Mr. SABRI GODO re-elected Chairman of the Republican Party RESOLUTION of the Second Congress of the Albanian Republican Party The Second Congress of the Albanian Republican Party examined, with a high sense of responsibility, the political, economic and social situation in the country and, by a free and unanimous vote, reached the following conclusions: 1. The overthrow of communist rule, which terrorized our country for nearly 50 years, and the establishment of a democratic order constitute the people’s greatest victory on the road to freedom and a better life. The Republican Party will always be a force working to consolidate this victory ever further and to ensure that Albania takes its rightful place in the common European family. 2. Albanians are the only people in Europe divided in half. The Republican Party, as it has until now, will remain committed to the unification of the Nation by peaceful means within its ethnic borders. The Republican Party reiterates its call for the drafting of a national platform as the guiding basis for the joint activity of all Albanians inside and outside the Homeland. The initiative to draft this platform belongs to the President of the Republic, with the participation of all political forces. 3. The Congress approves the referendum and the draft Constitution and calls on all members to vote in favor. Given the political conditions in the country and the external circumstances, we consider approval of the draft Constitution by referendum a patriotic duty. After its approval, the Republican Party will work for a better completion of the Constitution, on the basis of the right to propose amendments guaranteed by this Constitution, which lays the foundations of our state governed by law, guarantees human freedoms and rights, and opens the way to economic development. 4. The Republican Party views democratic developments in general positively. At the same time, however, it is concerned by certain violations and deviations toward authoritarianism, which are dangerous for our young and fragile democracy. The Republican Party calls on the party in power to reconsider from every angle the major issue of democracy and pluralism, and to respect public opinion and the free vote rigorously, knowing that this critical moment concerns the future of the people and the Nation. The Republican Party considers it a sacred duty to be at the forefront of efforts to find the best ways to develop democracy and protect human rights. 5. The Republican Party is seriously concerned about the development of economic reform, the lack of clarity surrounding this reform, and especially violations of fundamental human rights relating to the recognition and return of private property, the only basis for a realistic transition to a free market. Parliament’s refusal to consider the Republican draft law on land is another flagrant violation of the law by the very lawmakers. The Republican Party will struggle resolutely, within the framework permitted by democracy, for the recognition and return of private property in accordance with the law. We are aware that this will be a long struggle, but we are also fully convinced that, however complicated this struggle may be, property will be returned to those to whom it belongs. 6. The Republican Party is convinced that the country will embark on a path of European economic development only through a bold restructuring of agriculture, industry and the service sector, based on our moral and intellectual potential. Priority must be given to Albanian entrepreneurs by creating the conditions for them as the new class that will build the economy; at the same time, the way must be opened to attract foreign investment through a complete legal framework and by dismantling today’s bureaucracy. Above all, the government program must put an end to certain leftist vacillations and slogans such as “social economy,” etc., and resolutely embark on the path of the free market, following the example of the most advanced Western countries. 7. Corruption has become a widespread phenomenon that impedes economic development, poisons our lives and gnaws at the conscience of the Nation. This reality, which threatens us with catastrophe, must be confronted with measures (continued on page 2)

All the Opposition’s polemic over the Referendum and the Constitution has one point of convergence: Berisha! All the objections concerning procedural “violations” and the comparisons, with and without charts, made by Opposition leaders have one and only one point of focus: Berisha! We would say there is nothing strange about this. Little by little, we will get used to the clash of alternatives. From now on, politicians will constantly face one another. There will be backroom dealings and backstage maneuvering, too, but in the end the final act will take place in front of the people. All the alternatives will compete before them, but it is understood that only one of them will win. They cannot all win at once. The electorates will keep shifting; this is what campaigns and efforts to strike balances will aim for, but in the end only one will win. Everyone knows that Berisha won his “presidential campaign” this way, culminating on 22 March 1992. Among the people. He chose that path, traveled the country from end to end, and no one doubted that he would be prime minister or president, with the powers befitting the leader of the political force that had decisively won the free elections. His rivals of today applauded him then, too. And this was perfectly natural! And no one (from this group) can make efforts for another alternative. This is the “world” of pluralism. Berisha is everywhere again. On November 6, people will vote. A crowd of people outside a building; a man can be seen in the foreground.

With DREVISH DUMI, jurist Choosing a popular referendum to approve the Constitution is the fairest course, from every point of view. As a former member of the Commission for drafting the Constitution of the Republic of Albania, I do not think it exceeds the powers of the new president for a new parliamentary republic of the present day, which... Portrait of a man.

