Press conference by the chairman of the Republican Party, SABRI GODO Political forces in Albania are engaged in discussing reform and laws on property ownership. Every citizen who does not belong to a party is also taking part in the discussion. This is natural, because the laws being made today bring changes to everyone’s life and determine the features of our future society. This discussion is taking on dramatic forms, as in the case of the hunger strike declared two weeks ago by the “Property with Justice” association and the Association of the Politically and Economically Persecuted. One of the most important and acute problems is the law on land. The Republican Party made it clear as early as September 1991 that it did not accept the law on land. Later, as circumstances developed, we formulated our position even more clearly. Others have tried to distort this position. We are obliged to set out once again today our views on the law on land and what we are demanding. The law in force is based on the communist criterion of equality and perpetuates the expropriation reforms implemented under the communist dictatorship. This amounts to denying one of the fundamental principles of human rights: the right to property. From an economic point of view, the law creates a muddle; it claims to recognize property while denying the legitimate owners and, as a result, deters domestic and foreign investors and paralyzes the economy as a whole. In fact, no investment is being made. The cause must be sought where it lies: in the failure to recognize ownership. □ ownership. □ The law is being eroded from within: land, olive groves, vineyards are quietly making their way back to their owners. It is futile for the government to hurry to announce that the law has been implemented in the final percentages. □ Land must be put in its proper place, so that the state can be put in its proper place. Title deeds cannot be changed according to electoral campaigns. □ It is entirely true that in a democracy the majority decides, even if it has just one more deputy; but it is equally true that the majority has a duty to listen to and care for the minority, which may be the majority tomorrow, as always happens in this world. □ We openly and honestly fight for our program. Most people do not accept this law. In several northeastern districts, farmers have long since returned to their properties. The same has happened in Mirditë and Elbasan, Vlorë and Berat, in some areas of Skrapar, and in a few villages in Përmet. Reality must be looked in the eye. In part of the country, farmers have long since returned to their properties. They have begun to do so in the areas around in a few villages in Përmet. Efforts to achieve the division while constantly violating deadlines. “We cannot and must not arrive at a single law for the whole country, and nothing good is achieved by Parliament and the Government turning a blind eye. The owners cannot be denied their property while we [continues on page 2]

Page 3 Through a very intensive relationship with Italy, Albania has already set one foot in Europe—in an integrated, borderless and united Europe, very different from the one you left half a century ago... ...I have been deeply impressed by the extraordinary wisdom and innate nobility of the people...

The hunger strike, which began on 20. 5. 1993 in Shkodër, continues in Tiranë, Lezhë, Lushnjë and Elbasan. The condition of the hunger strikers, especially in Shkodër and Tiranë, has deteriorated. Two hunger strikers in Shkodër are in serious condition. 70% of the hunger strikers in Tiranë have received medical assistance on site and 30% in hospital. According to the chairman of the “Property with Justice” association, the hunger strike will continue until the strikers’ demands are met. Report On 29 5 1993, the chairman of the PRSH, Mr. Sabri Godo, met with hunger strikers in Shkodër. Mr. Godo first asked about the strikers’ health. He informed them of the PR’s efforts to break the deadlock. “We have asked our deputy in Parliament to intervene with the presidium of the Assembly, so that it will contact you. We are Albanians, and I believe we should be able to reach an understanding. There is no problem that cannot be solved. These days,” Mr. Godo continued, “many people, and journalists in particular, have asked me about the strike. This was a decision made by your association.” The hunger strikers Nika, L. Marku, N. Pac, S. Hasani, S. Miloti, as well as the 17-year-old E. Muja, then spoke. The strikers expressed their indignation at the indifference of the media in Albania, and especially RTVSH. “By demanding a right that has been denied to us, we are not committing a sin; we are fighting for true democracy” (N. Nika). They stressed that “we are people who can reach an understanding; we are asking for help concerning our homes and land, as they say” (L. Marku). They feel insulted because “we are still being persecuted even in a democracy” (B. Uglinaku). The strikers were determined to continue the strike until their demands were resolved. On 29 5 1993, Mr. Godo took part in the regular meeting of the KD of the PR’s Shkodër branch. The discussion first focused on the situation created by the hunger strike in this city. During the discussion with KD members, Mr. Godo explained the Republican Party’s position in the current economic, political and social situation. He also gave an overview of the latest developments in the region, viewing them as closely connected to the situation the country is going through. In response to questions from [continues on page 4]

