November 29 was found in the Hall of the Academy of Arts, where I saw the public defense of Enver Hoxha break down the myth of his untouchability, which had been shattered there four years earlier. This is the only motive one can find to explain the pay and the zeal of the dictator’s defense in the name of November 29. This is the only motive that now also compromises the recollections of any witness to the final night of the occupation of Albania. The controversy, which politically divides the anti-Communist forces from left-wing fanatics, began as soon as the first truths about the dictatorship and Enver Hoxha began to be told. For Albanians in general and for the history of this country, dividing the celebration of freedom into two camps is a primitive imitation of dividing the nation into ideological “nations.” To find Enver Hoxha as the sole argument for not institutionalizing November 28 as the holiday of freedom means finding only ideological reasons to keep alive the memory of November 29, which, more than a celebration of freedom from foreigners, reminds Albanians of the occupation by the most terrorist gang ever to seize power in this country’s history. The Socialist Party’s approving stance toward this gathering and the half-hearted silence of some other half-parties may have to do with preserving its monopoly over the most nostalgic segment of the dictatorship in Albania. I say this because I believe that all those who fought to liberate the country and did not experience the regime installed after November 29 as a wholly dark period in Albania joined the official celebrations on November 28. The technical arguments for or against this date all concern the final departure of the German occupiers from Albania, while, apparently, the political interests surrounding the mystery of this midnight occupy half the stage. These interests have become so powerful and persuasive that one of the leaders of the Socialist Party, Namik Dokle, admits in an interview with the newspaper “Koha Jonë” on November 28 that he does not know what the holiday in Albania is. Furthermore, neither he nor the journalist fears that someone might come forward and say that if you do not celebrate as a Communist on November 28, you should celebrate as an Albanian, since that date is the great holiday that distinguishes Albanians from the Gorani, Serbs, Greeks and all the other neighbors in the Balkans; it is the holiday that gave us a Homeland. If Namik Dokle knows nothing because of his Slavic nationality; if the nostalgic veteran knows nothing, the one to whom “Zëri i Popullit” gives space on its front page to say that “November 29 is Albania’s main holiday,” because it coincides with the holiday Tito assigned to the Yugoslav Federation; if Ramiz Alia and Haxhi Lleshi know nothing, they who supposedly liberated Kosovo from the Germans and handed it over to the Serbs—there are millions of Albanians who know the history, and what a history it is. Those who were charged by the last occupiers in Albania cannot celebrate out of spite for one another. In the Balkans, amid other nationalisms, there are people who know who they are and what history they have. Against this backdrop, burdened by the final remnants of the occupiers in Albania, people cannot celebrate out of spite for one another. You are seized by sadness when you read that the main holidays of the Albanians are determined not by when Albania won, but by when the worst of the worst in this country won peace in the seats of power. Fanatics, this country’s freedom cannot be divided into two parts, as if the division history has made of the nation were not enough. Politicians who would use this country’s freedom to create a larger national space, a more unified nation, are giving us our first lessons by creating the nucleus of an ideological nation. And sadness grips you when you think that this is done not only by those who have just a few years of breath left to defend the dictatorship, but also by others who want to equate the pain of the present with the terrors of the past. Mero BAZE

“The Council of Europe has welcomed the publicly expressed wish of political forces that, alongside the commission to be established to draft the draft constitution, legal experts from the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission should also work on it.” “The Council of Europe has welcomed the publicly expressed wish of political forces that, alongside the commission to be established to draft the draft constitution, legal experts from the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission should also work on it,” Hans Peter Fyrrer, Political Director of the Council of Europe, stressed at a meeting in Strasbourg with Dervish Dumi, Director of Multilateral Cooperation and International Organizations at the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Fyrrer, at whose request the meeting was organized, told the senior official of our Foreign Ministry: “We have the experts ready and are awaiting notification that the Constitutional Commission has begun its work.” Referring to the atmosphere toward Albania at the Council of Europe after the referendum, Fyrrer noted that “the effort is to ensure that a convincing spirit of democratic freedom exists in Albania.”

