What he said about Albanians may be true, but... The ideologue of Communism, Karl Marx, is not a problem for Albanian socialists. One of the deputy chairmen of the Socialist Party, Mr. Servet Pëllumbi, in an interview given yesterday to Albanian television, confirmed the press “buzz” that Marx will not be removed from the program of the Albanian Socialist Party. Although he was reminded of what Marx said about Albanians, Pëllumbi insisted that, had he been asked about his age, he would have said it might be true; this concerns the previous century... but this issue is not a problem for us. The debate over the spiritual father of the communists began a year ago, when the Socialist Party program was published in the press, and was not confined to the boundaries between government and opposition, but also took place within the ranks of the Socialist Party itself. Intellectuals in this party have throughout this time spoken in favor of removing Marx from the program, if only because of the great sensitivity of this issue for Albanians. Marx remaining in the program poses no problem for the leader of the Albanian socialists. It seems that removing him from the program will be the problem. Yesterday, Pëllumbi acknowledged that there would be no changes to the Socialist Party’s governing bodies during the first part of the Socialists’ Congress, to be held on 23 March, but said that amendments to the statute and program might be discussed. According to observers, despite the Socialist leader’s decision not to discuss the issue of K. Marx, it is expected that various delegates will raise the Marx question at the second Congress.

Yesterday, GODO, in Gjirokastra and Përmet Page 4

Lawsuit by the prefect of Gjirokastra At last, the central government is taking action against local government. Following several statements by the Secretary for Local Government, Mr. Njazi Kosovrasti, about taking measures against the local government of Tepelenë, even to the point of dismissing it, an official response has finally arrived. It is reported that the prefect of Gjirokastra has sued the municipal council of Tepelenë, in a case that will be heard in record time. Various sources connected with the judicial authorities say that the trial against the municipal council of Tepelenë will begin this week. According to the same sources, the ruling will also be issued within the week. The court proceedings concerning the lawsuit filed by the prefect of Gjirokastra will be interesting, since there is no clearly defined law concerning the granting of the title “Honorary Citizen”; likewise, a large part of the powers of local government are not defined.

Yesterday, German Minister for Cooperation and Economic Development, Mr. Carl Diter Spranger, arrived in Tirana for a two-day visit. At Rinas Airport he was welcomed by our Minister of Finance, Mr. Dylber Vri-on, and other Albanian government officials. Mr. Spranger stated Continued on p. 4

The dollar’s duel with the lek continues Another “head-on collision” by the US dollar, shaking the position of the Albanian lek. The American currency is now paying no heed even to the interventions of the Bank of Albania to curb the slide of our currency. Yesterday, 1 US dollar was quoted at 100.1 lekë, compared with 99.6 lekë the day before. The lek also fell against foreign currencies. Thus, 1 German mark was exchanged for 67.5 lekë, up from 67.2 the day before, while the Italian lira rose to 64.3 lekë from 64 per 1,000 lire. The Greek drachma also rose against the lek: 100 drachmas were exchanged for 41.2 lekë, compared with 40 lekë the previous day. According to analysts, the increased demand for dollars on the market resulted from a reduction in the foreign currency in circulation, primarily the “secondary” currencies, such as the Greek drachma, which had been in very short supply a few days earlier. Another major contributing cause is the decline in domestic production, which has led to an increase in imports; this increase is boosting demand for foreign currency. The Bank of Albania is expected to restore the lek’s “honor” by emptying its pockets. The bank’s interventions are not intended to stabilize the lek’s exchange rate so much as to eliminate speculation in the market. Bank of Albania. ONE HUNDRED LEKË

German Minister Spranger in Albania

MARX

Kalakulla had the courage to take back the powers he had handed over.......p. 2 The hybrid of the “social market economy”: the bankruptcy of his argument......................p. 2 Albanians without an “identity” until 2000..............................................p. 2 Albanian citizens are being denied the return of their properties........................p. 3 A springtime of girls at the spring fair....................................p. 3 This week’s food basket.......p. 3 The 80th anniversary of Fadil Hoxha’s birth celebrated in Kosovo.............p. 4 Stop the Volga Germans....p. 5 The prostitution market in Tirana..p. 6 The “songs of the season ’96” are selected...........................................p. 6 Sports, crossword, humor...........p. 8

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