ECONOMY: At the service of the new government EMERGENCY IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY For the second year now, the alarm bells “SOS”, “HELP”, have not stopped ringing from all four corners of the country. The ship of the Albanian economy is sinking; for half a century it sailed under the communist red flag and recently it was turned into a black flag. Such were the helmsmen who steered the ship. In these conditions, the spirit of the world has extended a helping hand, support that cannot allow a people to die of hunger in the modern times we live in. Aid is aid; it is a counterweight that does not let the ship sink any further, so that the people can live somehow, until they recover. Our determination lies here... let us not expect everything to fall from the sky, from abroad, because other peoples too have built their wealth through effort and sweat. Today, fair and scientific concepts for the economy are needed. To be honest, the preaching of some politicians, and even more so of some economists, about moving toward a market economy through a “ZERO” quota has always seemed absurd to me. That means letting the ship sink, the economy be destroyed, and only then building a new economy. No, gentlemen, that cannot be the meaning. Every society that moves forward, before modernizing, preserves at least some elements of the material-technical base and productive potential it inherits. That is another matter; afterward, its task is to radically transform them. This does not mean only transforming the productive forces, but also the relations of production. The years that have thrown it into confusion and decline, and the fact that we have taken steps in the first phase of building democracy, are actually proven by the fact that these steps do not concern state property in general, but a series of key issues. I raise this problem because one of the mistakes of the Stability Government and of its main overseers is that it created a serious imbalance. While it did a great deal to protect the people with bread and other first-necessity goods, showing itself to be a virtuous “midwife,” it did nothing to activate the healthy cells of the economy. Time for analysis will come. What seems urgent to me is to understand that, before aid and everything else, getting the economy working must be solved. In the program of the Democratic Government this problem was rightly solved; only urgent implementation remains. I say urgent because there are branches of the economy where work cannot wait; a delay of even a week or a few days pushes solutions further away. This is how the problem is posed in the food industry, which is closely linked to agriculture. From the great tidal shifts of the conservative forces that overthrew it, the food industry could quickly mobilize significant productive potential. We are not speaking here about the technical level (this is already a known problem), socially it was among the most primitive and conservative. We are speaking about the quantitative side: we have enough factories and production lines that, if activated, would enable us, with the demands we have now, to meet the people’s needs for processed food products to a relatively satisfactory degree. And it must be said that very often solutions are sought not through imports but through the formulation of sound economic policies, responsibility in organization, and increased responsibility and discipline, Dr. TEODOR KARÇO (Continues on page 3)

PR and its burden... The new elections, by closing the chapter of communist history, brought the Democratic Party to the top in an indisputable way, thus giving it the full right to form the government composed of its own elements. However, after the formation of the democratic government, it emerged that a Republican had been placed in one of the ministries. I would like to think this came as a result of that coalition which was not implemented in practice, but was announced in theory during the election campaign, and which the people truly wanted. There are also two deputy ministers from PR in the government. All three personalities appointed to these high state posts had already proven themselves in administrative duties. Two of them, Mr. Karamuço and Mr. Bllinçka, had been ministers in the Stability Government, while Mr. Ypi had been chairman of Committee No. 3 in Rrapi. The very appointment of Mr. Bllinçka as minister and Mr. Karamuço as deputy minister shows a certain seriousness and correctness in their activity in the Stability Government, as well as at the moment when the Memorandum against the Republican ministers was announced, which in fact brought about the collapse of that government. It is surprising that even now some former spokesmen of that government continue to insist that it was good and that it should have lasted until June of this year, since the new elections had already been set in motion. Imagine if we still had Ramiz Alia over our heads and, underfoot, all the miseries of the ever-remembered Stability Government so beloved by the new communists. Although these are settled matters that are beginning to belong to history, I wanted to connect the participation of PR representatives in both governments, which in no way have anything in common. The issue is that while in the Stability Government seats were given to PR, in the democratic government the hand was tightened and only one seat was granted. Now I personally do not understand whether this government is independent, although it also includes independents as well as people from the PSD, or whether it is a PD government, despite being called a democratic government. I also do not understand, since there appears to be some agreement between PD and PR, whether PR can be called a governing party. This is for the simple reason of whether we Republicans, as a party, are or are not supposed to bear responsibility for the government’s proper functioning. Here, of course, we cannot exclude the personal responsibility of those entrusted with duties, regardless of whether they belong to any party. The high state responsibilities that the present government has assumed are known, in the situation in which it finds itself, but it is also required to do the impossible. Its base is naturally PD and its program. We all must, or should all, stand on that. But PR is neither a hanger-on nor a party of another kind, which would be a dangerous stain on the country’s future. It seeks to bear on itself that part of the risk that comes from the opposing side in such a time. Standing side by side, while at the same time honestly and without malice pointing out each other’s shortcomings, the road must be paved broadly with signposts, while at the same time closing the paths to the aims of those who want to act badly and harm things, as PS has continued to do. And the best cooperation is practical, not through declarations. From the ver- FERHAT GRUAJA (Continues on page 3)

