The city that regained its faith

Pages from Mitro Çela’s diary. Përmet: March ’91 - February 2000 Pages from Mitro Çela’s diary. Përmet: March ’91 - February 2000 The city that regained its faith on pages 12-13

The writer’s predicament

SCRIPTA Besnik MUSTAFAJ Following an interview I gave on a television channel in Tirana a few days ago, a writer and friend publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with me through a daily newspaper on page 19

Albright: Change the CEC quickly!

You have 6 to 8 weeks to reach a consensus on the elections. Albright ignores the constitution: “This parliament should deal with the police law” The US expresses concern about high-level corruption and crime in Albania on pages 2, 3, 4

We share the same concerns as Ms. Albright

By Sali BERISHA Once again, I would like to warmly welcome the visit to Albania of US Secretary of State Albright. This is a historic visit by a great and distinguished friend of the Albanian nation. I would like to take this opportunity to express once again to Ms. Albright my deepest gratitude for all her great commitment to the Albanians. President Clinton and Ms. Albright made every diplomatic and military effort to liberate Kosovo, and today Ms. Albright comes to Albania to affirm to the Albanian nation and Albania her friendly sentiments; she comes to Albania to thank the Albanians, who proved themselves to be the West’s Good Samaritans during the Kosovo crisis on page 3

Ranieri: “Crime rules in Albania”

Following Italian Finance Minister Visco, another senior Italian official, Mr. Umberto Ranieri, makes aid conditional on the fight against corruption. The ball is in Albania’s court on page 10

Today, a major rally in “Skënderbej” Square

“Union for Democracy” calls on the citizens of Tirana and all of Albania to gather today, February 20, 2000, in “Skënderbej” Square for the magnificent rally being organized to commemorate the day the communist symbols were toppled. Everyone in the square on Sunday at 12:00, to protest against the new blockades, the offspring of the dictatorship who are seeking to turn everything back. Let us protest against the government of thieves, which has plunged the country into misery once again and is leading it toward complete destruction. Everyone in the square on Sunday, February 20, at 12:00, to say stop to the destruction and bring back hope.

Hunger-striking students arrested

On the ninth anniversary of the fall of the dictatorship, Poçi’s police are like Hekuran Isai’s on page 15

The FRPD Congress convenes on April 8

on page 6

The truth about the “forgeries” in the State Archives

By Luan MALLTEZI on page 18

The sadness at 20:00

By Visar ZHITI on page 19

The government protects Azem Hajdari’s killers

Today, 519 days since Azem’s murder Every day that passes since the murder of Azem Hajdari, a symbol of democracy and pluralism, proves the involvement of Fatos Nano’s government and its successor in the crime that shocked all Albanians. The governments of the former communists, which leave the criminals who took the life of the December Leader free and undisturbed, show Albanians that they were and are on the side of the killers, who have names of their own but are untouchable by those in power. Democrats and all Albanians who loved and honored Azem Hajdari can never tolerate these facts. 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.