— Interview with Pjetër Kola, secretary of the Executive Committee of the district KP. Question: We are living through difficult times. Is Lezhë suffering the pain of an already devastated economy, or adding to it, being an agricultural district that now has nothing left to offer in the market? — Answer: We are indeed experiencing very taxing days. A difficult winter, not only in the seasonal sense. The problems of supplying the people are acute. There is no room for excuses. We did not do a good job with winter vegetables. There was also damage to the crown economy. Lezhë should not be at this level. On this occasion I would like to emphasize a particular problem. The market is short of milk, while calves from Tirana still remain a burden on us, consuming 25–30 quintals of milk a day. I have raised the matter at every level, but we have not been able to resolve it. Question: In your opinion as an intellectual, is Lezhë heading toward confrontation, or are the political struggle and some of the regressive forces that are emerging somewhat more subdued than in other cities? — Answer: I think confrontation can be avoided. We are all working toward that. Party representatives should play a greater role. Tolerance is needed. As for the regressive and destabilizing forces operating in our country, and in our district, they create insecurity and panic. I hope our district will remain calm. Naturally, we will stay alert and, together with the law-enforcement bodies, are taking the appropriate measures. Question: In a few days, as we understand it, candidates will be put forward in your area, including by the DP, perhaps also by the PR. As a candidate for deputy in the Zadrima constituency, how would you promote your party’s program? — Answer: As a candidate for deputy, I was proposed by the organization and, naturally, the entire Front. The ways of promoting the program are varied. The voters are familiar with them. What matters is working to put them into practice. That area has many needs. Some social problems are troubling, such as roads, urban transport routes, municipal services, meeting requests for construction materials and electrical appliances. I emphasize that a deputy does not have everything in his hands. What he does have in his hands is honesty, dedication, courage and a moral obligation to the voters. As for the candidacies of other political entities, such as the PP, BP, PR, PD, etc., I have no problem with any of them. The candidate with the greatest reputation among the people should win. Those announced so far are my comrades, and I am ready to vote for them. Even without being a deputy, as far as I can… Question: Are the law-enforcement forces keeping themselves shut away, or, for fear of a conflict—or rather, an escalation that might occur—are they shirking the duty for which they are paid? — Answer: On certain issues, with the new decrees—especially matters of property—public opinion is that the law-enforcement forces should be more active. Naturally, in accordance with the laws in force. Personally, I think they should be supported sooner. (Continued on page 2)

On Sunday and Tuesday, the Kashnjet area welcomed into its midst hundreds of cooperative members, miners from the Sukaxhi mine, young men and women, pioneers, etc. , who, holding photographs of comrade Enver Hoxha, gathered in the square in front of the agricultural cooperatives of Ungrej and Kalivaç, where they expressed their support for the students of the «Enver Hoxha» unified school. Various speakers also spoke from the makeshift platform about the figure of Enver Hoxha as a leader who lives in the hearts of the people of Kashnjet and whom no force can uproot. They called for his bust to be put back where it had been, in Tirana. «Koha jonë» correspondent

The residents of the village of Shënkollë, too, took to the streets on Sunday in a popular demonstration to express their indignation at the events in Tirana, where a crowd of people pulled down the monument to Enver Hoxha. They stressed that Enver Hoxha belongs to all our people, not to a minority that has sought to erase everything connected with his name. The demonstrators, holding banners, chanted: «His name and work live in our hearts». The demonstration ended without any incident.

It is true that three busts of Enver Hoxha were removed in three days. As the newspaper «RD» writes. But how could they forget that, in a single day, dozens of busts were erected and brought out in demonstrations across Albania, along with hundreds and thousands of portraits of our legendary commander Enver Hoxha, and that dozens of squares were named after him? These tributes are not paid to Enver Hoxha as a «dictator», but as a great popular leader, as founder of the PPSH, as founder of the new Albanian state, and as Commander-in-Chief of the army. That is why the personnel of the military garrison in Gjadër also expressed this gratitude at the spontaneous rally organized in support of the military pupils and students. Enver Hoxha’s body is fused with the body of the people, Enver’s blood is in the people’s veins, Enver’s life is in the life of the people; therefore, Enver Hoxha will have nothing but birthdays. MËHILL DEBAJ Military personnel in unit 1746

ADDRESSED TO THE CULTURE SECTION OF THE DISTRICT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The cultural centers in Gramsh, Mabë, and several other villages have been turned into religious institutions. So what will become of youth activities? The cultural centers in Gramsh, Mabë, and several other villages have been turned into religious institutions. As a result, the cultural workers are currently being paid: two in Gramsh, one in Mabë, and likewise in several other villages in the area. But activities are not being organized. Otherwise, there is nowhere to hold them. Why don’t the comrades in the Culture Section of the district Executive Committee, as well as the district Culture Committee, think of a reasonable solution? Since the workers are being paid, what will become of youth activities? Apparently, the comrades responsible for culture in the villages have not been exempted from this situation: they continue to receive their full salaries, the Section says nothing to them, the youth are enduring it, and the united council pretends not to know. How can this «tangle» be resolved? It would be best to suggest some way out, but we will leave it to the people who tangled things up themselves to rack their brains over it. JAK RROZHANI

— A request to clarify a problem Have you ever happened to go into «Liss» or another buffet? I believe you have. Among other things, you must have ordered a pastry. Naturally, that is up to you. The thought of the pastry makes it seem more and more delicious, even though its shape keeps getting smaller. So, your money is losing weight! Is anyone checking? We mean both the enterprise and the relevant section of the Executive Committee. The pastry was the pretext, but apparently there are also many other problems with the weight of industrial and food products, vegetables, etc. And with quality, too. They keep getting lighter and more expensive. Strange. Just like in children’s fairy tales. After this, we turned to Engjëll Simoni, head of the Prices and Standards Section of the Executive Committee. Surprised, he declared: «There are no such problems in trade»! So, right in the town centre. How can someone go into a shop and not see—even just by looking at it—that something is missing? And then there is the fact that it is his duty, together with the other comrades in the Section, to carry out inspections and take measures. Apparently, weights are shrinking and prices are rising artificially, without control, while the Section itself has still not taken the trouble to find a solution to this problem. If you think otherwise, take a «stroll» through the trading outlets and you will see for yourself. It brings to mind that pastry we mentioned at the beginning: completely melted away, yet still the same price: 2 lekë! Arben Kalaja