with the chargé d'affaires of Great Britain, Mr. Stefan Nesh... On March 3, the leaders of the constituent organizations of the Right-Wing League met with the chargé d'affaires of Great Britain, Mr. Stefan Nesh. The leaders of the League's constituent organizations explained the urgent reasons that make its establishment necessary, emphasizing that the League greatly values the old ties of friendship between the two countries and the important role of Great Britain in the European arena. Mr. Stiven Nesh said that he had followed the establishment of the League in the press with interest, as a new development in Albanian politics, and expressed a wish to hear further explanations about the alternatives offered by the League, the political spectrum in which it stands, the areas where the League is most active, the electorate that supports it, its position on the constitution, and especially its position on the Albanian national question, which is of great importance in resolving the problems of the Balkans. The leaders of the League explained that its main aim is to prevent the social-communists from returning to power, to establish a genuine democratic system in accordance with European standards, and to carry out economic reform that guarantees the individual's free initiative, exercised through legally held private property. This is the alternative sought by the people. The League is explicitly right-wing in the European sense of the word. It rejects extremism and revanchism, but calls for communist criminals to be tried under the laws of genuine democracy. Through its constituent organizations, the League is present in every district of Albania and will field joint candidates in the upcoming elections. It calls for a popular referendum to choose the institutional form of the state, followed by the adoption of the constitution. Regarding the national question, the League declares its support for ethnic Albania, within the European framework and international conventions on peoples' right to self-determination. Mr. Nesh said the conversation had been very useful to him and expressed a wish for further meetings. For the leadership of the Albanian Right-Wing League The Chairman KURT KOLA with the chargé d'affaires of Switzerland, Mr. ...

The DP's Extraordinary Conference begins its proceedings today. The Extraordinary Conference of the DP begins its proceedings today. Usually, gatherings at this level are of great interest to political circles in the country, all the more so when the party in power is involved. On such occasions, cardinal issues for the party are discussed, or major turns and fundamental changes to its program or statutes. In this case, however, considering the developments that led to the holding of this extraordinary DP conference, there is no reason to expect anything of such significance as to affect political life in the country, or even within the Democratic Party itself. According to Selami and his opponents, the conference today may deal with three issues: Selami's dismissal; discussion of the DP chairman's latest proposals to combine the posts of prime minister and party chairman; and the way the constitution is to be discussed. As can be seen, none of the matters mentioned above. Despite this, interest—or curiosity—about what will emerge from the proceedings of this conference will prevail: will the line of the National Council or Berisha on the adoption of the constitution prevail, or the one expressed by Selami? (Most recently, the question has been whether Selami will be dismissed or will remain in the post of party leader, even if only formally.) However, even on this point, it is difficult to make predictions, judging by the actions of the two camps, since at almost every turn one encounters banal paradoxes. Having failed to bring anything to light with his January proposal to combine the post of party chairman with that of prime minister, Selami dropped another smoke bomb: adopting the constitution through parliament. This became the reason for calling successive meetings of the DP leadership, the National Council, and now the extraordinary conference. With this second issue, since the positions of moderate forces on the adoption of the draft constitution are supported ... (continued on p. 4)

Yesterday marked the inauguration of the start of work to reconstruct Tirana's water supply system Tirana has suffered from water shortages for a long time. So long that its residents had often lost hope that a solution would be found. Water comes only 2–3 hours a day, and only to the lower floors. It is often polluted. The lack of water is accompanied by many other related difficulties. But for the residents of Tirana, hope is now no longer something distant; it is a reality beginning to be put into action. The Ministry of Construction and Territorial Regulation and the Directorate of Infrastructure, implementing a financial program funded by loans and aid, have begun carrying out a project worth 13 billion lekë to completely renew the main water supply network over a length of 20 km. Following the tender organized by this department, in which 12 Italian companies took part, the contract was awarded to the company “Falcione,” which began work on March 4, 1995, and will complete it within 20 months. This is the first time since 1939 that Tirana's water supply system will undergo a major restructuring. All the machinery to be used in the work and the pipes, 200–600 m in size, that will connect the source at Bovilla to the far end of the supply network, will be brought by the Italian side and are of a quality resistant to conditions in the ground for up to 80 years. This will also give Tirana completely clean water, which has long been a concern. The work on Tirana's water supply system will normalize and expand the city's water network. The pressure in the pipes, currently 2 atmospheres, will rise to 6 atmospheres, which means that the capital will have water continuously for 24 hours. The first phase, funded by a loan and aid of 8 billion lire, will be completed within 14 months, while the second phase, worth 5 billion lire, will be carried out within 6 months, as work ... Photo: Armando Babani

