On Sunday morning, at the PRSH headquarters, Mr Sabri Godo, chairman of the PRSH, received the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geza Jesenski, on the occasion of his visit to our country. Mr Geza Jesenski was accompanied by the members of the delegation he headed, as well as by the Hungarian ambassador to our country. The Republican Parliament was also represented at this working meeting by the PRSH deputy chairman, Mr Zef Bushati, and the members of the Steering Committee, Messrs Cerciz Min-gomataj, head of the foreign affairs section; Petro Dhimitri, editor-in-chief of the newspaper «Republika»; and Aleksandër Çina. After informing his Hungarian guest about the situation in Albania, the Republican Party’s views on this situation, and our position on the Yugoslav crisis and the issue of our Kosovar brothers, Mr Sabri Godo outlined the Republican Party’s programme and positions. He also expressed his great appreciation for the assistance Hungary has given us and the friendship it has offered us, as a country that has already gone through these difficulties. We can learn a great deal from its experience, without needing to conduct experiments. Mr Geza Jesenski also valued the friendship between the two peoples and expressed his readiness to see our relations grow stronger, and for Hungarian friendships to provide concrete help in moving from a centralised economy to a market economy, so that we do not make the mistakes they themselves had identified. The meeting was marked by a sincere, friendly spirit and a strong willingness to cooperate. • • • At his meeting with the press at the Hungarian embassy, Mr Geza Jesenski also expressed his pleasure at having made the visit, saying that hearing about a country from others is one thing, while coming and seeing the situation for oneself and meeting the people is another. Thus, he left with a positive personal view of Albania’s future. Among other things, he said: «In Albania I was received as a friend. I sympathise with your plight and will help. Many Hungarians will come to share our experience of changing from one system to another.»

That the Communists, despite winning the elections, cannot govern the country became clear, and every Albanian now knows it well. The opposition did the right thing at that moment by agreeing to a coalition in order to take part in government together with the Communists, but it is now clear that this was a serious mistake. The country was indeed at risk of civil war, but, given the catastrophic economic situation of those in power, such a conflict was more likely to be avoided than to occur. And had the coalition not been accepted, the Labour Party, which had repainted its name as the Socialist Party, would necessarily have been forced to hold new elections, even without taking part in general government. And if it had not done so itself, it would have been compelled by the opposition and the broad masses of the people, in which the independent trade unions play a leading role. But let us not lament what happened; let us consider why every honest Albanian today, outside party interests or the pursuit of a position, regards early elections as necessary—as the only path to Albania’s salvation. First, as regards the economy, there is much talk of reform, agreements, investment and new laws. In fact, the Communists themselves spoke about these things more than a year ago. The result of all this smoke and mirrors: not even the beginning of work on any serious project, not a single major undertaking worth mentioning; only a few small things have been achieved, and they are not worth discussing because they do not improve the situation. As regards legislation, we have a parliament that everyone admits is not worthy of the political forces represented in it. Although it is a legislative body, only four or five deputies have a legal background. Agronomists and doctors predominate. However much respect we have for the work of these specialists in the vital fields where they contribute, they cannot be the cream of our legislative and political society; hence many of them have either remained silent or struck the wrong note. Indeed, in some sessions, besides the nervousness, there have been scenes that show the parliament is no longer what it once was. In other words, there is a new «organisation», but in an outdated suit, because the situation changed faster than the two main parties thought it would. Could things have been done differently? Certainly. Since they are the main forces, according to the election results we know, things had to be done that way, although life does not entirely accept that arrangement. It would have been much better to allocate these positions by voting, in free elections by the people. Then the balance of forces would truly have become apparent, and each choice would have been answerable to the voters. This would also have avoided cases in which, for the sake of party representation, incapable people were appointed simply because a particular position had to go to one party or another. In this way, the people were not given the opportunity to choose for themselves the people who would lead them and deal with their problems. For these reasons, and many others that cannot possibly be analysed within the scope of a single article, our badly assembled state machine has ground to a halt. The facts are evident both in industry, which is in agony under the 80 per cent burden suffocating it, and in agriculture, where the land law, after all that prolonged parliamentary debate and the government’s delays over ownership, is still not being implemented. And what can we say about its positive effects! Life will show what shortcomings it has, although we hope it is perfect, since we have tasted to the marrow the bitter consequences of experiments carried out at our expense. From these arguments, together with the loss of faith in the future—but certainly not because Albanians do not want to work (for that is untrue; we are not a people that dislikes work)—the question arises of its own accord: what are we waiting for, and why can no wise man decide to bring the elections forward, so as to prevent excesses? Patience always has its limits, and the practice of opening the valve by organising mass departures has now gone badly wrong. But this responsibility belongs to the president. He, too, has his own worries. First, he cannot escape the constraints imposed on him by being a Communist, and, even more than those, by the responsibility he bears for his own abuses and those of his fellow members of the bloc. Therefore he remains silent and seeks to prolong his personal rule as much as possible, even though this is against the interests of the Homeland. Likewise, early elections do not suit the Socialist Party, given the tragic blows it has suffered because of Enver Hoxha’s monstrous deeds, the bitter reality of mass poverty—created by the Communist system it defended—and the need to let the echoes of the former Communist leaders’ monstrous abuses die down a little. It will ...

