The political-judicial farce of the prime minister’s wife against “RD” continues on page 4

The capital’s Democrats will not take part in the runoff on page 8

The first and major objective of the DP remains restoring Albanian citizens’ right to vote as free people, like all the citizens of this continent Berisha meets the OSCE ambassador. To Abrenës: The vital articles of the Code have been violated. on page 3

The heroes of the red-and-black national team, who gave us that wonderful match against Greece on Wednesday, were pushed into the background, as people from politics tried to steal their victories. As if Bushi, Fakaj and their teammates had not scored the goals, Albanian sports fans saw the faces of Ilir Meta and Edi Rama on every corner of their screens. It was as if those players and that team, who had earned the victory, had not been responsible for that brilliant performance and, above all, that result, but rather the government of Ilir Meta and the care of the Ministry of Culture. Well, this was too much. This is what you call stealing and privatizing even the most apolitical asset of a country, namely sport, and football in particular. Such a thing did not happen even during the dictatorship, when sport and culture, like everything else, were genuinely under the direct influence of politics. Albania also won important matches back then, but the apparatchiks of the dictatorship of the proletariat never went so far as to claim that when the national football team won, the credit belonged to the Labour Party, led by Comrade Enver Hoxha. Our national team beat Belgium in 1995 in an unforgettable match, but the “leadership” of the time did not go so far as to use that victory politically; it let the people of football and Albania’s passionate sports fans enjoy it. Neither Adil Çarçani nor Ramiz Alia appeared on television to take credit for the victory; they left that to Arben Minga and Shkëlqim Muça. And Belgium back then was a much stronger team than Greece last night. This certainly cannot diminish the wonderful victory of the Albanian national team. Our national team did not win for Edi Rama, or Ilir Meta, or Sali Berisha. It won for those thousands of passionate sports fans who know how to distinguish that love from false, belated patriotism, and who know how to distinguish sport, which belongs to everyone, from the politics of a group of people. The boys of the red-and-black national team won, of course, so that more Albanians could rejoice beneath their flag and there would be fewer repulsive, takozmopolitë [sic] thieves, ready to steal even a piece of the flag and take it to their homes. Those who tried to shamefully exploit the national team’s victory are the same people who really stole Albanians’ money through their power—the very ones who robbed the State Treasury, and the very ones who stole Albanians’ votes on October 1. And as if last night’s masquerade were not enough, the charlatan Minister of Culture, who shoveled up the votes of Tirana’s residents on October 1, had taken on the former role of Miti Tonë in penalizing the daily press. Also assisted by the all-time lackey at State Television, with the Soviet name Timeshko, he attacked the newspaper “RD” because, according to him, it had not followed Ilir Meta’s instructions on covering the match against Greece. We wholeheartedly wish our national team further success, while also hoping it will have as little as possible to do with such monsters. They are very dangerous. They tried to steal football too. A.P.

By Astrit PATOZI Nearly two weeks after the first phase of the October 1 electoral farce ended, the only people to have spoken out in favor of free and fair elections are the chairman of the CEC, Fotaq Nano, and the American ambassador in Tirana, Xhozef Limpreht. The difference between them is that the former is known as a Socialist Party activist and cousin of its chairman, Fatos Nano, whereas the latter, at least, has all the guarantees on page 2

The government protects Azem’s murderers Every day that passes since the murder of Azem Hajdari proves the involvement of Fatos Nano’s government and its successors in the crime that shook the entire Albanian world. 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.

CEC member challenges the October 1 elections on page 5

The head of the Lac PS thanks Meksi for Meta’s speech Yesterday, the head of the Lac PS, Ndue Marashi, thanked former Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi for the speech delivered yesterday at the Lac meeting by the PS prime minister, Ilir Meta. Marashi spoke immediately after the head of the executive, during the meeting held in Lac as part of the campaign for the second round of local elections. “I thank Prime Minister Meksi for the speech and the messages he gave,” the head of the Lac PS told those present, who burst out laughing. The head of the Lac PS then made many promises that would be fulfilled in cooperation with the Meksi government. Irritated because even the head of the Lac PS did not believe him to be prime minister, Meta is expected to file a lawsuit against Marashi for misleading public opinion. Korçë: PS, a mafia boss for mayor on page 7