Mr. Sabri Godo at the expanded meeting of the PR branch’s Steering Council, Laç Yesterday morning, the expanded meeting of the Steering Council of the PR Kurbin Branch was held at the Palace of Culture in the city of Laç. The meeting was called by decision of the PR Presidency, which had identified numerous weaknesses and disorganization in the branch’s leadership bodies. The PR chairman, Mr. Sabri Godo, and the PR press and information chief, Neritan Alibali, attended as representatives of the Central Office. After the meeting was opened by the branch secretary, Mr. Ndue Marku, chairman Rrok Pëllumbi presented a report on the state of the PR Kurbin Branch. According to the report, 94 new members had joined during the past two months, 46 of them with higher education and the others with secondary education; lists of candidates for parliament had been drawn up, and an electoral campaign headquarters had been established in the local government branch, among other things. Mr. Pëllumbi emphasized shortcomings in the functioning of the Steering Committee, in the organization of work, and the lack of initiative shown by the leadership bodies. He expressed concern and stressed that all PR members in Kurbin needed to devote themselves to their work. After this, other members of the S.C. spoke, including Rrok Nikolla, Ardian Doci, Ahmet Zani, Ndue Marku, and others, discussing the branch’s shortcomings and weaknesses and ways to improve its work on the eve of the campaign. They expressed their conviction that the PR in Kurbin would achieve strong results. “From the contacts we have had, we have established that Kurbin is Republican territory,” Mr. Godo said in his speech, “but we must not disappoint our electorate. Without good organization, we cannot face the election campaign.” Mr. Godo then said that the branch’s weaknesses stemmed from a lack of organization and seriousness among the leadership bodies, as well as the branch chairman’s lack of commitment to the work. If it works well, the PR in Kurbin can win more than 10% of the vote. The PR chairman then spoke about the electoral situation in the country and the PR’s position. “Public opinion favors us,” he said, “while the electoral law punishes us.” Nevertheless, Mr. Godo emphasized, In conclusion, Mr. Godo said that the PR was not fighting to secure positions for its members, but to put the most capable people in those positions. It was decided at the meeting that the branch’s Steering Council would meet again on March 20, with the following agenda: 1. Report on the progress of work to organize the election campaign; 2. Renewal of the Branch Steering Committee.

Five years ago, Albanians made their misery known to the world...

Five years ago, Albanians made their 50-year misery known to the world in a completely original, yet extremely tragic and painful way. After the July 2 embassy episode in Tirana, which set in motion the process of bringing down the communist fortress, once again thousands upon thousands of Albanians set out, this time toward Albania’s ports. The aim of the desperate crowds seeking to abandon their homeland, turned into a “cursed land” for them by the communist regime, was no longer the doors of embassies, but the ships lying in the ports. Continued on p. 3

On the eve of the Spring Festival with Redina Tili: . “I will not participate for personal reasons,” Ms. Redina Tili confirms to Republika. Three “Winter” Festivals and three Spring Festivals mark Tili’s musical career, while she herself graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sculpture. Continued on p. 6

Panic and shattered windows . From our correspondents Adrian Thano and Aurel Simoni. A powerful explosion woke Durrës at midnight last night and brought back people’s memories of February 26, when a car bomb that exploded in Tirana killed 4 people and injured 27 others. Fortunately, this time the shock felt by the residents of Durrës’s main boulevard was accompanied only by shattered windows in nearby apartments and businesses. “No one was injured, not even a scratch on anyone,” says Gafur Kerliu, chairman of Durrës Region Council No. 1. “At first there was a small noise and the area lit up,” recounts a resident of building 394, near which the blast occurred, “then a powerful explosion, and [unclear]. All the windows broke, but we immediately realized from the sound of the explosion that it was much louder than the sound of the glass breaking.” After the explosion, police forces arrived at the scene. The police patrol itself had been 30 meters from the site. Two theories are circulating about the explosion: the first is that a quantity of dynamite was placed in a garbage bin beside the boulevard sidewalk; the second is that the explosion is thought to have been caused by [unclear] thrown into the bin. The fact is that a workshop is located near the scene and throws its scrap into the bin. The city municipality has formed a working group with representatives from various departments and immediately began work to remedy the damage. Mayor Golemi, together with the chairman of the municipal council, visited the affected families and assured them that all repairs would be completed within the day at the municipality’s expense. Yesterday morning, just a few hours after the explosion, apart from the broken windows (the square had been cleaned) and a certain bewilderment among residents of the area, everything else gave the impression of an ordinary day. The area marked with a circle is where the explosion occurred yesterday in Durrës

. The “Family Announcements” column. Starting with the next issue, the editorial staff of the “Republika” newspaper will introduce the “Family Announcements” column. Anyone wishing to send greetings for family-event anniversaries or commemorate deceased family members on the occasion of the 40-day remembrance, six-month anniversary, or anniversaries can do so in this column by mailing or bringing to the editorial office a photograph of the person being congratulated or remembered, together with a greeting or commemoration text of no more than 40 words, including the names of those joining in the greeting or commemoration. The Editorial Staff