The PP Committee of Lezhë continues to hold on to 11 offices by force. The other political parties have one or two offices each. OBSERVATION “LOVE” UNDER ONE ROOF • The PP Committee of Lezhë continues to hold on to 11 offices by force. • The other political parties have one or two offices each. Even if ten more PP parties were to be formed in our district, the Executive Committee of the district has decided with whom it will make “love.” It does not forget whose power it is. Let people talk all they want in the streets about getting a divorce. No! The Labour Party, at least for appearances, will preserve its “power” over power. There is no disagreement about this—not from the Executive Committee itself, nor from the Committee chairman, Rakib Vero, the biggest shot in this business, down to the smallest administrator. These days the Labour Party Committee vacated its office building and did the Executive Committee a “favor” by accommodating it on the first two floors. Above these two floors is the third, where the Committee (of the Labour Party) still remains. Now we too are wasting our time looking for “pie in the sky” by trying to make the PP equal to the other parties! Where did the “naxhi” of the mother Party go, when it too is to be housed in the same place as the other parties and organizations?! Just look, dear reader, at what has been going on in the two committees over the last six days: they are asking for as many rooms and offices as possible, as if they were going to receive the deeds to them for life, forgetting that they will soon be cut back again. The PP Committee alone reserves for itself almost all the offices on the third floor of the existing building (they say, “We can do whatever we want. It was in our inventory, as if it hadn’t been the people’s sweat”). The remaining apparatchiks are accommodated in a full 11 offices. The Executive Committee has more than 23 offices, and yet the administration officials are still asking for more. Poor officials: they think they will remain here just as they are. They think they will continue killing flies during that famous eight-hour working day and draw their salaries without having a single percentage point deducted for “moisture.” Still, no one is to blame. Everyone is trying to see the changes taking place through a keyhole. If you have a keyhole, you must have an office too, because, after all, where would they put the 46-year-old paperwork?! Let me tell you a fact that is not only laughable: these days the Labour Party Committee sold a machine-load of paper to the paper factory, and yet the “archives” of this committee still fill three or four rooms in this building. You may ask what all that is. But can one live without paperwork? With these documents we lived our happiest life: we ate well, dressed well, and were housed like nobody else in the world. So how could we throw them away? We will keep them and never forget, for all eternity, these happy days we are living today. Anyway, perhaps we have gone on too long, but we wanted to appeal to the Executive Committee: before it is too late, let it finally divorce its beloved, the Labour Party, even if only in terms of the building. Besides this, we hope it will come to its senses and dismiss the surplus and incapable officials, starting with the department heads. ALEKSANDËR FRANGAJ

What will happen with the wheat? In this turbulent year, although it was not properly tended, although it was grazed, damaged and cut; thanks to the conditions, a not-bad yield is hoped for, and where it has not been damaged, the indicators also point to high yields. Everything depends on the degree of concern shown in bringing it in. The wheat harvest cannot tolerate delays. The wheat is here, in our fields, and we have spent no small amount on it. It is the fruit of work, toil and sweat; it is our assured bread. So let us not allow it to go to waste. To this end, we must abandon bureaucratic methods and formalities, but we must also not underestimate the ripening period and the order of harvesting, the readiness of the harvesters and transport vehicles, the threshing floors and standardization equipment, the accompanying documentation, the warehouses, etc. Let us not forget that the bread, output and income from wheat depend on the quantity stored, not on how much is produced. We will sow wheat again. The Seed Department must take measures to ensure the necessary seed, in terms of quantity, generation and variety. This year the crop will be a new, selected variety, more resistant to disease and shattering. The obligations of this enterprise are no longer limited to the cooperatives; they also extend to the farmers’ plots, which are growing and strengthening every day. BEQIR AHMETI

