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Azem Hajdari

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Azem Hajdari
Member of Albanian parliament
In office
1991 – 2001 (1998)
DeputyAssembly of the Republic of Albania
Chairman of the Defense Parliamentary Commission
Personal details
Born200px
(1963-03-11)March 11, 1963
Bajram Curri, Tropojë, Albania
DiedSeptember 12, 1998(1998-09-12) (aged 35)
Tirana, Albania
Resting place200px
center
Political partyDemocratic Party
SpousesFatmira Hajdari[1]
Parent
  • 200px
  • center
Alma materUniversity of Tirana
Professionphilosophy
Signature

Azem Shpend Hajdari (Template:IPAc-sq, March 11, 1963 – September 12, 1998) was the leader of the student's movement in 1990–1991 that overthrew communism in Albania. He then became an Albanian politician of the Democratic Party. He was assassinated in Tirana. Together with Sali Berisha they symbolize the start of the democratic era in Albania.[2][3] He was before his assassination Chairman of the Defense Parliamentary Commission.

On 2 October, 1998 Hajdari was decorated posthumously with the Honorary citizenship of Tirana,[4] while in 2007 he was decorated with the Skanderbeg's Order by president Bamir Topi.[1]


Background

Personal history

A philosophy student at the University of Tirana, he was one of the main leaders of student demonstrations that brought the collapse of the Party of Labour of Albania in December 1990. He was also, briefly, the first leader of the Democratic Party of Albania, the first major opposition party. He remained in that position until replaced in early 1991 by Sali Berisha, who later became prime minister of Albania.

Hajdari was a close associate of Berisha and came from the same district of Tropojë.

Students protest

Main article: Fall of communism in Albania

Hajdari was the leader of the student protests what led to the Fall of communism in Albania.[5]

Attacks on Azem Hajdari

Tropojë Attack

At about 22:30, Hajdari and Minarolli-Vice-Chairman of the Media Parliamentary Commission were ambushed in the town and their car was shot with tens of bullets, two of which wounded gravely the ex-General Director of the Albanian Radio and TV, Bardhyl Pollo, who was in the same car with them.

Azem Hajdari shot in Parlement

On 18 September 1997 Azem Hajdari got involved in a fight with Mazreku, a Member of Parliament of the Prime Minister Fatos Nano's governing Socialist Party.[6] Azem Hajdari was shot with five bullets in a dispute over a rise in the rate of value added tax. Two days later Hajdari was seriously injured when Mazreku shot him in parliament several times. Although the opposition portrayed the shooting as part of a political campaign against the Democratic Party, it had every appearance of a revenge attack and Mazreku was sentenced to eight years imprisonment in parliament.[7][8][9][10][11]

Mazreku opened fire only five metres from the door of the plenary sessions hall and, after injuring Hajdari, with the pistol in his hand ran through the hall shouting. Hajdari was immediately rushed to hospital, while Mazreku left parliament and entered the ATA building, less than 400 metres from the assembly building, claiming he had not shot the Democratic Party deputy.

He was surrendered to the Commissariat 1 Police Forces, which also sequestered the weapon of the crime.

Hajdari was taken to hospital in a grave condition. Hajdari had a fight with Mazreku two days before the shooting at a parliamentary session.[12] The situation at the military hospital was very tense. Present at the hospital was almost all the DP parliamentary group and the leader of this party, Sali Berisha.

Assassination

Azem Hajdari, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen as he stepped out of the Party’s office in Tirana. His assassination in front of the headquarters of the Democratic Party in Tirana, by 3 males. Hajdari was guarded by two bodyguards, while the 3 males stepped out of the building the 3 males stepped outside the car parked on the left side of the park ahead of the headquarters. He was guarded by Besim Çera and Zenel Neza. Besim Çera was killed wile Zenel Neza survived the killing.[13]

Then in opposition, triggered a two-day violent protest. Demonstrators took over the parliament, the government building and the national television before withdrawing. Berisha blamed the Socialist Party of Albania and its leaders for the murder, there were several demonstrations, some of them violent. No one was convicted of Hajdari's murder, although many people were eventually fingered as having participated in his assassination.

Five people, including Jaho Mulosmani, were sentenced for the murder by a Tirana district court in February 2002.

Hajdari was survived by his wife and two children. He was awarded a Martyr of Democracy posthumously.

Zenel Neza asked asylum in the United States.[14]

Reaction

The killing on Saturday sparked riots on Sunday and Monday in the capital, Tirana. The Democratic Party took as reaction temporary control over the parliament building, the offices of the prime minister and the state-owned television and radio station.[15]

I'll continue the battle from whatever cell they put me in, Sali Berisha said today, repeating comments he made before the vote to about 3,000 people in central Skanderbeg Square. I have decided to resist. I have decided not to negotiate.[16]

Education

Political activity

  • December 1990 – February 1991 – Leader of the students' movement which overthrew communism in Albania
  • December 1990 – February 1991 – Chairman of the Leading Commission of the Democratic Party (the first opposition party after 50 years of totalitarian regime)
  • February 1991 – September 1993 – Deputy-Chairman of the Democratic Party, Member of the Steering Committee.

Public service

In the four free elections after the collapse of communism, Hajdari has been elected a Member of Parliament.

  • March 31, 1991 MP of Shkodër
  • March 22, 1992 MP of Shijak
  • May 26, 1996 MP of Bulqizë
  • June 29, 1997 MP of Tropojë
  • 1992 – 1996 Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on the Public Order and the National Intelligence Service.
  • 1996 Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on the Public Order and the National Intelligence Service.
  • November 1996 President of the United Independent Albanian Trade Unions.
  • June 1997 Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission of Defense.
  • From 1995 – on President of the Vllaznia Football Club, the first sports club in Albania, since the beginning of the century.
  • President of the Albanian Federation of Martial arts.

Awards

See also

Further Reading

Wikiquote has quotations related to Azem Hajdari.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Fatmira Hajdari: Pse duhet rihetuar vrasja e Azemit". Shekulli.
  2. ^ New York Times about Azem Hajdari "Azem Hajdari". NY Times. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  3. ^ "Who Killed Azem Hajdari". dissidentvoice.org.
  4. ^ a b "Azem Hajdari" (PDF). Tirana gov]. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-azem-hajdari-1199987.html
  6. ^ http://www.mapo.al/index.php?z=lexo&category=0&id=1833&titulli=azem-hajdari-te-gjitha-detajet-e-vrasjes-se-shekullit
  7. ^ Azem Hajdari Shot in parlament
  8. ^ Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States Europa Publications Limited, p.111
  9. ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-azem-hajdari-1199987.html
  10. ^ East European Constitutional Review (vol. 6, numb.4, Fall 1997, p.4)
  11. ^ rferl.org about Mazreku
  12. ^ Azem Hajdari and Gafur Mazreku fight
  13. ^ [1]
  14. ^ [2]
  15. ^ http://books.google.nl/books?id=L7PBtDujYt0C&pg=PA94&dq=azem+hajdari+tirana&hl=nl&ei=fLDSTZrHEI2gOt61oYIL&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=azem%20hajdari%20tirana&f=false
  16. ^ Albanians Clear the Way For the Arrest Of Ex-President, Published: September 19, 1998 NY Times

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