The DP will put its own view on the table Preservation of the existing law. That will be the slogan of the opposition parties at today’s meeting. In recent days the parties have held meetings of their leaderships, which have taken positions for today’s roundtable. Boycotting Parliament if the DP does not meet their demands will be an option considered today in the meeting. Some opposition parties have found this alternative reasonable. “Boycotting will be the least we will do if the DP drafts an anti-legal law, and outside the declaration of the fourteen parties,” deputy Fehmi Alvdia, the PS representative at today’s meeting, said yesterday. “We must make the electorate aware of the anti-legal and anti-democratic action of the ruling party.” The Democratic Alliance does not join the idea of a boycott; its leadership met on this issue yesterday afternoon. “We are not in favor of abandoning Parliament,” said deputy Arben Imami yesterday after the meeting, who will represent the DA today, “but of insisting on finding a solution. This can be achieved by setting up a parliamentary group from both sides: from the DP and the opposition, so that they can follow this problem more closely. We think the struggle should be taken to Parliament. For this reason, we are in favor of this meeting retaining its propagandistic nature.” Imami also said that a boycott could bring undesirable consequences, which the DP would leave, as happened with the dismissal of Brozi. Deputy Teodor Laço also sees no effect from a boycott, which is why he is “absolutely not in agreement” with abandoning the Assembly. “Boycotts are not democratic,” Laço said yesterday, who will not be present at the meeting, Continued on p. 2

Today at 11 o’clock the general secretary of the SP, Gramoz Ruçi, and the former Interior Minister of the PPSh will appear before prosecutor Bekur Kokona. Ruçi will finally answer for what happened on 2 April 1991 in the city of Shkodër, where four young people aged 20 to 26 were killed by secret police bullets and many others were wounded. A list of questions has been prepared for Gramoz Ruçi so that he can provide detailed explanations about what happened in Shkodër, since at the time Ruçi was Interior Minister and is fully informed. Three phonograms have also been made public concerning him, which, although there was a hunt to punish the unpunished, gave no sign that they had existed. Ruçi confirmed yesterday to journalists that he will appear before the prosecutor. I. Z.

At the invitation of President Sali Berisha, Hungarian President Arpad Gonz arrived in Tirana yesterday. The Hungarian guest will stay in the Albanian capital for three days. Gonz is the first president of Hungary to come to Albania in a span of fifty years. At the airport, the Hungarian president and Berisha, who said “I am happy to be in Albania,” met yesterday for about 35 minutes. At the end of the meeting, Berisha said the talks were characterized by a friendly spirit and mutual understanding. We agreed to expand cooperation in all fields bilaterally, and to hold continuous consultations on various regional problems and on integration into Europe. Berisha said they discussed the situation in the region, the solution to the Kosovo problem, and other problems, which are conditions for achieving peace in the region. We believe that dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade should be conducted on the basis of a third party, and steps can be taken in this direction. Berisha said, “I think President Gonz’s visit is a historic event.” Hungarian President Gonz said he wanted to emphasize that it is no coincidence that this meeting is taking place now. What we are doing is not the end of the talks but the beginning of a long cooperation. We want to renew a centuries-old process. The Hungarian president is accompanied in Albania by a large delegation made up of more than 30 Hungarian businessmen. Also yesterday, many agreements were signed, especially in the field of investment protection. Continued on p. 3

Another person has been arrested for the killings at the border. Yesterday, the fourth person was handcuffed for these killings. He is Agim Leshi, from the city of Elbasan, who was arrested in connection with the killings at the border when he was post commander in the city of Korçë (in 1990) and, after four killings occurred in the area of the post he commanded, he was transferred to the city of Dibra. The victims killed at the border were from the city of Dibra, and their families were also informed there. Thus he has been charged with genocide. The 38-year-old Leshi is awaiting the investigation by the Dibra Prosecutor’s Office. A. D.

The Albanian cartoonist among the most popular in this country Soon one of the cartoons by the well-known 28-year-old cartoonist Medi Belortaja will be printed as a postcard in 50,000 copies in Japan. The request was made by the “Kyoto International Humor Society” and was approved by Belortaja. Belortaja has sent several works to the international cartoon contest that will be organized in Kyoto from 15–20 February this year, and the work selected for the postcard is part of the publicity campaign for this contest. Only the works of 16 cartoonists have been chosen for postcards. The request sent to Belortaja says that “cartoonists whose works appear to be the most popular in Japan have been selected.” The sale price of one postcard will be 100 yen ($1) and the author will receive 5% of the sale value. In 1994 Belortaja won the Gold Prize in the international cartoon contest organized in Tokyo. Belortaja also won the Gold Prize this year in an international cartoon contest organized in Seoul, South Korea. The work selected for the postcard in Japan will be published in “Republika” in upcoming issues I. d

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In the next issue Revised PRSH Program a modern national vision

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