THE PRESIDENT MEJDANI MEETS UÇK LEADERS Hashim Thaçi in Tirana TIRANA—The President of the Republic, Prof. Dr. Rezhep Mejdani, received the head of the Albanian delegation in Rambouillet, Mr. Hashim Thaçi, who was accompanied by a member of the delegation, Xhavit Haliti. During this very warm meeting, President Mejdani expressed his personal support and the government’s decision to assist Kosovo’s liberation movement. He assured them of the full support of the state and the entire Albanian people throughout this process, for all Albanians and for the stability of the region. He praised Mr. Thaçi’s role as the UÇK representative in these talks. The President of the Republic suggested that any government action or political decision must necessarily take into account the preservation of international support, and especially that of the USA. The UÇK representatives in Rambouillet personally thanked the Head of the Albanian State and the government for the assistance and support provided before and during the Rambouillet Conference. They expressed their satisfaction at the agreement reached to put an end to violence and Serbian genocide in Kosovo, describing NATO’s presence as an objective necessity for its implementation. Mr. Thaçi also briefed President Mejdani on further developments and broad cooperation with the Albanian factor in Kosovo. Mejdani: You need the support of the USA Hashim Thaçi, head of the Albanian delegation in Rambouillet

Judges are pardoning killers. Three in just a few days TIRANA—While the cases of Zani, Kakami, Gaxhai, etc. are currently being tried, the court has closed the case against the Dardha gang. The case against this gang, for which the prosecution had charged Agron Bilali and Gëzim Kasemi as accomplices of Dardha and participants in the killing of four people and the wounding of two others on February 25, 1998, was closed by the court with a ruling acquitting the members. One of the prosecutors in the case, Flamur Begu, who had sought 25 years’ imprisonment for each of the accused, requested that the immunity of lawyer Shaqir Hasani, chairman of the trial panel in the Dardha criminal case, be lifted. One of this court’s scandals was its ruling on the terrorist Mohamed Fonda (Al Nagar) and his three accomplices. Judge Fatmira Laska acquitted the terrorist, even though police authorities had found weapons and forged seals in his residence. Immediately after this ruling, he was declared persona “non grata” in Albania.

TIRANA—According to operational reports from the General Directorate of Taxes, the nationwide tax revenue target for January and February of this year has been met at 98 percent. During February, the Shkodra branch achieved 152.8% of its target, the Berat branch 140.9%, and the Gjirokastra branch 131%, while the Tirana branch, where the largest number of businesses is concentrated, reached 110.2 percent. During the two-month period, 10,748 packs of cigarettes and 3,005 liters of various beverages were seized, and fines totaling 736,000 lekë were imposed. The revenue target would have been much higher if several large state-owned enterprises had met their tax obligations. Thus, Albpetrol, facing difficulties because of maintenance work, did not pay taxes for January; KESH, Albkrom, Albakri, etc. have likewise failed to pay because of financial difficulties. The General Directorate of Taxes has taken measures to ensure that all outstanding obligations are settled by the end of March 1999. During the last days of February, all district tax offices continued working intensively to register businesses for 1999. Saturdays and Sundays were also worked. Since requests for registration are still coming in, work is continuing, but independent businesses of this kind will be penalized with the fine prescribed for failure to meet the deadline, which expired on February 28. According to operational data, business registration is 2–3 percent higher than during the same period last year.

THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE DIARY PS on the threshold of the International The participation in the proceedings of the conference of European left-wing parties in Milan by a delegation comprising the highest-ranking figures of the PS also signals this party’s entry alongside other left-wing parties into the Socialist International as a full member. 01.03.1999, SHKODËR, DURRËS, ELBASAN, KORÇË, THE SOUTH

Eight ships and 400 meters of quay are blocked at the eastern quay of the Port of Durrës PAGE 6

GRAMSH—On the day the chief of the Gramsh police station received his transfer order, he and his officers arrested two masked men who had appeared unexpectedly on Saturday. PAGE 8

VLORE—None of the stolen cars has been returned to its owner PAGE 7

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