The flu has almost taken over Tirana. All the schools in Tirana have felt the effects of this flu. In every primary, eight-year or secondary school, the number of sick students ranges from 5 to 20. The situation is more serious at “Lasgush Poradeci” school, which is at risk of being closed for several days because of the many absences. But the flu has also affected newborn babies in maternity ward units, or in neighborhood clinics. Emergency cases of this kind in Tirana have increased greatly, Dr. Ramiz Kociun at the Emergency Center confirms, and this is a result of the flu. All age groups have been affected, especially the elderly, because this flu has a destructive effect on the heart. In children, flu symptoms include fever, sore throat, sneezing and loss of appetite; in adults, it is also accompanied by cardiac problems. Emergency cases at every neighborhood clinic have tripled or quadrupled. To find out more about the name of the flu, we approached Dr. Medi Cani at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Tirana. in Tirana. “It is a flu that should not be taken lightly,” he says. “Since we lack laboratories to identify it precisely, based on the cases we have treated and are treating these days, we say it is a ‘virus’ of group A. The world recognizes 3 types of flu: A, B, C, and group A alone has 20 types of flu of different origins; nevertheless, the possibility that it is ‘Virozë Flame’ cannot be ruled out. The number of patients is increasing every day. The environment makes the flu more widespread, but if it is flame, dogs and rats have contributed more to its spread (continued on page 2)

On March 3, the leaders of the Albanian Right-Wing League met with the chargé d'affaires of Switzerland, Mr. Hauswirth. Counsellor Mr. Kristian Shmed was also present. The rotating chairman, Mr. Kurt Kola, and the leaders of the other constituent organizations explained the main points of the program and the alternatives it proposes for resolving the complex situation and protecting democracy. Messrs. Hauswirth and Shmed expressed particular pleasure at the meeting and asked questions to obtain further clarification. Since the DP declares itself to be fighting communism, why does the Right-Wing League not cooperate with this party? Questions were also asked about the position on securities and the government's position on Macedonia, etc. The League's leaders explained that cooperation with the DP cannot be discussed, since it pursues a policy contrary to democratic developments, economic reform and the democratization of the fundamental problem of Kosovo. The Right-Wing League considers the Socialist Party and its allies open opponents and, at the same time, is clearly in opposition to the DP and its power. The decrees being prepared in secret to distribute national wealth are considered by the League to be arbitrary actions. The League believes that the Albanian Government should have sought a written agreement with the government of Macedonia on the rights of Albanians before that republic was recognized. The League observes that, in response to the broad latitude granted by the Albanian Government, the Macedonian side has answered with killings at the border and the oppression of the Albanian population, going so far as to deny its most basic rights, such as education in its mother tongue. The League asked about reports that Switzerland would take measures to deport Albanian emigrants, which contradicts the results of the referendums held in Switzerland from time to time concerning immigration. Mr. Hauswirth said that the issue did not concern Albanian emigrants specifically, but rather the interpretation of laws on the right to political asylum. Both sides expressed a wish for further discussions. KURT KOLA

You can find more than enough debates that show that Albanians continue to be a people bound in the most inextricable, and at the same time most painful, way to the politics of their country. You can find more than enough debates that show most inextricable, and at the same time most painful, way to the politics of their country. Setting aside the reasons connected with tradition and fatalistic geographical confinement, despite all good intentions and official goodwill, a cursory analysis easily leads to the conclusion that the saying “where the tooth hurts, the tongue goes” seems to sum it up accurately. In other words, the overwhelming majority of Albanians consider the politics of their politicians a rotten molar—not in their neighbour's mouth, but, with all its horror and consequences, in their own unhealed mouth, in their hands, and in the mirror that speaks to us freely and, of course, with quality. You may find all sorts of reasons, among the ... and the graphomaniacs, to justify this politicization, which is hardly characteristic of peoples that are not at all backward and are closing the century emancipated and, why not, prosperous. But no one can deny that this politicization, all the way to fanaticism among the people, is nothing more or less than a constant electoral atmosphere: an empty passion, a sterile womb whose work is alien to it, as is the infant ... It is extremely difficult to find anywhere in the world today, particularly among peoples that still count their ... by the dozen, a people that feels and frets with its eyes fixed on the newspaper and its ears glued to screens and microphones, its sleep disturbed by the future fate of a party chairman, minister or deputy. A real misfortune, yet it painfully shows that even now our fate, in the narrow sense of the word, remains tied to the fate of politicians; we still call their paradise our paradise, and their downfall the edge of our own grave. Only here and there has an Albanian, through his work and his own politics, detached his fate from the chariot of politics. Only here and there has an Albanian understood that Albania is one's home and that, if your home is in order, Albania is in order too. By contrast, there are hundreds whose parliament is the cafés where they lounge from morning till night, gnawing bones and burping rakia. This ... cancerous ... is, strangely, very capable of sowing, like nettles, sorrow and darkness over society's prospects (Continued on page 4)

