Two months have passed since the political elections—which by no means were constitutional—and local government is still not functioning. Almost no municipality has started work; in the districts, chairpersons have not been appointed, and the municipalities and district councils are failing to provide … and offices. The lack of local [government] undermines the democratic order. Implementing reform and resolving the major social problems all depend, first and foremost, on the functioning of a capable and dedicated administration. The difficulty in opening and staffing local administration offices is compounded by their excessive politicization. At some of the councils’ initial meetings, arguments and suspensions of meetings have occurred for imaginary partisan reasons. Opposition to a political party by no means means opposition in every case. Councils at different levels can vote for one side when it is in the community’s interest. Without such a criterion, the functioning of local government is impossible, with catastrophic consequences. The Presidium of the Republican Party instructs its branches, sub-branches and sections to organize consultations as soon as possible with Republican councillors and officials to discuss this matter, which is of great importance for the people and the country’s future. PRESIDIUM OF THE ALBANIAN REPUBLICAN PARTY P.S. This statement was also sent to Television, but it was not accepted for broadcast.

This is about the beautiful village of Metiraj. With the discovery of the oil field, the hills, slopes and valleys were filled with iron towers, whose “jaws” endlessly suck the “blood” of the underground beneath the village of Metiraj—oil. Once again, the residents were left poor; indeed, they say they are dying... Yes, they are being wiped out completely! This is because the entire area around the village lands is saturated with gas containing more than 12 percent sulfur. This situation seriously threatens people’s lives. So far, 6 people have died, including schoolchildren. Many livestock and working animals—cows and small stock—are found dead, and this has now become commonplace. The residents of Metiraj are heroically fighting to survive. Sulfur gas kills life, people, plants and animals. All prospects for a better future have been overshadowed by the problems of… Metiraj. The Stability Government fell, and it also adopted a decision: “The village is to be relocated to a suitable place.” The Executive Committee of Vlora District and Albpetroleum were also involved, but in fact nothing was done. The village residents met with two “well-known” MPs, Mr. Kostadin Hoxha of the SP and Mr. Granoz Pashako of the DP. Both gentlemen MPs promised what they could, but so far the residents are still waiting... Now the villagers have turned to the Republican Party in Vlora, so that through the democratic government of Mr. Meksi and the Parliament they may be given the chance to live...! NASIP XHELILI

This is the third day of housing students in the “Studenti” city. The influx of students here is beyond all expectation. An entire staff has been mobilized to carry out this very extensive task, but it should be made clear that around 8,000 people are currently expected in the “Studenti” city, while the “Studenti” city can accommodate only 6,200. Even today, there is still no coordination between the municipalities and faculties regarding scholarships. We do not understand why students and their families are not being informed whether they are within the monthly financial quota subsidized by the state. Student housing requires an emergency solution, and this must be achieved through coordination between the various university administrations in Tirana and the Ministry of Education and Internal Trade. ADMINISTRATION OF THE “STUDENTI” CITY

FLESHES The spokesperson for the “National Unity” Party announces with regret that on 28. 9. 92, the offices of the chairman of National Unity were robbed. According to the full inventory, a revolver, several addresses and telephone numbers of party members were missing, people from whom Idajet would soon have taken money for safekeeping, as well as 3,000 USA dollars. There are suspicions that the theft was committed by Hysni Mijo(l)’s illegal operatives, who are searching for one of Comrade Enver’s portraits. So far, the employees of the Party have had their fingerprints taken; with the exception of Mr. Idajet Sidogoflë shumën njëherë, they guarantee that Mr. Idajet was not involved in this theft. SPOKESPERSON OF THE PUKSII

FLESHES Recently the respectable “Koha jonë” attacked the newspaper “Republika” in the journalistic language of the “Le hëshi” brand. In the above, “Koha jonë” confirmed the fact that Zef Bushati is an intellectual. With this latest discovery of the polymath intellectual, with his broad range of knowledge and world-class learning, Zef Bushati, the list of intellectuals of “Their Time” is now ranked as follows: Zef Bushati, Nertian Çeka (the pallor of these two testifies to their mercury), Gramoz Pashko, Neshat Tozaj, Arben Imami. By identifying these “great intellectuals,” the newspaper “KJ” is providing an invaluable service to the nation. Without these intellectuals, Albania is lost.

Asked why the case against Nexhmije Hoxha and Kino Buxheli had not been sent to trial, the respective investigators, Begir Kokoshi (for N. Hoxha) and Arqile Dine (for K. Buxheli), replied: As regards the defendant Nexhmije Hoxha, the investigation is complete and ready to be sent to trial. However, this defendant will be tried together with the defendant Kino Buxheli, since the charges against them are linked by the element of collaboration. The case has therefore not yet been sent to trial because, on 25.09.1992, new denunciatory material arrived concerning K. Buxheli, relating to other instances of abuse of office. This is indirectly connected with further material activity concerning this matter: In addition, with Ramiz Alia being held criminally responsible, the charge against defendant K. Buxheli will be supplemented to include the appropriated funds and misappropriation of state property for which defendant R. Alia has been charged, since defendant K. Buxheli, throughout this period, served as director of the Reception Directorate and provided documentary cover, contrary to the law, for all the allocations and misappropriations. (AJSH)

