Press conference by PR chairman Mr. Sabri GODO The Government is preparing the law on the sale and purchase of land in order to sanction the general confiscation and redistribution established by Communist Law No. 7501. The Republican Party is convinced that this will bring further social complications, which are already serious, and calls on the Government not to take this step. There is still time to annul Law No. 7501, dated 19.07.1991, and replace it with the Republican Party’s draft law of January 1994, which the Presidium of Parliament, openly undermining the package of constitutional laws, did not even deign to consider. But if the Government and Parliament cannot pursue such a course, let them leave the law on the sale and purchase of land to the next Government and Parliament. Land can enter the free market only after it has been returned to its lawful owner. At the press conference on 22 March, President Berisha declared the process of dividing up the land and issuing title deeds to be “almost” entirely complete. This is a failure to recognize reality. In the northeastern part of the country, peasants returned to their lands long ago. The same thing has quietly happened in some southern districts as well. Meanwhile, the communist law distributing land per capita was enforced by force mainly in Central Albania. There is no single law for the whole country; rather, there is a law that does not treat Albanians equally. In any case, one cannot speak of Parliament enforcing the law. There is no parliament in this world, except those in communist countries, that takes the right to redistribute one citizen’s property for the benefit of another. The President seeks to offer landowners some small measure of relief when he says that files have been prepared to compensate them with securities. The Republican Party does not believe there will be landowners in Albania who will renounce their inherited land and hand it over at the ridiculous price dictated by the Government, especially in securities whose exchange value fell by as much as 60% in the case of the compensation of former political prisoners. It is clear what will happen when the issuance of securities to compensate for land and privatize national assets continues. Following this course, given our reality, the state is preparing an unprecedented inflationary defeat for itself. In any case, we say that landowners will stay out of this game, if for no other reason than to avoid taking upon themselves the curse of their fathers. The Republican Party has repeatedly stressed that Law No. 7501 of 1991 belongs to the communist philosophy of total expropriation of the individual. This law, which claims to have put peasants on an equal starting line, gave some people four times more land than others. This law has left a large part of the land fallow and has obstructed land-reclamation works, causing serious damage to the land inventory. In general, I say that the land problem in Albania differs from that in other countries. In Albania there were a total of seven families who were major landowners; taken together, they owned 140,000 ha. In the Alternative Draft Law... SD: You have said that all Albanians were landowners, although other political forces say that Albania had only major landowners and that most people were agricultural laborers. Could you clarify your statement that “all Albanians owned land”? together, they owned 140,000 ha. In the Draft Law, this owner will lose it, and will see that his land, which has been given to someone else under the law in force, will be sold to a third person. This creates a major complication, and I believe that most of those who have received land from the state, as soon as this law comes out, will first look for a buyer to get a handful of money, because the land is not theirs. Foreseeing this, I say that there will be great anarchy and tragic conflicts, which are happening even now but which the media do not cover as they should. Foreseeing such a development, you have called it a “criminal act.” Have you consulted with the other forces, and if so, have you found consensus among them? - The PR submitted a draft law on this matter to Parliament before joining the Alliance, and it remains in that position. In the Alliance, we have agreed in general terms on the issue of property, but each party will pursue its own policy in accordance with its program, while uniting around those 14 points that put us in the same position. We will raise this issue at the Alliance’s plenary meeting, but we believe that every member organization of the Alliance is free to pursue such political activity in accordance with its party program. I hope this statement will also receive the Alliance’s support, but in any case this is a PR statement. I call it a criminal law because it will complete the robbery of land from its lawful owner, and I do not think I need to obtain the other parties’ approval to say something we have been saying for a long time. - Radio Tirana: You said that the current law should be annulled and that you have submitted a draft law on this to Parliament. Could you tell us a little more about this draft law? - The draft law was published in a booklet that we distributed throughout Albania. The main characteristics of today’s law are that it has not been implemented throughout Albania, and the Government is blatantly lying when it says it has managed to implement the law 90% of the way, when it is known that