For the first time since the beginning of the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, Russia used its veto in the UN Security Council to block the adoption of a resolution against the Serbs, declaring that any tightening, even indirect, of sanctions against Belgrade would be “illogical and politically unacceptable.” The draft resolution aimed to prevent the Serbs of Croatia and Bosnia from being supplied with fuel from the territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Submitted by the non-aligned and Muslim countries, the resolution had also been approved by Zagreb and Sarajevo.

The Albanian Republican Youth Forum, at the gathering of the “Young European Conservatives” held in London from November 26–29, 1994, was unanimously accepted as a full member of the organization. According to the chairman of the “Young European Conservatives,” Andrew Rosindell, who conveyed the news and congratulations on the occasion, FRRSH was accepted as a full member, contrary to the usual procedure, which provides for an initial observer-class status. This recognition is the result of FRRSH’s ongoing efforts to promote conservative ideas in Albania. It is also recognition of the role Albanian youth have played and continue to play in the democratic processes in our country. The Albanian Republican Youth Forum (FRRSH) was established on September 20, 1991. From the outset, it positioned itself as an anti-Communist and right-wing organization. As the second politically oriented youth organization, FRRSH helped as much as it could to bring down the Communist regime in Albania. Taking into account the circumstances of Albanian youth in those times, FRRSH devoted its efforts and energies to students and young people in general, taking numerous initiatives in this direction. As the first to publish an opposition youth organ in Albania (“Rreze”), FRRSH publicly expressed its positions. With its branches spread throughout Albania, it helps disseminate republican ideas among young people and prepare a new class of politicians drawn from the younger generation. To this end, it has organized several seminars, including the most recent one on conservatism. FRRSH has for some time based its work on this ideology, which fits comfortably with the Republicans’ program and ideas. Today, as FRRSH moves forward and works for the future, it has taken another important step in its work by being accepted as a full member of the International of Young European Conservatives. Asked about this membership, FRRSH Chairman Enkel Demi told “Republiken”: “Our admission to this International is a great political victory for FRRSH, the Republican Party and youth in general. Our organization’s membership in this International is a major step toward the future and progress.”

Remarks by MP M. Çeliku, delivered in Parliament on 30 November on the draft law “On the Dissolution and Establishment of Certain Ministries” In expressing the views of the PR and my own views on the draft law “On the Dissolution and Establishment of Certain Ministries,” I agree with the Government’s restructuring if it will combat corruption in the broad sense of the word; if it will better implement the economic programme; if it will make use of the currently overloaded government apparatus; and if it will enable the laws passed by Parliament to be implemented fully and as quickly as possible. In my opinion, Albania should have fewer ministries, fewer government officials and fewer members of parliament. This draft law should be considered alongside a report explaining the reasons for restructuring the Government and abolishing certain ministries. This could be done by the Presidency or the Prime Minister’s Office. We want a Government that operates in a coherent, decentralized way, with ministerial autonomy in implementing the constitutional provisions. If there is to be a coalition government, the coalition should be based on established coalition rules, under which fundamental issues are discussed beforehand. The PR calls for the governing coalition to be broadened, for the PR to have wider representation in it, and for the governing coalition to be expanded to include right-wing forces (such as Balli Kombëtar, Legaliteti, etc.). I would like to emphasize that the restructuring should include all government posts (that is, directors of departments, deputy ministers, etc.). Unfortunately, ministers have been replaced before, but that is all. The work in ministries is not done by the minister alone, but by the entire apparatus under the minister.

