The Serbs are continuously firing shells at Kamenicë, Padesh, Qafë-Prush and Dobrunë ON PAGE 4

Bandits resume killings and robberies in the city of Vlorë ON PAGE 4

By Shemsi PEPOSHI The Kremlin line followed by official Tirana’s policy in its stance reappeared yesterday in the government’s official position, distorting an international suggestion concerning Kosovo. This deeply entrenched line opposes American and Euro-Atlantic policy in the Balkans and Kosovo as much as it can, and carries out actions that serve Slobodan Milosheviç. For the most part, the Tirana government remains committed to keeping the Albanian factor as divided as possible, one of Kretes’s wishes, and so far it seems to have been quite successful. The one-sided assignment of responsibility to the factors in Kosovo, diversion against us, and condemnation of its non-Albanian factors remain highly compromising actions that follow the Kremlin line. Official Tirana, with Milo, Meidani and other instigators, is also opposing those well-intentioned Western suggestions that seek a more serious and united commitment from the Albanians. Yet yesterday the Tirana government officially rejected an earlier American suggestion to unify Kosovo’s political and military factors through the creation of a single executive, which could be called the National Security Council. Foreign Minister Paskal Milo said yesterday, after a meeting with Hashim Thaçi, that the council should serve the so-called provisional government of Kosovo, as its assistant. Through a verbal maneuver, Mr. Milo made it clear that official Tirana has no intention of abandoning its effort to divide Kosovo’s factors and is now firmly committed to supporting what it created itself, called the “Thaçi” government. Apparently, efforts to that end are also underway, and the only compensation official Tirana is seeking from the international community for the critical refugee crisis is support for its own scheme to bring Rexhep Qosja and the other Marxist-Leninists to power after the war. The idea of a National Security Council for Kosovo is not new; it was put forward more than a year ago as a concrete possibility for unifying the Albanian factor. More than an opportunity to balance forces, it is essentially intended to ensure that no one, including Kosovo’s “radical” leftists, is left unrepresented in talks on Kosovo’s future, so that they have no opportunity for the “patriotic” propaganda they have been making noise about for more than 9 years. Most of the composition of the Albanian delegation at Rambouillet, where the “patriots” of national unity and liberation through armed uprising, led by Rexhep Qosja, signed Kosovo’s autonomy simply because Tirana promised them power in autonomous Kosovo, is an example of how false their patriotism was. These so-called radicals who “would unite all ethnic Albanian lands” in the Balkans not only signed—and at times signed temporary agreements—but are now, at Kosovo’s most critical moment, seeking to monopolize everything, thereby excluding the Serbs and Fatos Nano’s people from everything achieved in Kosovo over these years, with the aim of installing themselves in power as Enver’s successors. With Tirana’s unconditional support, its unrestrained propaganda offensive and concrete actions that cannot be erased so easily simply by dressing someone up as prime minister or minister, Kosovo’s usurpers call every step, action or initiative that recognizes them as the foremost representatives and saviors of Kosovo “cooperation and unification”; in this they do not care whether the terms are Government, National Council or Rambouillet. By rejecting the American suggestion to unify the Albanian factors in Kosovo, the government and Presidency demonstrate that they are determined to cling firmly to a policy of dividing Kosovo’s Albanians. Yesterday’s statements about uniting Kosovo’s Albanians in joint forums in Zoogjat represent the official stance toward the American suggestion. The international community’s institutional efforts to unify the Albanian factors are systematically obstructed by official Tirana, which, in pursuing its own course, disregards some of Kosovo’s factors and the effort at Rambouillet, and does everything possible to prevent the unification of the Albanian factor. The pro-Serb policy of the Kretes movement, represented by Paskal Milo and the Presidency, insists on keeping the Albanian factor divided in Kosovo to the very end and on helping Millosheviç as much as possible, while ignoring international proposals.

The Foreign Minister explains Tirana’s deception over the name National Security Council ON PAGE 3 The horrors of Kosovo

Dozens of Democrats arrested on the pretext that they were preparing the unrest announced by SHIK-u ON PAGE 3

the pretext that they were preparing the unrest announced by SHIK ON PAGE 3 SHIK ON PAGE 3 Thaçi, ready to give up Kosovo’s independence ON PAGE 3

AMC unionists go on strike. Privatization leaves them empty-handed ON PAGE 5

Fighting intensifies in western Kosovo. Serbs try to retake the positions they lost “What we can understand from our information is that the fighting is becoming very fierce and the KLA is managing to secure at least a second support route in this area,” a NATO spokesperson said ON PAGE 3

Berisha welcomes the decision of the NATO Council of Ambassadors The Democratic Party urges the Albanian government to declare itself ready to accept the additional contingent of NATO troops ON PAGE 3

A 40% pay rise is being demanded Failure to meet the demands of FSPTT unionists could lead to an unpaid strike ON PAGE 5

Today, 256 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 successors in the crime that shook the entire Albanian world. The government of the ex-communists who are throughout the Albanian world. The government of the ex-communists who are throughout the Albanian world... 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 successors in the crime that shook the entire Albanian world. The government of the ex-communists who are throughout the the Albanian world, of the criminal government that took the life of the December Leader, shows Albanians that they have embarked on an adventure of murder, with a name and an individual singled out, but it does not touch. The government, as well as all Albanians who loved and honored Azem Hajdari, cannot tolerate indifference to the murder. 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.

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Nobody knows them, even though they have spent donors’ money for years ON PAGE 2

The Tmaret of Kosovo arrive in Morinë

The Presidium of the Democratic Party is organizing a National Seminar on Saturday, 29.05.1999, at 10:30, on the topic “The engagement of local elected officials for arrivals from Kosovo: problems, solutions, experience”. All chairpersons of district, municipal and commune councils, and representatives of the political grouping “Union for Democracy”, are hereby notified that their participation in the Seminar is essential. PRESIDIUM OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ALBANIA

If you would like to contribute money to the exhausted children of Kosovo, you can send your contribution to account number 34220/00/0376 at “Dardania Bank”, in the name of the association: “The Children of Kosovo, Our Children”.

visit: www.albaniaonline.net (see page 5)