On Sunday, Mr Sabri Godo, chairman of the PRSH, also received at the party headquarters a group from the US National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, headed by Tomas O. Melia, director of programmes at that institute. Also present at the reception were Mr Vangjush Gambeta newspaper «Republika», Maksim Havjari, chairman of the PR branch for Tirana, and Aleksandër Gj…ma. Mr Sabri Godo informed the American guests about the country’s grave economic and socio-political situation and about the concrete work they wished to offer us, given that this delegation was to help our Parliament with various technical and organisational aspects of drafting legislation that would ensure the conditions for the transition to a market economy. The meeting had a visibly friendly spirit. At a time when respect they demand legislative and political society; consequently, many of them have either been besides the nervousness, there have been scenes that professional comedy troupes might envy. In short, we can no longer go on with this parliament, because it does not reflect the major changes the electorate has undergone. But if we leave that sacred hall and look at the state structure to see what has changed, we will find the same state as under the one-party system. The same bureaucratic organisation, the same titles and practices. Although opposition ministers are in some ministries, the entire apparatus remains as it was. Even when pluralism was extended to the district executive committees and down to the people’s councils in the villages, things were done according to the results of the 31 March elections, with the Socialist Party and the Democratic Party taking the lion’s share. This was at a time when the balance of political forces in the country was different. And from the Albanian’s desire to work (because it is untrue that we are a people who dislike work), the for, forward, now been thoroughly discredited. those, Enver Hoxha’s monstrous deeds, the bitter reality of mass poverty, created by the Communist system it defended, and leaders’ monstrous abuses die down a little. It will ...

On Sunday, 1.9.1991, a meeting was held to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Albanian-American technical school in Albania. The meeting was organised by former students, specialists and in-

Yesterday, 4.9.1991, the Republican Party organised a national consultation on the land law, attended by representatives of PR branches and agricultural specialists from various districts of the country. The Secretary of the Council of Ministers, Mr Teodor Kareco, etc., had also been invited. The chairman of the PRSH, Mr Sabri Godo, also took part in the consultation. The consultation was opened by the PR deputy chairman, Mr Vangjush Gambeta, who, after explaining its purpose, stressed that the PR felt it necessary to seek the participants’ views on the problems currently troubling the countryside in connection with the land law. The speakers who then took the floor were N. Kurti, Sh. Ferra, B. Pistulli, P. Elezi, P. Pali, F. Çollaku, R. Xhorxhe, V. Prifti, Sh. Krasniqi, H. Çobani, A. Cici, etc. It was agreed that a resolution be drafted containing the most rational views expressed by the participants and the rights of those who had acquired them, which would help the PR develop its agrarian programme. Correspondent of «Republika»

Some time ago, in the newspaper «Zëri i Popullit», Vladimir Mece, who calls himself chairman of the Albania–Israel Friendship Association, published the article «Albanians and Israelis» (notes). The author mentions the name of a certain [word unclear] for Israel, because he does not know that this word is Turkish and means «shirt». It is an insulting word that neither Arabs nor Palestinians use against Israelis. Nevertheless, the self-proclaimed chairman of this association can go on writing zealously. But who is this Vladimir Meçia, who apparently has such close ties with Israel and the Israelis? Is he Israeli? Is he Arab? Is he from an Israeli family? Is he one or two Albanians (klakë?). No. He is simply Albanian. Moreover, he is an employee of the State Security service and has even held important posts, such as military attaché at the Albanian embassy and, before or after that, secretary of the neighbourhood in the magazine «Në shërbim të popullit». Could this man have been put at the head of this association because the Security service has been given special duties regarding Israel? That is not very credible. It is more plausible to suppose that this man is a great admirer [?] of the Jews, a great friend of the Jews himself, in order to obtain personal benefits, such as ties with a wealthy state and a passion for connections with a small but rich state, which [corrupt/unclear text] the state of the Israelis, just as the Nazis [corrupt/unclear text] handed over [corrupt/unclear text] to the Nazis [corrupt/unclear text] Israeli. We have also learned that ... ...nda by us, ...con that ...ventively also ... decides ... request of ... and for ...noventilatorit ... his to ...humidity ... thus has ...now, as if ... goes and ... 4 months ... of the import. ... in the initiative ...oponat ...rise ... whole ...entire ...event ... to ... but ... Point ... Zila ...insists ...Them ...