1. Taking the floor at one of the sessions in recent days, L. Përpali said: “I’m not talking about the problems of democracy, because we can’t sort those out”... 2. Whenever the chair of the session announces a 15-minute break, from the Parliament gallery comes the cry: “Oh dear, who’s going to gather them now?”... 3. Although MP Nano had been absent from Parliament for a long time, his absence was not felt, since many MPs took the stage, spoke at length and said nothing. 4. Most of those invited are very regular in attending the proceedings of the People’s Assembly. P. Arbnori keeps looking over there and surely thinks: “Ah, if only I had them as MPs!” 5. During the discussion in principle of the dual-citizenship decree, several MPs expressed concern that the decree would allow foreign criminals to enter Albania. Rudi Marku clarified this wretched question by saying that only by acquiring Albanian citizenship can criminals be punished by the state!... KRISTOFOR DAMO

The Republican Party considers privatization a way out of the difficult situation. The methods of privatization should be such as to enable an individual to become wealthy, the interests of the property of the ship “Saranda” [to be transferred] to an individual. We are against forms of privatization that serve the interests of individuals, as is the case with the sale of the ship “Saranda” to one individual. Having examined the documentation for the sale of the ship, it appears that the bill of sale was signed by Prime Minister Meksi. We believe that the first candidate to buy the ship should be its crew, in co-ownership with the state. We call on our members and supporters to back the crew of the ship “Saranda” in their demand to annul this unjust government decision. Durrës Branch of the Republican Party

On 1 October 1992, the final court hearing took place in Tirana in the lawsuit brought by Mr. Sabri Godo against Mr. Nikollë Nikolla, who, during the first congress, accused the chairman of the PRSH of having been an officer of the Security forces and having taken part in massacres and suchlike. Mr. Godo called these statements slander and brought a court action against the person in question, arguing that he had not been a responsible member of the Security organs and that, from 1946 onward, he had been under constant surveillance and pursued by the Security forces. He claims that at the time of the events in Mirditë he worked as a clerk in the city of Durrës. Lacking sufficient grounds for his accusation, Mr. Nikolla tried to persuade the court that he had not made a statement, but that his intervention had taken the form of a question. To support this, he called Hysen Çobani, Agim Zeka, Viron Koka and Zef Bushati as witnesses, former members of the PR, later expelled from it. At the end of the hearing, the accusing party, through its lawyer, Mr. Hektor Frashëri, requested that the defendant not serve his sentence in prison. The court, chaired by Mr. Ardan Nuni, taking into account certain mitigating circumstances as well as the request of the accusing party, decided to sentence Nikollë Nikolla to four months of re-education through labor for publicly insulting a person. “Republika” correspondent

THE CONCEPT OF FORGIVING THE ACTIONS OF THE COMMUNIST MOVEMENTS, A WINNER FOR NO WORKERS, HAS BEEN DRAWN FROM THE FUND ONCE AND NOWHERE HAS THE M-L REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE IT SHKELLULI. “WORKERS’ FACTORIES” HAS BEEN USED AS THE COMMUNISTS’ MAIN WEAPON TO BRING DOWN CAPITALISM. “WORKERS’ FACTORIES” HAS REMAINED AN EMPTY SLOGAN IN THE ARCHIVAL FUND OF “WORKERS’ FACTORIES” IS A VIOLENT AND BRUTAL ATTACK ON WHAT EUROPE CALLS PRIVATE PROPERTY. “WORKERS’ FACTORIES” IS A SUREFIRE CALL TO DRIVE FOREIGN INVESTORS OUT OF ALBANIA. In the next issue you will read: Pseudo-intellectualism is destroying Albania

In recent years, the elimination of “Ceaușescu,” although it was not accepted, made the whole world believe that Romania was entering democracy. After the first euphoric aid received from around the world, everyone realized that Romania had in fact remained bureaucratic, governed by a Marxist-Leninist-type system. The democratic world and investors demanded democratic laws and legal incentives for investment. But there were only promises, no action from this country’s pseudo-democratic government. Today Romania has been abandoned in isolation by the entire world and is the only country of the former communist bloc that has not managed to begin a genuine privatization process without catastrophic consequences, which the people of this country are still suffering. After the latest elections, Albania is viewed with great apprehension by the outside world as a second Romania, precisely because a great deal of time has been lost in approving laws that encourage foreign investors; on the other hand, the growth of the SP in several cities will certainly slow the return of prosperity. Once again, this beloved people, who have experienced dictatorship and occupations, made the mistake of trusting their own new swindlers, as if they cannot understand whom they are rising up against, and not only that. I am sure that the parties in government, after this undeserved lesson, will fight for a further deepening of democracy, but with a capital “D.” I recall that in Italy, after fascism, nothing worked, because the old bureaucrats all remained in their posts and boycotted everything. For this reason, a decision was made to remove from office all those who obstructed the country’s democratic and economic development. One third of the armed forces’ active-service command staff were dismissed; around 40 percent of bureaucrats were also dismissed and transferred to the country’s most remote authorities. From that moment, Italy began to rise. Your country can develop faster than Italy, since you can be allowed to make fewer mistakes by learning from ours. Today it is important that all the democratic parties learn and … cooperate with one another, taking on great responsibilities; in a difficult moment such as this, responsibility must be assumed. GINACARLO MANFREDI

Lenin died of a venereal disease