Communist celebrations on November 29 revive nostalgia for the dictator on page 5

on page 8

on page 6

Astrit PATOZI Albanian Prime Minister Ilir Meta officially acknowledged that the killers of Azem Hajdari are known to his state when, in a fit of anger, he asked Tirana's chief investigator to make their names public. In a harsh monologue following the scandal over tenders at the Ministry of Defense, Prime Minister Meta asked Tirana to find not only Azem Hajdari's killers, but also the killers of his killers. Meta's statement is extremely shocking because, regardless of his emotions and age, he is this country's prime minister, who is not only thought to have access to special information but is also highly responsible for what he says. The fact that the perpetrators who killed Azem Hajdari have themselves been killed means that he knows well the names of those who executed the Right-Wing Leader and that his state concealed them for a long time. Meta's statement appears to be a direct admission in response to the opposition's accusations, which has named specific people connected to Nano as the killers of the leader of the Democrats, Azem Hajdari. According to statements made public by the Democratic Party, several recent killings and attacks in Bajram Curri have been connected to the disappearance of witnesses to Azem Hajdari's murder. Prime Minister Meta told his ministers and the press the same thing, openly saying that those who shot at the leader of the Right on September 12 last year have now themselves been killed. Meta's unexpected statement appears to be a strong reaction against Fatos Nano's client, whom the current prime minister seems to regard as the most likely source of the attack against his government. By asking Agim Tirana to reveal the names of Azem's killers—a stain on Albanian politics—Meta seems to have Fatos Nano in mind, as someone hiding behind the capital's chief investigator. Indirectly, Meta accuses Nano of having inspired the murder that shook the entire Albanian world; but whereas until recently only the opposition said this, now the Albanian prime minister himself is acknowledging it. Now that the cards have been laid on the table, Meta cannot excuse himself by claiming he lost his temper in a moment of crisis, especially when making a grave accusation against an emotional person, because nobody cares about his emotional state when someone touches Hajdaraga. He currently has two options: either to name Azem's killers and point the finger at those who ordered and committed the heinous crime, or to retract what he said, admitting that he is irresponsible. In the first case, he also cannot escape responsibility for not having been part of the plot to execute the Right-Wing Leader, since, as an important politician at the very top of the executive, he cannot be excused on the grounds that he knew but remained silent. Now, for the few left-wing fantasists who have suggested there may be a political motive behind Azem Hajdari's murder, there can be no further doubt. Their own prime minister is saying so, regardless of whom he has directed his accusations against. Naming the people who killed Azem is now much easier than solving a simple children's riddle: all you have to do is put together what Meta says with the recent killings in Tropojë.

Lynchings are threatened against all officials who expose government officials' corruption Corruption throws the prime minister off balance on page 3

The President was aware of the thefts at the Ministry of Defense on page 3

General Cikalleshi speaks: Meta's statement was a text prepared by Hajdaraga on page 4

Year IX of publication No. (2401) TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1999 Price: 20 lek (250 drachmas) EDITORIAL OFFICE ADDRESS: 10 “Xhorxhi Martini” St. - Tel: 323 - 55 / Tel & Fax: 303-29 / (Marketing) 323 - 57 E-mail: gazetar@albaniaonline.net and rildem@icc.al.eu.org Account No.: 5092/116 - BKT No. 1, Tirana Editor-in-chief: Astrit PATOZI Deputy editors-in-chief: Sami NEZA, Shemsi PEPOŞHI