We have all heard the brief TV announcements about people of different ages, mainly children and young people, going missing. It is rarely announced that any of them has been found. What about those who have not been found? This question awaits an answer. An officer of the Tirana criminal police, who declined to be identified, confirmed to us that the number of people missing from 1992 through March 1993 is 47. Of these, only four minor children were found on their own. The officer confirmed that most of the missing people had mental disabilities, and this has led to the belief that these unfortunate people may have ended up in the hands of craftsmen who, after providing them with visas and proper passports, send them abroad to be sold to organ-transplant clinics. The officer reinforced this conclusion by noting that in recent months there has been much talk about this macabre business, carried out by a highly dangerous group. Klaudi Gjini

Under the above title, the newspaper La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno published an article by journalist Edmond Laci on 13 April. It is an interview conducted with Nexhmije Hoxha in her cell in Tirana prison. The article continues: “She lived in a large, luxurious house, enjoying the wealthy and prestigious life of a dictator’s wife. Today she is simply a widow; her home is a cell in Tirana prison, with a mattress on the floor and a wool blanket to protect her from the cold and try to protect her from memories. Nexhmije Xhuglini, Hoxha’s widow, is now 76 years old and has a great deal to pay for. Seated in a corner of the cell, she reads ‘The Bitter Victory’ by Reginald Hubbert. The metaphor of her life seems deeply ironic. On the eighth anniversary of his death, his wife agreed to give this interview, which until now she had refused to give. ‘I don’t like talking to newspapers,’ she explains. ‘So far I have met only Caritas missionaries and officials of the International Helsinki Committee on Human Rights.’ The very woman who helped repress this country for 45 years now finds herself, like her family, without support or relatives nearby, even her beautiful granddaughter forced to live hidden away at home because, as she says, one cannot walk around the streets of Tirana. Someone, on the other hand, says that her daughter has been abroad for some time, but Hoxha’s widow tries to ignore this fact. For the first time, her past as the wife of an iron-fisted and bloodthirsty dictator comes into view, a man she says she ‘fell in love with during a party conference in 1942.’ At last she now admits to ‘some mistakes,’ although she continues to be stubborn and continues to reject and deny her ideological responsibility. ‘They can say whatever they like about Stalin, but he and his policies saved the world from Nazism.’ Your husband, Enver Hoxha, also believed this and repeated it to his interpreters for 45 years about Stalin; and could it be for this reason that he ordered people to be persecuted, tortured, arrested… ‘I know absolutely nothing about these things. At no meeting of the Party’s Central Committee was it said that people had been sentenced, persecuted or tortured. Never.’ Indeed, this cannot be publicly acknowledged. Everything was done quietly and behind the scenes. But surely you must have heard at least about the prisons… ‘I had never seen a prison until the day I was arrested.’ Perhaps because your husband had turned all of Albania into a real prison. ‘Today I greatly respect those who suffered in prison before me. I greatly appreciate the new democratic laws; I even agree with the way I was tried, allowing me to have a defence lawyer, something that was forbidden in the past. The court ordered me to compensate 300 prisons up to the day I was arrested.’ Perhaps because your husband had turned all of Albania into a real prison. ‘Today I greatly respect those who suffered in prison before me. I greatly appreciate the new democratic laws; I even agree with the way I was tried, allowing me to have a defence lawyer, something that was forbidden in the past. The court ordered me to compensate 300 prisons up to the day I was arrested.’ It was the house because your husband had turned all of Albania into a real prison. ‘Today I greatly respect those who suffered in prison before me. I greatly appreciate the new democratic laws; I even agree with the way I was tried, allowing me to have a defence lawyer, something that was forbidden in the past. The court ordered me to compensate 300 prisons up to the day I was arrested.’ ‘Yes, some mistakes were made. For example, we invested a lot…’ (Continues on page 2) “I had never seen a prison until the day I was arrested.”

“I had never seen a prison until the day I was arrested.”

A photograph of the Miss Albania show or of the winning girl herself would certainly bring something of value to the pages of any newspaper. That is what we thought in the newsroom too, so we sent our photojournalist. But the photojournalist came back and said that Vora Grabocka, the director of the show, was asking for 400 dollars to let him in to take photographs during the show. 400 dollars to get in as a photojournalist at Miss Albania! It looks like a private business and an arrangement for the organizers’ profits. This brings to mind Alberto Sordi in the film “The Boom,” who wanted to have an eye removed (to sell it) so he could get rich. In fact, according to Vera, you can also see Miss Albania with one eye. All you have to do is give up the other one. Or pay 400 dollars. Congratulations! Art cannot be made without money. Nevertheless, as you can see, we are publishing the photo, and we managed to obtain it without paying even a cent. How? Professional secret. GJERGJ PILIKA

A few comments ► A large-built Albanian-Macedonian man with a broad moustache was leaving the Albanian setting with a love affair in mind in the “Studenti” district (more than that, he slept in the room of a fourth-year female student from Vlora at the Academy of Fine Arts and was protected by policemen he paid every evening). This businessman was happy and would return again after securing an EC passport and all the necessary legal documents, together with a chance flight. ► There is a public brothel in Athens with an Albanian manager and a Greek owner, where Albanian women perform sexual acts several times a day (with no medical checks for them, the clients or the organizers). They become more exhausted and worn out than their colleagues in the public brothels, and yet they are paid a small amount of money. ► In Korçë, Sarandë, Fier, Vlorë, Durrës, Has and some other districts, the trade in women has been flourishing for some time. Several Albanians who have seen a bit of the world, and who have also been in foreign prisons for heroin trafficking, are actively involved in this trade, making large sums of money. As professionals or women-hunters, they are tasked with finding this human merchandise; then someone else takes care of all the formalities for selling them. This women-trafficking network does not operate at all in public brothels, but carries out its activities in several mysterious apartments in the Albanian capitals. Everyone has the right, including women, to find their own way of life; nevertheless, under no circumstances should anyone’s dignity be trampled, even on the grounds that Albanian women are beautiful, even on the grounds that Albanian women are beautiful, or on the grounds that Albanian women can shine in any luxurious setting. ANDI DINGU

