When, even after several years have passed, the danger of the return of the former communists is still present, it means that some things have not been done properly. It cannot even be denied that things are currently better than they were during the communist period; indeed, with the exception of a very small minority who have suffered economic hardship during this transition period, those who say otherwise can only be fanatical nostalgics. [Text fragment as printed: “fana- ende nuk kaqenë në gjendje ta bëjë një gjë të tillë.”] The 50-year period of communist rule has left very deep traces in people’s mindsets and, more importantly, in the mindsets of today’s rulers, which they display both in their worldview and in their everyday practice. Every kind of liberalism, both in the political and economic spheres, brings progress. And if we speak of qualitative change in Albania, this consists precisely in the liberalization of life and relations in various fields, regardless of the shortcomings of the way this has been pursued. It would be a great mistake, when assessing today’s reality, to confine ourselves to observations of a general nature, contenting ourselves with generalizations without addressing specific problems that remain unresolved. Since these problems concern certain segments of the population, they make those people dissatisfied with reality. These are precisely the issues which, although today’s government had promised to resolve them, [printed text is corrupt here: “mënjanë duke i bërë gjak me shumë të thella në mendësitë e njerëzve...”]. Today, there is a tendency on the part of the government and the DP to monopolize all the successes achieved over these years; worse still, to attribute them to the policies or the line of the party in power. This shows that some of today’s officials hold the mentality that “individuals build capitalism; the Democratic Party makes them aware.” Such mindsets produce negative consequences, the most dangerous of which is the rejection of other alternatives, which have undeniable advantages when it comes to building a capitalist system and a modern rule-of-law state. Thus, the party in power

Sandžak Sjenica Novi Pazar Serbia Niš Montenegro Berane Trepçë Mitrovica Medvegjë Plavë Peja Prishtina Gjakova Kosovo Bujanovac Gjilani Kamenova Fushë Kosova Shkodra Albania Ulqini Kukësi Gjakovë [?] Macedonia A good Yugoslav gesture would be to abolish entry visas for Albanian citizens P. 4 Eurobarometer publishes the results The Alliance of the

The survey was conducted by the Institute of Sociology of the University of Tirana, but the data are accurate. Xhermano confirms that the results were published after being verified. Albanians are the most optimistic in Europe. In all the Eurobarometer indicators for 1996, Albanians rank first or are 10 to 30 percent higher than all the countries where this institution conducts its annual surveys. The survey, conducted among 100,000 Albanians, became a subject of discussion on February 13, 1996, when figures from the survey on political parties and Albanians’ political preferences were published in the Albanian press. The representative of this institution in Albania, Elio Xhermano, at yesterday’s press conference—the third he has held in Albania since the beginning of its activities—confirmed that Albanians are the most satisfied with the direction in which their country is continuing to move. Unlike in previous years, Albanians are more oriented toward America. In this year’s survey, preferences between Western Europe and the United States have become balanced, in contrast to the large gap in previous years. The market economy is the preference of 73% of Albanians, while more than 70% also confirm that human rights are respected. “When we talk about human rights,” Xhermano said, “we are not comparing Al-”

Is there an alliance among the leftists of the PSD, PAD and PS? Does an alliance exist among the leftists of the PSD, PAD and PS? This kind of political curiosity was dispelled by Kastriot Islami’s statement in Vienna. So, it seems that, at least for the PS, its alliance with the other leftists is a fait accompli. During discussions about the creation of the Center Pole, such a suspicion was always present. It is no coincidence that a PAD leader considered an alliance with the PS normal, since, according to him, the PD had also formed alliances with collaborators. Likewise, another AD activist publicly denounced in the press this tendency of the continued on p. 3

The U.S. Department of State report published in ZP The United States Embassy in Tirana has carefully reviewed the version of the State Department’s 1995 Report on Human Rights in Albania as presented in the supplement to the newspaper “Zëri i Popullit” dated March 14. The Embassy and the State Department have concluded that the supplement in the newspaper “Zëri i Popullit” contains significant and serious translation errors, distortions and omissions from the English-language version approved and submitted to Congress. The supplement does not accurately reflect the version of the Report as approved and published by the United States Government. The correct copy of the Human Rights Report, in English, is available at the United States Information Service office at the International Cultural Center. USIS, March 15, 1996

The editorial staff of the newspaper “Republika” has launched a “Family Notices” column. Anyone wishing to offer congratulations on family anniversaries or commemorate deceased family members on the 40th day, the six-month anniversary, or an anniversary may do so in this column by sending by post or bringing to the editorial office a photograph of the person being congratulated or commemorated, together with a message of congratulations or commemoration no longer than 40 words, including the names of those taking part in the congratulations or commemoration. The Editorial Office