Agim Fagu seems to have lost his memory . The positive assessment that Agim Fagu, the Socialist candidate for Tirana Municipality, gives to the message from his Republican rival Neritan Alibali makes his own [unclear: lulalajaletin] slip, as he cannot hide his partisan fandom behind the words he later attributes to his positive assessment. Although one could not expect more from a man who added the ugliness of party militancy to the good name he “stole” from the basketball court, it is strange to see how the “sound mind” that should normally reside in a “sound body” of a former athlete becomes so politically militarized in its physiological functioning that it plays the role of the “forgetful fool.” The poem Fagu recited yesterday before journalists at his press conference was harsh and extremely emotional. His opinions—not only about Alibali, but also about the art [unclear] in the Party he represents—were just as harsh and vitriolic, worthy of electoral grandstanding. Nevertheless, following a measure of consensus and respect, at least for those who have not yet begun to believe in their own memory loss and the strange confusion of the places occupied by political concepts: inter-party dialogue and consensus (put differently, and somewhat solemnly) cannot be a “coup d’état,” as Mr. Fagu likes to call the Republican Party’s position. Likewise, calls from public squares and the blood of rallies—even if they are lawful (as lawful as blood can be)—can be called nothing other than violence, even if it is labelled “revolutionary.” In this context, we are not only entitled to say that Neritan Alibali’s admirable position is a logical continuation of his party’s already confirmed, balanced stance; we also believe that from a man who knows no political language other than the one used in his own party, nothing else can be expected: when offered an outstretched hand for peace, he reaches for boxing gloves. We are certainly entitled to question Mr. Fagu’s memory, too. This right comes not only from his “lapses” of memory, but also from the way the SP itself promotes his intellectual qualities... referring only to his genuinely considerable sporting achievements. A photograph of people gathered around a figure depicted above them.

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Their chairmen are campaigning for the DP Page 4

The Republican Party believes that broad foundations for democracy must be laid in Albania by achieving an understanding among all political forces committed to such a goal. The Republican Party invites the party in power and all the political forces that competed in the May 26 elections to sign a solemn pact, committing themselves to its strict observance. From the ARP declaration (May 28, 1996)