The National Council of PRSH, with a deep sense of responsibility, supports PD and the Meksi government On 15 April 1993, a meeting of the National Council of PRSH was held in Tirana, where the report of the Party’s Steering Committee, entitled “On Some Current Developments in Democracy,” which had been distributed to the branches in advance, was discussed. Guests also took part in the meeting. The National Council observed that, in general, the issues raised by the Steering Committee had been addressed correctly. In a critical spirit, the speakers openly set out the reality in their districts, commenting on the activities of PRSH, relations with political forces at the local and central levels, local-government problems, criteria for the movement of cadres, acute problems of social assistance, mass unemployment and the non-functioning of enterprises, legal uncertainties and the lack of foreign investment, which together create uncertainty about prospects in several areas. The diversity of opinions demonstrated PRSH’s maturity in addressing the most critical issues, the successful resolution of which is closely linked to the establishment of the rule of law and democracy. These discussions also showed that republican thought, which has now taken root in public opinion across the country, does not submit to special formulas or to leadership without free debate. At this meeting it was emphasized that PRSH considers it essential to support the newly initiated democratic processes and the Meksi government, and categorically opposes the possibility of new elections as an act that would harm the interests of the nation. PRSH wishes to make clear once again to the party in power and its government that rapidly correcting the problems it raises is a vital necessity for the country. Thus: 1. The National Council of PRSH calls for a change in the government’s political base, understood as extending throughout the state pyramid and taking the concrete form of an expansion of the governing coalition. The recent changes in the government, initiated by the president, are a positive step but are insufficient for a qualitative and effective improvement in governance. 2. Parliament, the government and the president must urgently examine the entirely unsatisfactory state of local government and establish it on the foundations of genuine democracy. This also requires consultation and active cooperation among political forces. 3. Cooperation between PRP and the PD in power has been anemic. PRP’s continuous efforts to give this cooperation concrete form, breadth and depth have not met with the expected response. PRSH, with a sense of shared national responsibility, has consistently supported PD without regard to its own narrow interests; it has repeatedly and publicly offered PD its views in good faith on all the problems that have arisen, but so far PD and its government have not responded with the same seriousness. 4. Feeling responsible for the grave economic situation, the National Council criticized the policy pursued by its Steering Committee in its relations with PD and the government in various respects, particularly regarding cadre appointments, which are made on the basis of party affiliation. The National Council considers this government practice harmful, with serious repercussions both for the present and for the future of democracy in Albania. 5. Mass unemployment and social assistance have caused concern and alienation from the Government. We consider it essential to resolve this problem by restarting profitable enterprises, also making use of foreign aid, which is currently used only for food; and by rapidly privatizing those enterprises that can absorb this process, such as light industry, and other enterprises (continues on page 5)

On 15 April the National Council of the Albanian Republican Party met. The report on behalf of the Steering Committee was delivered by the chairman of PRSH, Mr. SABRI GODO. Continues on page 34

The madwoman N, in accordance with all the rules issued by the Municipality for mass gatherings, requested the organization of a rally with representatives of the new owners, aged from 0 to 1 year and from 0 to 1,000 years. What she said at the rally is set out below, based on the transcript of our correspondent, who suffers from agjanoza socialistum - punum - komunismum - e verbum. Distinguished owners aged from 0 to 1 year. You are the darlings and the hopeful ones of the Nano government. It is to your credit that you take the shops in advance, just as you do the rest. As for you old owners aged from 0 to 1,000 years, do not covet property and land, because then the capitalism that is to be established will be harmed. What do you poor souls think, that we really want to build capitalism? But how could Musa Ullini, alias Dobrovada, let capitalism be built... To make sure you understand the point above, I must tell you that the greatest paradoxes in the world happen in Albania. Enver’s surname was Hoxha and he had the yohallarët roasted on spits. While his [unclear] waited, they cursed and blasphemed against the churches. As is known, Monika Zeqo had also attacked them viciously. But he, clever as the devil and opposed to [unclear], with [unclear] dead and spiritual…? Trained on land and in water, he would take from these churches icons and other such equipment, which would arm you like a true banker. So, you who have gathered here to replace me and [unclear] a new world, should understand once and for all that you must issue a joint declaration showing and sincerely expressing the love you have for one another, that is, between the new and old owners. You are free, with the humanism that characterizes you, to set them aside as you set aside yourselves. Thus, you can bite Rrapo Danushi’s ear off and swallow all the slogans, which are written in Chinese ink at a time when China too has a communist system. This is a great [unclear] of the old owners, who must learn from the new owners, [unclear] and bankers, who [unclear] the people what was left of the roots [unclear] by Dula himself. It is every Albanian’s right, following the example of the new [unclear] owners, to demand that they take the offices where they once worked. Teachers in particular are entitled to the first classroom—what [unclear] square, a [unclear] economist for social [unclear], Mr. Nano Çeqarni. There is also a [unclear] in the youth of the Great [unclear] mind, because I am giving you food that you hear so [unclear]; today, what I knew when I was seven years old. THE CHRONICLES