At first glance, the problem of marital separations might seem to be purely a social problem. But this problem, which has grown to enormous proportions recently, is becoming very troubling for the courts: within a single day, one judge has managed to grant a divorce. Meanwhile, calculating an average of the divor... marri... [the remainder of the text is not clearly legible] LA

The forthcoming visit to Tirana by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Greece, Mr. Karolos Papulias, is undoubtedly an event in relations between the two oldest neighbours in the Balkans. But the mere existence of goodwill and good intentions between the government of Mr. Meksi and that of Mr. Papandreu, often declared by both sides, is not enough. Honest discussion and the resolution of the problems that exist between the two countries will be particularly important. Regarding the issue of the Greek minority in Albania, Mr. Papulias should be told clearly about the position of the Albanian government and its concern for the situation of the Greek minority in Albania. An agreement welcomed by the Greek and Albanian governments should be reached on this matter, with Albania being helped sincerely, without prejudice and unconditionally to achieve its rapid integration into a United Europe. On the other hand, the Albanian government must also be concerned that Albanian citizens in Greece are not subjected to mistreatment and grave violations of human rights. The fact that many Albanians are in Greece illegally in no way justifies the flagrant violations of their fundamental human rights. Such frequent and repeated cases not only damage the traditionally good relations between the two peoples, but also seriously tarnish the international image of Greek democracy and constitute a serious breach of the international instruments for the protection of human rights signed by the Greek state itself. Another problem requiring diplomatic attention is the issue of the Cham minority. Mr. Papulias should be patiently told that the Cham issue has not been raised merely as a retort or at particular political junctures. On the contrary, he should be told that a just resolution of the Cham issue is a priority direction of the foreign policy of the Republic of Albania. The Greek side should be made to understand that the high ideals of humanism and the democratic spirit of the Greek people support efforts to rectify an unforgivable historical injustice committed against an entire indigenous and innocent population by malicious and dubious elements. On the other hand, the Albanian government should not hesitate at all to ask the Greek government to recognise and respect the rights relating to the historical, cultural and linguistic identity of Albanians in Greece. The contribution of the Arvanite heroes to the founding and strengthening of the modern Greek state is an undeniable and indisputable historical fact of which both our peoples are proud. But the Greek government makes no effort to recognise the Arvanites as ethnically Greek and allow them freely to learn the ancient Albanian language, as well as the culture and history of their motherland. Just as the Arvanites did not spare their blood in Greece’s War of Independence in 1821 and afterwards, today too they can make a valuable contribution to the development of relations between the two countries. These are not the only obstacles between the two countries. Albania must make clear to its southern neighbour that, in its policy for the country’s economic development, it cannot remain indifferent to a considerable part of Greece in the south, in which ... [the rest is cut off/unclear] (continued on page 2)

Decisions that are intended to be made today would be better suited to a referendum. It doesn’t matter that it is a party decision. Party decisions, too, can be made by referendum. For example, the Party Statute could be approved by referendum; a vote of confidence in the party chairman could be held by referendum. I don’t think the chairman would be against it either! He doesn’t want referendums this time because he likes it this way. As part of party reform, I propose that the party have a chairman and a president. The president would hold a formal post. The chairman would do all the work, while the decisions would be made by the president. Of the 25% of people who will be accepted into my party, half will be intellectuals, while the other half must definitely be people who do some kind of work. After a few years, the percentage could be increased by a few more points. For future referendums, I propose that voting be conducted more easily. Simple voting made sense only under dictatorship, when people were afraid to vote openly “against”; now there is no reason to be afraid. Some not-so-insignificant figures in our country say that Europe has turned its back on us. But that isn’t true! There are many important people in our country who, as they themselves declare, are Europeans. Have they turned their backs on us? No! No! So, if there are Europeans who love us, they are our not-so-insignificant people. Why don’t these Europeans turn their backs on this country? Why do our not-so-insignificant people become such Europeans? Every ‘mat’ is a little Europe in our country. There is no fortress our Europeans cannot take. Even the Europeans took it exactly as Comrade E.H. predicted, co sh p.k. Oh, how I would love to see the backs of all the Europeans, just like everyone else! THE CHRONICLER

TO RECEIVE THE BONES OF THE CONVOY In this issue You may be ... debates that testify that Albanians continue to be a people bound in the most ... way

What is intellectual property? p. 3 Tirana’s urban buses p. 2