WHY IS MR. ESHREF RAMA REMOVED FROM THE POST OF SECRETARY OF THE DISTRICT PLURALIST EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE? At the district-wide meeting in Lezhë with Mr. Alfred Serreqi, on 29.4.1992, for the reform of local government, based on the electorate of the 22 March elections, according to a ready-made scheme approved by the government, only one seat in the Pluralist Executive Committee was reserved for the Republican Party branch. As Republicans, being the main support of PD in overthrowing communism, and relying on the electorate obtained at district level of 7.2 percent, we insisted that we would accept a coalition with PD in district governance only if these conditions were accepted: 1. If one seat were to be given to us, the member in the Executive Committee must necessarily be part of the leadership. 2. If two committee members were to be given to us. If only one member were offered to us, without being in the leadership, we would not participate in local government. Now that the executive committee prepared according to PD schemes has been announced, we have the right to protest. The Republican secretary is removed from office without any justification, and his place is taken by the former chairman of the SPSD, who won 2.3 percent of the electorate. We have the right to ask: by what logic was this done? By the diktat of PD for its government, or by the logic of facts? The facts are in favor of the Republicans and not the social democrats. Apparently, without any argued justification, the same practice may also be followed for the other two active Republicans, through the branches as well as the pluralist district executive committee, by the party that said coalition was not served and thinks it is not done well except for PR. PAL PALI Chairman of the PR branch, Lezhë

8 JUNE, 1st CONGRESS OF PR - PR INSISTS THAT CALM IN EVERYDAY LIFE, AS THE FIRST CONDITION FOR BUILDING A DEMOCRATIC LIFE, IS THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THE SITUATION IN WHICH ENVERIST COMMUNISM BROUGHT THE COUNTRY, FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ECONOMIC REFORM AND FOR FULL AND COMPREHENSIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE PROCESSES OF EUROPEAN AND WORLD INTEGRATION -

Statement by the Commission for Culture, Education, Science, Sports and Women, delivered on 6 May by the vice-chairman of this commission, PR deputy Mr. Mehmet Çeliku On behalf of the Commission for Culture, Education, Science, Sports and Women, I declare: Prompted by the appeal of the Independent Education Trade Union of Albania, addressed to the People's Assembly on 27.4.1992, it was brought before this Assembly the grave concern over the alarming state of education and teachers in Albania. Considering the demands of the Independent Education Trade Union to be justified regarding the discrimination they have faced as teachers in Albania up to now, and taking into account the great role teachers of all levels of education have played and continue to play for the Albanian nation and for the birth of democracy in Albania, and taking into account the teacher’s tolerant attitude toward the deprivations of a difficult present, the People's Assembly conscientiously considers teachers as a priority stratum of the intelligentsia to be helped, first of all economically. If this assistance is not realized, there is a risk that the country’s economic chaos will also cause educational chaos: at present the current school year is already being put at risk, and moreover, next school year as well. We believe that education, as a budget-funded sector, cannot alone bear the burden of the Government’s economic problems to the extent of keeping teachers’ salaries low. Education is not only the future of the nation, but also, at present, the present of the nation. The Commission for Culture, Education, Science, etc. asks the Ministry of Education to urgently formulate the points of economic support and the minimum working conditions for teachers and schools, in accordance with the demands of the Independent Education Trade Union. This should be implemented within a short second week period, to be specified by the exact date.