throughout northeastern Albania, and even in some southern districts, peasants returned to their properties long ago. The Government then calls this implementation of its law and includes it in the figures. That is where the trick lies. If it includes it, then the Government faces another fact: it recognizes some Albanians’ right to reclaim their property. Continued on p. 2 ...this fact says so. case, one cannot speak of the law being fully implemented. At the aforementioned press conference, President Berisha said there was a law on the sale and purchase of land, but that the foreign investor wanted this law to be passed through Parliament. The foreign investor knows very well that parliaments change, whereas lawful property is eternal. No foreign investor, unless naive, will invest their money in land with a title deed issued by the Government, even... Alternativa SD: You have founders among your members, and all Albanians have been large landowners and that most people were farmers. Can you explain your statement that “all Albanians have been landowners, regardless of the size [of their holdings]”? - I said, based on the statistics the Albanian state had in 1945, that 87% of peasants owned land and only 13% of them could be considered landless. This 87% includes large, medium-sized, and small landowners, who make up the majority. These are official figures issued by the communist regime when the land was inventoried. In general, I say that the land question in Albania is different total of 7 families who were large landowners; taken together, they owned 140,000 ha. In the Draft Law we submitted to Parliament, we explicitly stated that PR limits the holdings of large landowners to 60 ha; that is to say, we recognize the Albanian Parliament’s right to carry out a single reform with regard to large estates, while everyone else should have their property returned to them. I want to add something that I did not manage to express well in the statement. Since the landowner has so far been waiting to see what would happen next, I say… of question in Albania is different waiting to see what would happen next, I say… - Is the statement that of PR, or also of LDSH? You use buyers for a handful of money, because it today but which the news media do not cover as they should. Anticipating such a course of events, we call on the Government and Parliament to refrain from adopting such a law. This is mainly to preserve social peace until the elections and after them, and to leave a way open to correct this great injustice that has been committed. The law on the sale and purchase of land would further complicate the problem and, speaking plainly, I say that I do not know where things might end up. - You use Godo answering journalists at yesterday’s press conference Yesterday morning, at the PRSH headquarters, PR chairman Mr. Sabri Godo held a press conference lasting more than an hour. At the beginning, Mr. Godo read a statement, the full text of which we are publishing. Afterwards, Mr. Godo answered questions from representatives of newspapers, ATSH, radio, television and foreign radio stations... “I call it a criminal law because it will complete the robbery of land from its lawful owner”

With PR chairman Mr. Sabri Godo - Five weeks have passed since the Albanian Right-Wing Alliance was formed. Some newspapers have expressed the opinion that this Alliance cannot last long. How do you see it? - Five weeks is too short a time to say objectively whether it has passed the test. But I see that the leaderships of the Alliance understand one another fully, that they have the desire and will to move forward fraternally, in the true sense of the word, and that they will strengthen their unity even further. The speculation by some journalists and politicians that the Alliance cannot last for one reason or another shows that they have not subjected their judgment to serious analysis. The Right-Wing Alliance is a necessity of the times, an important addition to political life today and in the future. - So you are optimistic. Is that justified by the Alliance’s activities so far? - I am optimistic. The Alliance has carried out an intensive five weeks of activity. It has operated regularly, made public appearances, held a press conference and two meetings with the general public in Elbasan and Durrës. It took part in the Vlora Exhibition and has presented itself in several cities. Its activities will continue to grow, as will its experience. - From the information received by the newsroom— - The response is quite positive. The districts themselves are establishing the Alliance’s organizations in ways suited to their conditions. Very soon the Alliance will cover the entire country. That means it is inspiring strong hopes. The electorate will turn toward the Alliance, providing a solution to the complicated and dangerous political situation. - How will you run joint candidates in the elections…? - Quite simply. The person with the greatest influence in their own district will be selected as the joint candidate, regardless of which organization they belong to, and everyone will vote for them. There is also another important point. The Alliance will run as a single entity, but the ballot will list the party alongside the candidate’s name. In other words, the voter will vote for the Alliance’s candidate and, at the same time, for the party the voter prefers. This practice, familiar in democratic countries, should also be applied