Haki Kraja, lawyer for Genc Tafili, denounces the manipulation of the case file in the murder of the former Shkodër police director Haki Kraja: As far as I know, and according to the documents filed in this case, it appears that the body of Colonel Zylyftari was not examined. Meanwhile, the Prosecutor’s Office claims it examined the bullet found in Zylyftari’s body, and that examination shows signs of fracture on the bullet on page 9

USA, concern over the grave political situation after October 1 on page 4

By Astrit PATOZI Most Albanian families welcomed the 2000th anniversary of Christ’s birth in complete darkness, and

The KESH priest breaks his promise to bring lights for the holidays

By Bardhyl LONDO There is now no doubt that the issue of the Central Election Commission is the Gordian Knot not only of Albanian politics, but at the same time also of the—

very few of them believed the age-old, threadbare fairy tale that the lack of rain was to blame. Such darkness had not been seen in this country since the first power plants began to be installed in Albania at the beginning of the century. But, as if to add even more to the anger caused by the lack of electricity, just as the lights come back on after the shock from Ilir Meta, who is at the head of KESH on page 5

Nebil ÇIKA A few days ago I met an Albanian emigrant in one of the countries of Western Europe, who was very worried because he saw that in Albania there was no control, not even any fear of what is terrifying Europe every day and filling the front pages of newspapers and the main part of news broadcasts: “mad cow disease.” on page 6

Message from the Chairman of the PD, Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha, on the occasion of the Christmas holiday on page 3

There is no doubt now that the issue of the Central Election Commission is the Gordian Knot not only of Albanian politics, but also of the degree of emancipation, democratic development, and the desire—or lack of desire—to move it forward or to restrain and turn it back. By Bardhyl LONDO There is no doubt now Gordian Knot not only of Albanian politics, but also of the degree of emancipation, democratic development, and the desire—or lack of desire—to move it forward or to restrain and turn it back. Now even those who devised this discredited commission are, in a way, ashamed of it and are determined to seek and work for its replacement. Even those representatives of foreign organizations in Albania who either defended it fanatically or fell into the trap of the leftist majority have finally become convinced and accepted that this body must at last be replaced. The only one who remains steadfast in his position and makes every desperate effort to keep this commission is President Meidani, who may even award its architects the title with the ridiculous name “Master of Labor.” But could it have happened otherwise? Meidani has always shown that he is willing to be identified, even symbolically, with the most backward and outdated part of Albanian society. Time has shown that not only does he have a marked lack of education to understand what is happening and the consequences of what happens, but even when he manages to understand something, he reacts in a way that a president should never react. What further compounds Meidani’s relationship with what is happening in Albanian society is the fact that his team of advisers is, in its overwhelming majority, made up of people with inadequate backgrounds, with some of the lowest intellectual authority in today’s Albanian society, and who arrived there by means and methods among the strangest and most unacceptable for a presidential team. Continued on page 5

Today, 835 days since the murder of the right-wing 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 the entire Albanian world. The government ... does not seem to be doing or bringing out ... the criminals, or must ... The public carrying out of ... is itself the one that committed the murder. Azem Hajdari