Unable to meet with you, we, the 100 workers of Galanteri Tiranë, are writing to you with all our concerns, asking you to intervene in our fate. We previously sought help from Mr Dashamir Shehi, Mr Eduard Selami, Mr Blerim Çela and the Mayor of Tiranë, Mr Sali Kelmendi, but, as it seems, our letters did not reach their intended destination. In these circumstances, on 24 May 1994, we used our legal remedy and stopped work. On 11 August 1994, the Tiranë District Court declared it a lawful strike, obliging the employer to pay all damages. Unfortunately, however, five months have passed and the Court of Appeal has not yet held its hearing. After the work stoppage, Mr Dashamir Shehi, Mr Bujar Cana of the Ministry of Labour, and Mr Sali Kelmendi took an interest in the matter. Mr Kelmendi urgently sent an inspection team which, in our opinion, did a good job: it immediately dismissed the representative of the Albanian side, Ms Leonora Lula, and sued SHPK Galanteri for the contract’s illegality, since Albanian laws had been flagrantly violated in favour of the Italian side. But we do not know when it will be defended, because the hearing is scheduled for August. For seven months we have received no wages or allowances for bread, food and electricity for ourselves and our children. We were unhappy to hear the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Belortaja, say on television that the ministry and ministers do not deal with joint ventures, and that the problems must be resolved by the employing enterprises and their employees. We would remind Mr Belortaja, even though he is new to the post, that “the suits are cut and sewn right there, in the offices where he now works, and it is his duty to look into what happened even before he came to that office.” During two years of working with this company, the Italian side made four different contracts with the municipality and the ministry, each one worse than the last, to the detriment of Albanian capital and the workers. It has never agreed to conclude the collective labour agreement so greatly desired by the workers, although it has been repeatedly requested by both the foreign and Albanian employers. (Continued on page 2)

Following a report about the deteriorating relations between SHPK “2 K”, Tiranë, and the Greek company “CI Sarandopullos”, we sought information from the offices of the Albanian Construction Company about the “fate” of foreign companies entering Albania. The coordinator of the construction company “2 K” did not hesitate to acknowledge that he had sued the Greek company in question on fraud charges. In response to our insistence on further details, the board director of the Albanian company “2 K” informed us that “we have prepared all the necessary documents” for the legal proceedings against the Greek construction company. According to him, all that remains is the approval of the “2 K” assembly to initiate the case. The president of “2K” said that the purpose of this trial is not simply to recover a few thousand dollars that were lost. “My people,” he said, “will be able to fight energetically against the mentality of certain foreign companies (including the Greek company in question) that think and hope they can deceive and harm Albanian companies. In any case, there is still time to prevent these actions,” he concluded. “Republika” correspondent

...in the Italian cities of Milan and Palermo yesterday, in support of Forza Italia, Prime Minister Berlusconi and his government. At the demonstration in Milan, which was also attended by supporters of the National Alliance, participants used their slogans to speak out against the Bossi of Lega Nord and D’Alema of the Democratic Party of the Left. They answered the accusations concerning the kickback scandal involving Berlusconi with slogans: “Di Pietro, don’t dirty your ‘clean hands’.” Judges should deal with justice and politicians with politics, etc. Something similar also took place in the city of Palermo.

“Europe is not doing well,” said the madwoman N. of the capital after reading Saturday morning’s newspapers. Although 150,000 Kosovars voted in favour of the referendum in Norway, the “no” vote won. New elections are approaching. All the parties are ready. The polls say the Electric Party will win. The ministers will not leave their posts, since they have got their paperwork in order. They have privatized the cars and armchairs according to all the rules. Nevertheless, to implement Parliament’s decision, the Police of the Overthrow will be established. Human rights violations are appearing. What is the Helsinki Committee doing? Have you heard? The Italians have come to clean our streets. Now we should think of getting some Greeks to clean the stairwells of our apartment blocks. Parliament will announce a tender for a foreign company to clean up the government. The conditions of the competition are these: the company must have done dry cleaning; abroad, it must not have ministers. Who is called a political hooligan? Someone who acts like a psychopath, or someone who plays the role of a psychopath? All the politicians think they own Albania. Don’t they realize that they are all emaciated and wasted away for the motherland? Come on, name one who has put on weight. Milošević met with the leader of a coalition of Greek left-wing parties. This meeting took place after the visit to Greece by a high-level delegation of the PS and has nothing to do with any mediation by the Albanian socialists in this matter. Krozhin is saying that all the Greeks and all the events and all the figures? Prophets of the dependence of truths ...

Property is seized and the act is legitimized by corrupt courts Page 2 Issues of conservatism Page 3 EDIT DURHAM—a life for Albania Page 3 The first Albanian Baha’i Page 3

PR – Expansion of the governing coalition Greek company “C. I. ITALY: Demonstrations in

All branches of the Republican Youth Forum are hereby notified that the meeting of the FRRSH Congress Presidium will take place on May 14, 1994. This date will be invalid. All FRRSH members ... the number ... of delegates ... Congress ... 1994. This ... will help the Commission ... of the Congress ... FRRSH ...