After the statement, Sabri Godo invited the journalists present in the room to ask questions. “Republika asked whether the PR would support the new owners created over the last two years. Godo replied, ‘We do not recognize new or old owners. We recognize only the owners.’ ATSH asked, ‘How long will the hunger strike by members of the “Property with Justice” association last?’ Godo replied, ‘You can ask the hunger strikers themselves about this strike. The PR did not organize the hunger strike.’ In response to ‘Republika’s’ question, ‘How do you foresee the future if Parliament makes no changes to the current land law?’, Godo replied, ‘The peaceful conflict over this issue will continue, but the issue itself will remain unresolved.’ The BBC correspondent, a colleague of the newspaper, asked, ‘Will the PR withdraw from the coalition if Parliament does not change the land law?’ In reply, Godo said, ‘I do not think this will break up the coalition. We want to cooperate with the government because we are in the coalition, but when necessary we will do what is right. If we reach a critical point, we will ask whether it is possible to proceed with this government. So far, we have not found ourselves in such a situation.’ ATSH asked, ‘Would the PR change the land law if it came to power in three years?’ Godo replied, ‘If the PR were in power, it would change this law for as long as it remained as it is. But the PR does not want to wait until it comes to power to change this law. The PR wants this problem solved as soon as possible and once and for all, so that no other parliament has to deal with the land issue.’ Those present in the room asked questions unrelated to the topic, to which Godo said that these were not questions. The journalists from the newspapers ‘RD’, ‘Alternativa SD’, ‘Zëri i Popullit’, ‘Koha jonë’, etc., were not present at this press conference.

Adem Demaci A symbol of a free man Adem Demaci ended the hunger strike he had begun on 25 May. The Serbian authorities, through the mediation of the representative of the KSBSE, accepted the demands of Adem Demaci and the other hunger strikers. The so-called ‘Panorama’ will operate as a private enterprise, which will allow Albanian entities in Kosovo to express themselves freely. Adem Demaci, 56, who has spent 28 years in Serbian prisons, thus came forward in defense of independence and freedom of information, thought and expression in Albanian. All of these are now extremely threatened under a hated regime, such as Serbian rule in Kosovo, one of whose aims is the complete destruction of information and the press in the Albanian language. It is the renowned writer Adem Demaci, chairman of the Council for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms, based in Prishtina, winner of the ‘Sakharov’ Prize awarded by the European Parliament, and editor-in-chief of the Albanian weekly ‘Zëri’, who has once again become a symbol of a free man.

Ceka, president of the PAD, accompanied by Imami, Teta, and Zogaj, visited Athens, the newspaper ‘Alternativa’ reports. Ceka, president of the PAD, accompanied by Imami, Teta, and Zogaj, visited Athens, the newspaper ‘Alternativa’ reports, in a new round of contacts with the New Democracy Party, following a meeting that another member of the alliance’s presidency, Pashko, had held. Also, according to the newspaper ‘Aleanca’, the AD representatives (meaning President Ceka and the other members of the presidency, starting with Teta and going as far as Imami—editor’s note) particularly welcomed Mrs. Janakou’s statement that ‘New Democracy’ and the Greek Government are opposed to the idea of ethnic states, and that Mr. Micotaqis’s efforts to contribute to the peaceful resolution of conflicts in the former Yugoslavia are based on this position. Mr. Neritan Ceka expressed the AD’s high regard for Prime Minister Micotaqis’s role and called for Greece to become more involved, especially in order to prevent, at all costs, the outbreak of armed conflict in Kosovo. These are the statements Ceka made and expressed at the presidency in Athens, says the newspaper ‘Aleanca’ of 2 June 1993. We remind Ceka and all the members of the AD presidency, in this regard, of the statement about the peaceful resolution of conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and Greece’s opposition to the idea of ethnic states. Our question is this: does President Ceka agree with Prime Minister Micotaqis? Politician Ceka perceives the Serbs’ goodwill, like politician Micotaqis, as being for peace in the Balkans and not for the ethnic cleansing of Albanians. Do the ordinary members of the PAD agree with Ceka (if the PAD has ordinary members)? One more thing. Despite his mature age, in these two years of his political career Ceka has left a rather unclear impression, having declared to former President Ramiz Alia that he would not engage in politics. But politics does not tolerate amateurism. In Athens, Ceka demonstrated at least ‘amateurism’. But such amateurism does not serve Albania.

