WHAT THE LABOUR PARTY’S ELECTORAL PROGRAMME GUARANTEES THE PEOPLE On Saturday afternoon, a rally was held in the hall of the District Party Committee to explain the Labour Party’s electoral programme. Party members, organization secretaries, specialists, cadres, military personnel, supporters of the Labour Party, etc., took part. Lecturer Muharrem Xhafa, an employee of the Party Central Committee’s apparatus, explained the Party programme and answered the many questions from those present. The first secretary of the District Party Committee, GJERGJ SHYTI, was also present. At the outset, Lecturer Muharrem Xhafa gave a brief overview of the Party’s founding, the struggle to consolidate people’s power, and the work of the working masses up to the 1980s. Then, focusing specifically on the Labour Party’s electoral programme, he stressed that, among the programmes of the other political parties, the Labour Party’s is the most accurate, the most advanced, and one that concretely serves the people. We are aware that mistakes have been made; indeed, many were made after 1979, but we have tried, and are still trying, to correct them quickly. Additional land was given to the peasant, keeping livestock was permitted, and the class struggle was discredited as a factor driving society, as we have done in these recent years, etc., etc. Everyone understands—or at least should come to their senses and understand—that it was the Labour Party, supported by Comrade Ramiz Alia, that struck the first spark for the democratization of the life of the country and society. Anyone can look at the Labour Party plenums, starting with the eighth and onwards. But what does the Party propose and promise the people? Not paradise, as others are promising, creating the illusion that everything will rain down from the sky after 31 March, that we will become Europe in one month, that… We need only sit with a spoon tucked into our belts outside the directors’ offices of enterprises and the chairmen’s offices of cooperatives! No. The Party has made clear in its programme that it supports a market economy, but not on a platter: it must be introduced gradually. Naturally, without delay. It is reforming everything, from old forms of work to their substance. Its purpose has always been the national question. Ideological and other criteria fall away before the people, who are the number-one criterion. The PD and PR are making some of the most dangerous adventurist proposals, seeking at all costs to promise and stir people’s imagination with America, and suggesting that if they take power—meaning the PD—they will bring them everything; indeed, they stop just short of saying outright: Give us your votes! The Labour Party supports the creation of a developed and efficient system of state administration, one that is neither bureaucratic nor centralized in every respect, as it has been until now. It supports a new era in relations between different states. Foreign policy, too, has begun to move away from old practices. The establishment of diplomatic relations with the USA, etc., is one such example. The key issue in every party programme is the economy. We do not support the sale or privatization of land. Let the peasantry decide, rather than selling it to foreigners. The Labour Party’s electoral programme envisages a state governed by the rule of law, above everyone and everything. The Labour Party supports the renewal of everything in a positive and national spirit, not putting the adhuen on the sidelines. The Labour Party does everything for the people. It is distancing itself from its members, including former holders of power, who have not lived up to the name of Party member. It will continue to do so in the future. At the end, the first secretary of the District Party Committee, Comrade Gjergj Shyti, also spoke about the deviations that all Labour Party members and its supporters must guard against in order to conduct the electoral campaign successfully, to work with people continuously, explaining things to them while also making self-criticism for what we have not done well. The people can tell at a glance who you are, so we should approach them as pupils. He then announced the Labour Party’s parliamentary candidates in the five constituencies of our district.

ZONE 128 1 — AGRON SHAQIR DIBRA: From the Labour Party, chemical engineer. Head of the Industry Section. 2 — ESHREF HAMZA RAMA: From the Republican Party, biochemist; director of the Inland Waters Fisheries Enterprise. 3 — KALJANA HEKUBAN HARDJARI: From the Women’s Union, construction engineer, head of the Construction and Communications Section. 4 — RUDOLF MEHILL MARKU: From the Democratic Party, higher education in Language and Literature — writer (journalist). 5 — SABRI HASAN LANI: From the Youth Union, Party education, first secretary of the District Youth Committee. ZONE 129 1 — AGIM XHELADIN ZEKA — From the Republican Party, biochemist. 2 — ESAT SHAQIR MYFTARI — From the Democratic Party, journalist. 3 — GJELOSH GJOKE TOMA — From the Democratic Front, physicist. 4 — GJIN PAL LESI — From the Youth Union, French teacher. 5 — NIKOLLË PAL GJONI — From the Labour Party, agronomist, chairman of the Shënkoll agricultural cooperative. ZONE 130 1. AGRON SELFO METO — From the Republican Party, dentist, Candidate of Sciences. 2. LLESH TOME RROKU — From the Labour Party, cardiologist, hospital director. 3. MARASH NDOKË MARUKU — From the Trade Unions, teacher, Candidate of Sciences. 4. PREÇ GJON ZOGAJ — From the Democratic Party, journalist. ZONE 131 1. AGRON KAMBER BELISHOVA — From the Democratic Party, doctor. 2. ANASTAS PAVLI BUNECI — From the Republican Party, teacher. 3. GJYL REXHEP BRAHIMI — From the Labour Party, economist, secretary of the District Party Committee. 4. NAIM HYSEN SHTYLLA — From the Trade Unions, surgeon. 5. PJETËR VASE KOLA — From the Democratic Front, veterinarian, secretary of the District Executive Committee. ZONE 132 1 — NDUE LUSH SIMONI — From the Democratic Front, economist, director of the Agricultural Bank. 2 — GJOVALIN PAL GJELOSHI — From the Democratic Party, agronomist. 3 — PREKË NIKOLLË PREKA — From the Republican Party, teacher. 4 — TONE PAL DOÇI — From the Women’s Union, doctor. 5 — ZEF GJERGJ NIKOLLI — From the Labour Party, education inspector.

You keep asking why the newspaper «Koha jonë» cannot be found for open sale—in other words, in bookshops. We tell you that you are entirely right, but we want to explain why we were not allowed to do so and what we will do in the future. From the very beginning, when the newspaper «Koha jonë» (like all the new local newspapers) was established, it was not permitted to print more than 1,500 copies. Even these were available only by subscription. None were allocated for open sale. The pretext was: there is no newsprint. This was somewhat true, but, as everywhere, it was the monopolization of authority and freedoms that left no room for what you, our readers, are asking for. So what will we do in the future? I believe the two issues of the newspaper that have appeared in the bookshops in town and in the villages offer a partial answer, even though some saleswomen did not put them on the counter, but left them underneath it. The newspaper «KOHA JONË» will also be sold in bookshops. In response to the demand for the newspaper, we spoke with the «Mihal Duri» printing house in Tirana and agreed to increase its print run.