesday, 12.05.1999, at 12:00, a commemorative meeting will be held in the hall of the National Historical Museum to mark the eight-month anniversary of the execution of the Tribune of Albanian Nationalism, the Leader of December, on the topic “Azem Hajdari and the national question”. All the protagonists of December ’90, as well as friends, well-wishers and collaborators of the hero, are invited to attend.

Today, a major rally on the eighth month anniversary of the murder of Azem Hajdari. Paying tribute to Kosovo’s fallen On the eighth month anniversary of the murder of the tribune of Albanian nationalism, Azem Hajdari, “Union for Democracy” is organizing a large peaceful rally in “Skënderbej” Square in memory of those who fell in Kosovo, today, 12 May 1999, at 19:00. THE PARTIES OF “UNION FOR DEMOCRACY”

The Parliamentary Group “The Center-Right” is holding a press conference today at 12:00 at the “Dajti” hotel on the latest developments in Kosovo and Mr. Rugova’s positions.

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