Gentlemen, We walked together in the struggle to overthrow communist rule and establish democracy. The alliance of the three parties served as a political guide for leading the country toward freedom. Such acts enter and remain in the history of a people. Despite differences of views and positions on many issues, the Republican Party values the work of the Social Democratic Party positively and wishes you to move forward. The world is beautiful precisely because differences exist, and in the end they complete the harmony of everything. It is enough that we remain united, try to understand one another and, above all, be honest and speak openly. From what Chairman Gjynushi said here, I see that you have made some changes to your program regarding ownership of land. However, what you are saying seems a little complicated to me, with too many articles. It would be better to simplify it. In Ngracan, a farmer told me: “Things got muddled when Enver was overthrown. I wanted things to return to exactly what my father had left me, and that was that.” This struck me as a very simple thought, like the brilliant thoughts that are always obscured by their astonishing simplicity. According to our Congress, the alliance of the three parties did not function as it should have during the last two years, and difficulties arose; it is said that this alliance is to remain in place. But I believe that the lack of an institutional framework will not prevent us from continuing to understand one another in the future, and perhaps to cooperate, whenever both sides conclude that the higher interests of the Nation and democracy call on us to work together. Our only open adversaries are the Socialist Party and its allies. For your information, I wish to tell you that we unanimously decided to support the referendum and vote for the draft Constitution, recognizing its importance, particularly for integration and in view of the real danger of social communism. The foundations of the state governed by law must be laid, to

Albanian courtesy toward Janullatos is coming to an end The High Commissioner of the CSCE for National Minorities, Van der Stoel, is now having the trips he has made to Albania counted. He has been coming to Albania for a year. This is the first sign of doubts about the effectiveness of his mission, so much discussed by both sides. The first sign of nervousness came from the chairman of the Human Rights Union Party, Vasil Melo, (the party of the Greek minority in Albania), in an interview with the newspaper “Koha Jonë.” He described Van Der Stoel’s latest visit to Albania as coinciding with a particular moment, with the clear implication that someone was not entirely satisfied with what the Greek side had hoped for. During a special visit requested by the Albanian side to put an end to Greece’s misuse of the actual situation of the Greek minority in Albania, Van Der Stoel, according to reliable sources, also received a firm response from the Albanian official authorities: the disinformation campaign about the situation of this minority must end, and he was reminded that his mission should deal with the reciprocal resolution of problems concerning the respective minorities. The truth is that, up to now, throughout his mission, Van Der Stoel has presented only one report on the situation of the Greek minority in Albania, at the latest CSCE Conference in Vienna on the protection of Human Rights; the report was submitted to the conference’s working group. The Albanian side is described as positive in its report, which received an overall assessment and, finally. But the working group. The Albanian side referred to its report as positive; it received ... ... on these issues. According to sources, the Albanian side presented the report ... At this meeting held in Greece, the education of the Greek minority in Albania, especially the law on education. On the other hand, it is learned that Van Der Stoel also showed interest in the future of the minorities of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, following the delay in approving the Constitution by referendum. Approval of a special decree that the matter has been settled through a bilateral mandate, serving his own interests and presenting the position the Greek side is taking on this problem. But signals are coming from ... the prime minister’s press offices. On the very same day that Meksi met with Van Der Stoel, his press office issued another statement protesting over this issue, reminding the Greek government that the Archbishop’s matter is an issue for the Albanian Autocephalous Church and that he is not an envoy of the Greek state. On the other hand, it is officially reported that Berisha avoided a second meeting with him, both before and after his return from southern Albania, and during their only meeting maintained that Stoel’s mission should become effective by addressing the issue of the respective Albanian minority in Greece. It is learned that Berisha asked Stoel for greater CSCE attention to the situation of the minorities in Greece, Turkish and Albanian, and to the recognition and respect of their rights, which, he said, would be another real contribution this organization could make to fulfilling the values it upholds and to strengthening stability in the region. Stoel has tried to counter this Albanian offensive (continued on page 6)

member of the Commission for drafting the Constitution, at the time when I was in the leadership of the Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania, I made a personal contribution to the written formulation of the relevant provisions of the Constitution. As a jurist, I would say that the President of the Republic of Albania does not exceed the powers of a president in a modern parliamentary republic, which accept and allow in practice a more active role for him in the public life of the country and internationally; this activity is, in a word, called Governance.

There is no doubt that the most important part of this Constitution is Part Two, from Article 19 through Article 59, where we find the enshrinement of fundamental human rights. The leaders find embodied in this part of the Constitution (the Draft) the ideals for which they fought and confronted the dictatorship. The argument being advanced by the opposition concerning the lack of independence of the powers of government is a deception, a fabrication intended to make the people feel afraid for their rights and freedoms.

The decree on the referendum announced by the President of the Republic was approved by Parliament and, moreover, in issuing this decree the President of the Republic did not exceed his powers, but exercised a right granted to him by law, that is, under the constitutional provisions. Besides this, the referendum embodies the most democratic spirit of society as a whole, because it reflects the opinion of a people whose reasoning cannot be manipulated. Thus, the manner in which this Constitution is approved is another democratic feature of it, because it comes from the vote of the people.

I think there is no room for such a discussion. It is beyond comment: the referendum is the most democratic way to approve the Constitution. Particularly in our country, this act takes on a symbolic meaning that will be recorded in history.

The group that worked on the Draft Constitution, the Albanian intellectuals, and the international organizations that contributed have expressed the will of the people, and there can be no claim whatsoever that they bear responsibility for establishing a dictatorship.

Dear Secretary-General, On behalf of the Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union, Chancellor Dr. Helmut Kohl, I thank you for the invitation to attend your Party’s Congress on 19–20 October in Tirana. Unfortunately, because of other long-standing commitments, I will not be able to send a representative to this Congress. I wish your Congress interesting discussions and successful results. With regards, JOHAN ADOLF KOHA UZ