Before speaking about the danger of communism returning, the causes that have created the conditions for it must be clarified. The current government and the Democratic Party have anti-communist slogans and warnings about the danger that its return poses to the country’s future at the tip of their tongues; these slogans occupy the central place in the DP’s propaganda campaign, especially now that its election campaign has begun in earnest. The possibility that the successors of the PPSH could return to power is entirely real, and in this regard the DP and its leadership are right to sound the alarm, notwithstanding that its propaganda on this issue is aimed more at preserving power. But when speaking so much about communism’s return, one must first speak about the conditions and causes that could make such a thing possible—something the DP’s orators do not do. The reluctance of the DP leaders to do so is easy to explain. There are two main causes that have created the specter of communism’s return: mistakes in the DP’s governance and the considerable space left to communists, both open and disguised, by the DP’s neocommunist government. While former communists, some of whom had even made their way into certain sections of the ruling party itself, were hardly affected by the measures taken in the name of the “fight” against communism. Instead of restoring what was owed for the injustices committed by the communist dictatorship, the government contented itself with a few half-measures, which included some ridiculous trials against people who no longer mattered. And the worst thing was that the accusations against them by the DP, especially now, were being made over second-rate matters, instead of first holding them accountable for the crimes committed against people, including economic crimes. Such a way of “fighting” communism has rightly raised doubts about the DP’s sincerity in its fight against communism. In recent days, four people were arrested and subsequently put on trial for trying to form a communist party. The current government may count this among the “successes” of its fight against communism, but something else deserves attention. Communism in Albania was so monstrous that nobody would even have thought to mention it, let alone consider or advocate a return to it, even in some hybrid form. It is unclear how the leaders of today’s government can explain the creation of conditions for communist ideas to take root in Albania, to the point where the legalization of a communist party is being advocated. Communism’s revenues, the wealth… were addressed that the accusations against them were for the crimes committed against people, including those of an economic nature. about the DP’s sincerity in the a communist party is being advocated.

P. 4 Part of the 2 July massacre comes to light A killer is identified, while those who ordered the killings have been charged since December 1995 Aiming at the 18-year-old, he inflicted serious injuries which, after several hours in a Tirana hospital, caused his death. At the Tirana Court, Judge Ridvan Shkëmbi assessed the security measure imposed on the former policeman, arrested on 25 February 1996. The former policeman is accused of intentional murder and risks a sentence of 10–20 years in prison. For the killings of 2 July, people have been arrested and charged under the law on geno-

The killings of 2 July 1990 at the embassy in Tirana have reached the Tirana Court. Thanks to the work of the Prosecutor’s Office, a file closed deliberately or a testimony obtained from a person charged with genocide has led to a part of the 2 July massacre coming to light. Yesterday, one of the killings of 2 July 1990 was brought to light. 18-year-old Altin Basha was killed by former policeman Hysen Rama, who was on duty at the German embassy on 2 July 1990. According to the indictment brought against him, former policeman Basha is accused of having fired at 20:45 on 2 July 1990. The clarification of one of the killings makes the work on the other murders easier, about which there have been many interpretations over the past five years. The most important part of this mystery remains the killings at Mali i Gropës, which are under investigation. B. P.

He goes to paradise, shrouding the true motives in mystery. It happened in Tirana yesterday afternoon, when a 25-year-old was found on the stairs, in the final moments of his life, by the residents of an apartment building on Rruga e Kavajës. In his right hand he was holding a syringe, in his left the deadly liquid. Near his body were found ampoules containing a substance whose label read “DIAZEPAN”; according to those familiar with the investigation, these are deadly. Although everything has been taken up for processing by the competent authorities, the victim’s identity and the reasons that led this unknown man to the stairs of a building where he did not live remain a mystery. It is thought that he was a drug user and, during a withdrawal crisis, found the least exposed place to get through it. But not everything went according to his plans: the excessive quantity injected caused his death. This is the second such case recorded in our country, after the one in October 1995, when a dead person was found on the Lana bridge. Drug use in Albania has become a very acute social problem. According to the latest statistics, there are more than 700 drug users, most of them young. I. Z.

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