A few months ago, a «Fiat» with Tirana plates had a fault in its fuel tank. Anyone who knows the trade knows that this fault, while the car is moving, «provokes» bangs resembling those of a revolver or automatic weapon. As the Tirana «Fiat» drove through Lezhë, it began «firing»: bang, bang, bang!... The people of Lezhë got up in fright. The police officer on duty assumed that the «group of dark forces» was attacking the martyrs’ cemetery and hurried to notify his superiors by radio: — Hello! Do you read me? A small car, a «Fiat», is firing a gun! The superior in Lezhë alerted Milot. — Do you hear me, Milot? Stop the «Fiat» from Tirana urgently, as they are armed and have «dark, destructive» intentions. And the Milot policemen passed their superiors’ order further along, while the «Fiat» continued on its way in peace, with its fault, «firing» at Dhembën and Borizanë, as the policemen radioed their superiors to sound the alarm. And in Fushë-Krujë the «Fiat» fired five times. At first glance, the scene we have described may seem easy and even amusing, but if you look deeper, it gives you pause for thought. We mention this incident to show that our police, or those responsible for maintaining public order, do not have even the slightest modern means of identifying a perfectly ordinary incident. Strangely, such cases have become very common. For example, a few days ago, in the town of Fushë-Krujë, on a sultry August afternoon when people were enjoying their meagre Sunday rest, the «Aro» belonging to the Derven Agricultural Enterprise, «M. Kac[a]çi», began «cracking». Frightened people came out onto their balconies, moved the curtains, opened the windows and stuck out their heads. I read in their eyes: — Do you want to take another Sunday away from us?! Aren’t all the other days enough for you? And so, in Fushë-Krujë, in the August heat and amid the «gunfire», the black market goes on from the lack of goods until late in the evening. Tired, blackened and sweaty men pushing little carts across the square full of stones and potholes; elderly women of Krujë sitting on the ground in front of their «wealth» of goods—trestle tables brought from Tirana and elsewhere—advertising their merchandise. In a corner, a broken-down bus with its wheels removed has been turned into a «shop»; the dense dust is covered by dozens of [?] [text unclear] police. We meet the service officers, Fadil and Gezim, amid the great commotion: — We have been posted here on duty for two weeks now, because our staff is short here in Fushë-Krujë (heaven knows what went on before, when there was no police). But what are these two policemen doing? What do their expressions say? Fadil, for example, has no batons; Gezim is changing house. In fact, in situations like these, monotonous and tiresome as they are, people quite reasonably ask: — What is going on?! Will we ever have peace? When will the black market finally be stopped? Honest citizens, not without reason, raise issues in various letters addressed to «Republika», but our «asphyxiated» parliament still provides no answers... The poor and patient people wait. They watch on TV, late into the night, the scenes: «The delegation arrived at Rinas today...» «Today Mr So-and-so departed from Rinas...» «Today the President received...» «Today the Prime Minister saw off...» and so on. Feed the poor people, (though they queue at the bakeries for bread). And the President, in senility [?], smiles from the little screen. The police are people too, just like the citizens. Why do we wrong them? Aren’t they people as well? They queue for bread, get ration coupons like us, go to the housing offices, take their children to nurseries, and so on. Their wages have also risen like the people’s, but the Ministry of Public Order still has no answer to the people’s question: «Can Sunday be killed?» An invisible black Enverist rope, made of fine threads, has seized Sunday—people’s Sunday, their only day of rest. O God! (not Enver’s Sunday). They are the shadows of the terrible ropes that stretch on in Spaç, in Burrel, in the mud of Myzeqe, on the faces of those convicted under the infamous article on «agitation and propaganda», which the gentlemen jurists know so well. And the Sundays pass. And the news continues. And the President smiles from the little screen. And the people suffer. The citizen’s eyes have grown dim; he hides the chaos; factories, plants and schools are silent, in a silence that frightens you. But the news is not silent. TV announces: «Yesterday D., N., I. L. (both 25 years old), on Sunday four people were detained for using cold weapons; a thirty-five-year-old was arrested...» And not only in Tirana, but throughout the Republic, on Saturdays and Sundays you will hear—and on Sundays you will hear—the gunshots; people [unclear] fire into the air,