FROM THE VISITS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, MR. SALI BERISHA, ABROAD Over these four days up to 8 May, the Albanian head of state, Mr. Sali Berisha, secured several important contacts abroad as part of a series of visits. In Brussels, he held a meeting with the President of the European Community Commission, Mr. Jacques Delors, as well as with the President of the European Parliament, Egon Klepsch. At these meetings, the heads of the European parliamentary committees for Albania, Russia and Bulgaria, Mr. Aleksandër Lalumi, were also present. In these meetings, Mr. Berisha presented developments in Albania and the accelerated measures of a political and economic nature. On the other hand, Messrs. Delors and Klepsch promised support and an economic and financial flow of aid from the European Community to Albania. In Strasbourg, on 8/5, President Berisha appeared before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in the special session. In his speech before this Assembly, the President of the Republic called on the international community to help consolidate democracy and stabilize the economic and social situation in Albania. In Rome, on 7 May, the President of the Republic made an official visit to the Holy See, where he was received by His Holiness Pope John Paul II. After the warm greeting, Mr. Berisha and His Holiness held a private conversation. The President of the Republic invited the Holy Father to visit Albania. In Italy, Mr. Berisha also met with the President of the Italian Senate, Mr. Spadolini, as well as with Prime Minister Andrioti. In France, he was received by the President of the French Republic, François Mitterrand. These meetings discussed the economic problems facing our country and all of Europe. At one of the meetings, President Mitterrand stated that the economy was in fact creating difficulties for the democratic forces in power and for the republic’s recovery. Mr. Mitterrand committed himself to supporting Albania politically and financially, as well as to broader cultural cooperation. Correspondent of “REPUBLIKËS”

CHRONICLE Within the framework of reorganizing the PRSH branch and the concrete tasks arising for it ahead of the first congress on 8 June, and in an organized manner, several meetings and working sessions of the committee and the leadership of PR branches in Patos, Fikr, Librazhd, etc., have recently been held. LEZHË On 29 April, within the framework of preparations for the branch conference of the first PRSH congress, the Lezhë district branch organized an active meeting. Members of the branch leadership committee, heads of sub-branches and leaders of PR sections in the district took part. In the end, 29 delegates were elected for the conference that will be held in Lezhë. The meeting was opened by the branch secretary Nikollë Nikolla, who stressed the urgent need for reorganization and the election of new people to lead the sections and sub-branches, so as to go to the district conference with a new spirit. The report prepared by the leadership committee was presented by Mr. Pal Pali, chairman of this branch. According to the report, some of the reasons behind the result achieved were: the non-functioning of the full staff of the entire branch leadership committee, the inability to match support and expectations, poor financial backing, of course without the opportunities PR had, and a flawed functioning of propaganda and organization. Among the external causes, the polarization of the electorate was acknowledged, as it saw only the party and not the candidate at all. In their speeches, Messrs. Gac Jak[u?], chairman of the Zadrima sub-branch, and Gjon Voka, head of a section in Mamurrë, focused on the weak work and propaganda carried out by PR. Mr. Qazim Dushku, the parliamentary candidate, said among other things that we did not have full buying and confidence for victory. He also dwelt on the work of the newspaper “Republika”, which did not fully and adequately respond to the campaign. In their discussions, Messrs. Preng Krapi, Paulin Gjoni. (Continues on page 4)

Aid from Germany As part of humanitarian aid, the government in Albania received by land 150 tons of chlorine from the Federal Republic of Germany. The Federal Government had already sent 100 tons of chlorine in February of this year. Together, the two shipments can cover Albania’s annual needs for chlorine and soap, which will be needed more in the future for the treatment of drinking water and for eliminating rats, diseases and epidemics. Germany has also sent aid in the initial phase of municipal supplies. (The General Municipal Directorate, the Water Supply Directorate), which will be distributed, as in February of this year, to all cities in Albania. 20 to 30 tons of chlorine from the second consignment (50 tons) will be taken by the Ministry of Health and distributed to all hospitals in Albania.