MAHMUT BAKALLI The plan approved in Washington in recent days by the foreign ministers of the USA, Russia, Britain, France, and Spain deals with resolving the issue of Bosnia. It is to the detriment of the Albanians of Kosovo and the Muslims of Bosnia, and to such a great extent that it can be called an openly destructive plan for a long-term peaceful resolution of conflicts in the territory of the former Yugoslavia and in the Balkans. The ministers may have been motivated by the desire to bring the war in Bosnia to an end as quickly as possible, to stop the killing of people, and to prevent the further spread of war in the former Yugoslavia and the Balkans. To this end, their plan has not succeeded, because achieving these aims requires accepting the imperative of a peaceful approach and the view that an equitable solution and peace can be created through a future long-term settlement. The ministers’ plan starts from the Vance-Owen plan, but in essence revises it, because it adopts a range of solutions that are in the interests of the Serbs of Bosnia and of Serbia, while disregarding the fundamental and existential needs of the Muslim people of Bosnia and the Albanians of Kosovo. Therefore, this is a plan based on peaceful concepts, since the ministers’ main aim was to reach an agreement among themselves, rather than taking proper account of the Russian minister, and it also fails to take into consideration the interests of all parties. The five ministers’ plan could indeed stop the war and the mass killing of people in Bosnia by means of UN peacekeeping forces, deploying them in ‘safe areas’, but without deploying them to protect the Muslim population from Serbian military forces; it would leave open the possibility of further mass expansion and the ethnic destruction of Bosnia through the ethnic expansionism of Bosnia by Muslims. At the same time, the Serbs are left in possession of parts of Bosnia, their aggressive map is allowed to endure, and the way is opened for their free association with the pan-Serb sphere, thus creating the possibility of Serbia’s expansion ‘beyond the Drin’, which, together with Croatia, will forever keep the Muslim people surrounded in a ‘sandwich’. The five ministers’ plan could indeed prevent the spread of armed conflicts to Kosovo and Macedonia by deploying international peacekeeping forces in Macedonia and international monitors in Kosovo. But in the long term, this plan does not resolve the essence of the problems and does not open a path to liberating the Albanian people from Serbia’s rule. On the contrary, it treats the Albanian people as a national minority in Serbia, treats Kosovo as Serbian territory, and leaves open the possibility of a Serbian autonomous province, whose content and extent of autonomy would be determined by Serbia. Thus, a grave issue in the history of instability is settled arbitrarily to the detriment of the Albanian people, making concessions to Serbia and completely ignoring the will and determination of the Albanian people.

On 4 June 1993, a meeting between Mr. Godo and the Swiss ambassador to Albania was held at the PR headquarters. On 4 June 1993, a meeting between Mr. Godo and the Swiss ambassador to Albania was held at the PR headquarters, at the latter’s request. Mr. A. Çina, a member of the PR’s KD, also attended the meeting. During the meeting, the ambassador was interested in learning about the history of land ownership in Albania, the latest law passed by the democratic Parliament, and its implementation. Mr. Godo also explained the PR’s position on land ownership and on property and lawful owners in general, while also presenting acceptable solutions sought by all property owners in general. The newspaper ‘Republika’ is resuming publication. The reason publication was suspended for almost a month was the boycott of the ‘Demokracia’ printing house and the start of a strike in protest against high prices (double and triple the usual prices), profiteering, corruption, and falsifications carried out by the printing house’s management. We also clarify that the newspaper ‘Republika’ is published in a large circulation, which means it has not had, and does not have, financial difficulties. Participation in the strike is justified simply by the fact that the staff of the ‘Demokracia’ printing house has ignored the principles for which this printing house came to Albania. Until the demands are resolved, ‘Republika’ will be printed once a week at other printing houses. THE EDITORIAL OFFICE

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As part of the humanitarian aid that the Government of the Republic of Turkey continues to provide to Albania, a new consignment of this aid arrived at the Port of Durrës on 2 June 1993 aboard the ship ‘Lira’. This time, 2,200 tons of flour arrived, valued at 946,000 dollars. During July, the Turkish government plans to send a further 2,500 tons of flour as aid for the people and Albanians

The madwoman N. of the capital appeared on Saturday afternoon, after a long absence, shouting: ‘I will not deal with work. Politics doesn’t suit me. I will deal in aphorisms. I call on everyone to deal in aphorisms. It’s a beautiful time for aphorisms. What business is it of Blerim Çela’s what I do with my aphorisms? Ramiz Alia has no business with it either. All the newspapers speak Albanian. The dialects are different. Ramiz Alia deals in aphorisms and newspapers. His newspapers speak pure Albanian. The dialect of Ramiz Alia’s newspapers is Ramiz Alia’s Albanian. It is pristine. There are many fields of business. Now I have decided to sell the people’s letters, that is, Preçi’s letters published by Aleanca. I sell the letters and the people get the profits. There will be some politics mixed in. But first a card game will be played with Tedi Lubonja and Ramiz Alia. Kiço Ngjela will keep score. The Republican alternative will also be part of this initiative. Portraits with moustaches sell like crazy. Those with an attorney’s beard aren’t quite as cheap. I need a floor for business. The Social Democratic Party won’t give me that floor. I’ll get an Albanian intellectual lawyer to give me one of the floors in the SD party headquarters. Not the third one; that’s occupied. I’ll take care of this in Albania because I have other work too. I’ll go as far as Ollo, Vlore, Gramsh. That’s why F. Nano’s brigade of mice has passed through. They say there are individuals in that brigade too. But Nano is wealthy. The page of a painful transition. In Dhër there are 100,000 fishermen. TV lies: only 173 people. This is not democratic. I advise all of you to get into business. P. Dh. is also in business. P. Dh. says, ‘I’m American.’ He wants to fight America, but not ‘imperialism’. They say ZP will give up the fight against American imperialism. Business is a new initiative. Support the new initiative. Nano’s lawyer, you’d think, will be more bearded and white-haired than the politician. Or if the lawyer loses, Albania loses. The chronicler