here. - Is an expansion of the Alliance’s member organizations envisaged? - This will be considered at the plenary meeting on 3 April. As far as I know, the Coordinating Commission has received several requests from various organizations. There is no doubt that the Alliance will expand, in accordance with the conditions set out in its program. - Regarding the return of property, it has been remarked that the Alliance’s program mentions only confiscations by the communist regime, without citing nationalizations and sequestrations. What do you think about this? - I think the term “all confiscations carried out by the communist regime to the detriment of lawful property” also includes all nationalizations, prior seizures, and so on—in short, all the theft of property by the communist dictatorship. - One last question. A newspaper has called S. Godo’s joining the Alliance a Trojan horse of Berisha, and so on. Yet you do not respond? - Aristotle said that if you engage in politics, you have to endure everything. A response is not worthwhile, because the accusation does not submit to logic. For more than four years I have been chairman of a party with a regular membership of 25,000 people. This Party has held two Congresses and a National Conference. This Party has a National Council and a Steering Committee that function regularly. At the Second Congress I was elected almost unanimously, by secret ballot, with 9 votes against. So I enjoy the confidence of the whole Party, which has closely watched my activity, as happens in every party with its chairmen. So I say that anyone who expresses doubts about me should stop and think a little: in reality, they are judging the entire Republican Party too lightly. And it is well known that when we are on the road, one obeys the chairman, but bring political culture more freely where true democracy prevails, and we are—and must be—dominant in the elections. I do not respond to accusations because politics among non-political forces is an unbelievable confrontation of energies. I presented these points at the Alliance’s very first plenary meeting. it seems that the response in the districts is good. - political situation. - How will you run joint candidates in the elections…? “There is no doubt that the Alliance will expand, in accordance with the conditions set out in its program”

With PLL chairman Mr. Guro Durollari - Mr. Durollari, could you bring us up to date on the latest developments in the Legality Party? - You have come at exactly the right time. We have just concluded the proceedings of an expanded party meeting, attended by representatives from all the branches in the various districts, including representatives from the diaspora. We reviewed recent events in the party as well as the political situation in the country. Let me say at the outset that representatives of all the branches, bringing the voices and opinions of their members, expressed support for the activity carried out so far by the party chairman; but what is important and makes me extremely happy is that there was unreserved support for joining the LDSH. You should know that genuine democracy exists in our parties, and the statutes are rigorously observed, although, to tell the truth, I initially encountered some difficulties, because the democrats understood this fellowship of ours, united by our ideals, somewhat differently from the way we had previously understood it in America. That small group, through its actions, sought to cause division in the party by opposing the participation of the Legality Movement Party in the Albanian Right-Wing Alliance, thereby opposing an idea whose realization King Leka I himself had long worked for. I can tell you that in 1972 he organized a meeting in Madrid of representatives of all Albanian parties in exile, with the aim of creating a joint council to fight the communist regime at home effectively. It was something similar to the LDSH that has now been created here. You have also learned of our position through the greeting sent by the Minister of the Royal Court. - There was also talk of an early Congress. - As for their attempt to organize an early Congress on their own initiative, that is a violation of the statutes, a flagrant violation, which has nothing in common with the democratic and legitimist spirit that has characterized our party since its creation. It is absurd for a party called “Legality” to engage in illegal actions. No one has been prevented from making proposals or taking part in discussions, but this must be done legally, by calling a conference or a meeting such as today’s. But we cannot consider a gathering of three or four people in some café to be normal. In cafés, presidents can be appointed too, not just me, who am only a party chairman. Besides, according to the statutes, Congress cannot be convened without the approval of the party chairman; moreover, in our party, candidacies for the position of chairman must be submitted six months before the Congress meets, and the Royal Court must be informed. So, as you can see, the Congress requested by these people cannot be held, even technically. Knowing the party’s composition and the spirit within it, which was also reflected in today’s meeting, I am convinced that such individuals are influenced by people who have nothing to do with our party and who seek to achieve their aims by denigrating us in... I am not a jurist, but it is...

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