5 hours of terror to force an admission of the “assassination attempt” against Meta

PD Krujë Secretary Arben Muho speaks after being released from the police station cells on page 2

60 injured in Tropojë

Tragic toll of Ilir Meta’s massacre on page 10

Why haven’t we knocked on Mr. Ahrens’s door?

Astrit PATOZI The OSCE ambassador in Tiranë, Mr. Gert Ahrens, set aside his characteristic reserve and the ethics of a diplomat to express his deep antipathy toward the newspaper “Rilindja Demokratike”. on page 5 June elections

Ngjela: “CEC, in court”

The opposition calls for those who violated the law during the electoral process to be punished on page 3 On the 38th day of the protest for the freedom to vote, thousands of Democrats fill “Skënderbej” Square

The dangerous game with democracy

By Bardhyl LONDO Within a very short period, the positions and statements of the Socialist leaders and those who support them have undergone, and continue to undergo, strange changes that are diametrically opposed to what those same figures said and declared just a week earlier. Everyone remembers the positions taken by Nano, Meta, Gjinushi, etc., when the opposition called for a change to the CEC; they would not even accept it. Now it turns out that they too, and the party to which they belong, support changing the composition of this discredited and highly contentious body. The opposition called for a change to the Electoral Code, and it was those same people and the same parties who called this Electoral Code perfect and the product of “model cooperation between today’s majority and the international community.” Now those same people and political groups are calling for and proposing precisely what the opposition had demanded even before the October 1 elections. (continued on page 3)

The June elections begin on October 1

Sokol OLLDASHI Fotaq Nano yesterday reaffirmed, on behalf of the Socialist Party’s grassroots organization on the Central Election Commission, that he has no intention of resigning, thereby attempting to turn the entire issue surrounding the postponement of the October 1 electoral process into a problem of names or individuals who are anonymous, in any case on page 5

The manipulator is Ilir Meta

Vlora: Let’s bring down the prime minister Powerful protests throughout Albania on page 7

The price of gas will go down in spring

The government has mocked the citizens on page 9

From shackles to the pen

Visar Zhiti From shackles to the pen — an account of fellow sufferer Leonidha Mishtari — on pages 20–21

Year 10 of publication No. (2717) SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2000 Price: 20 lekë (250 drachmas) ADDRESS: Near the PD headquarters Tel.: 2323 55 and 2323 57 Tel&Fax: 2303 29 Account No.: 5092/116 - BKT No. 1, Tiranë Internet address: www.rilindjademokratike.com and E-mail: gazetar@albani(a)online.net Editor-in-chief Astrit PATOZI

The government protects Azem’s killers

Sol, 8/16 days since the murder of the December leader 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 all Albanians. The government must either capture the criminals and bring them to justice, or publicly testify that it itself committed the murder of Azem Hajdari.