The servile is closed with “puçe” and “bashibozukë” The chairman of the PS and Rakipi announce the prime minister’s invitation

Berisha meets the head of the EU Monitoring Commission on page 5

The remand period expires. The prosecution has no evidence for the “coup d'état” on page 7

Arjan Starova: on page 2

editorial The morality tenders By Halit SHAMATA The slippery Socialist government, turned into a paradise for criminals, smugglers, thieves and traffickers, each with their own interests, still seeks to keep under its claws the most important part of the Albanian constitution - freedom of speech and of the media. Has this power gone mad? Has its patience run out and its cup overflowed with the journalists who tell us the truth about its institutions, with slogans like “the government cannot play the role of the state”, with the thefts from institutions, for a criminal state or for a “high-level corruption”? And what about the institutions of the so-called “international community” jumping in to censor the independent press? (against its will? or a sin?). All this, tied to the “faith” in their words about freedom of the press, “good governance” and “democracy”, makes us ask whether the road to censorship is not being sealed once again, as we knew it under the dictatorship. All those who dare to be independent, to write differently from official propaganda, become targets. Today, 444 days after the murder of Azem Hajdari, the government covers the lines of failure with a new attack on free speech. Ruling on a foundation of crime and anti-state practices, this majority fears the light of the independent media and tries to replace it with the obedient voice of the court. on page 3

on page 7

The loan that was to shelter the pyramid scheme violators changes destination on page 9

Abdi Baleta: the prime minister, penalized for failure to report a crime on page 2

The government covers the lines of failure of an anti-Albanian and anti-national power

Year IX of publication No. (2404) 3 DECEMBER 1999 Price 30 lek (500 drachmas) Editor-in-Chief Astrit PATOZI Deputy Editors-in-Chief Sami NEZA, Shensi PEPOSHI EDITORIAL ADDRESS Rr. Mustafa Matohiti, No. 33-35, TIRANA Tel: 223-874, 228-335, 225-257 E-mail: rd@albaniaonline.com / rd@idemo.cite.al.org Account No. 60231-78 - BKT No. 1 Tirana

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