To achieve this goal, the Executive Committee not only fails to fit this reform, but becomes an obstacle to it. But what should be done? There is no need to experiment with new reforms; it is clear that such experiments will delay the normalization of the situation and the transition to new paths. There is experience to draw on: the experience of many Western countries. I believe that what can best ensure the progress of this reform is the Municipality. The Municipality is governed by a municipal council, whose members are experts in various fields, such as urban-planning engineers, hygiene doctors, finance economists, merchandisers, painters, teachers, sociologists, lawyers, etc. The Municipal Council administration is led by the chairman and consists of 4–5 main departments: 1. The municipal services department: as in the Committee’s current structure, this department includes areas of a municipal nature, such as urban planning; environmental protection; water supply; electricity; city lighting and cleaning; paving and sewerage; urban transport; parks; cemeteries, etc. 2. The public services department: this department covers several areas of public service, the main ones being markets and the commercial network, sports facilities, stadiums, tourism, theatres, cinemas, orchestras, city aesthetics, advertising, building façades, etc. 4. Finance. The work of this department is based mainly on collecting revenue from local taxes and fees, and on expenditure for the needs of the public-services sector. 5. Maintaining public order: this department includes traffic police and neighborhood police (the so-called “plenipotentiary”), with a dual reporting line: on technical and professional matters to the chief of police, and on municipal duties and enforcement of municipal regulations to the Mayor. For the same purpose, the Municipality opens an office in each neighborhood, where the head of that office and the neighborhood police officer deal with public issues. These are just a few thoughts, based, as noted at the beginning of these lines, on our past experience and on the present-day experience of other countries, towards which we aspire to move. To avoid looking far afield, let us recall that we can learn from a neighboring city, separated from us only by the sea: Bari. And from others too.

The reason I am writing this letter is that providing housing for police personnel has been, and remains, an unresolved problem. I, police officer Prel Markaj, have been working in various villages in the district for six years and still have not been provided with housing. For this reason, on 31.5.1991 I sent a telegram requesting a meeting with comrade Irakli Vero, chairman of the Executive Committee of Lezhë district. But I have received no reply to my telegram, let alone been called in to explain the difficulties I am facing. I ask that this letter, with whatever editing you consider necessary, be published in this newspaper. Police officer for the Balldre area PRELË MARKAJ

(ALBANIAN REALITY). ?? THIS IS WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS LIKE BEFORE THE PEOPLE! MARKO DE ANXHELIS (Italy)

One afternoon we were waiting for the telephone at the PTT. There were few people. A young couple became the subject of conversation. — I’ve simply been blinded by how beautiful she is, — said one. — They must have had them done in Tirana, — another concluded. — No, man, they had them sewn in Bari, — I recognized the hand, — just wait... A little later the clerk knocked and said: «A short, energetic young man, troboge-? [word partly cut off] as a word, Bahri Peraj, is being called to the post office». — You have a letter; it’s from Holland, — said the delivery woman. Apparently I should have known someone in Holland, so I didn’t inter- [continues in the next column] rupt the conversation. As it happened, we met at his house. He showed us a photograph and asked: — Do you know him? This is my grandfather? ... You can imagine my astonishment. And he explained. — This is Ludvik Zamehof, a Polish doctor and professor who formulated the Esperanto language in 1887. Then he opened the envelope. «UEA», the Esperanto-language center in Holland (a branch of UNESCO), had accepted him as a member. The shepherd’s eyes lit up; he could not hide his joy. We continued talking with him. We knew he was a good shep- [unclear word] herd, and that was all. (Continued on page 3)

During the period of monism, there was much talk of hostile groups in the economy, the army, etc. But the people were only officially informed: During the period of monism, there was much talk of hostile groups in the economy, the army, etc. But the people were only officially informed that the groups of B. Balluku, K. Theodhosi, ... (a multitude of groups before them as well!) had intended to overthrow the people’s power, and therefore... were sentenced (executed). That is all that was officially said. We clarify that all these trials were held behind closed doors. We ask: Would it not be right for those trials to be published, or at least for newspapers to be informed about them, so that we can tell readers the truth? ARBEN MARKU

Starting next week, we intend to open a column under the title above, and we invite readers to take part. To help you a little (although we do not believe it is really necessary), we are conducting a small survey so readers can get an idea of the issues we will discuss and bring to the newspaper. 1. Do you think the “bloc” really existed in Lezhë? 2. What privileges did those who may have been involved in it enjoy? 3. Have you noticed favoritism, injustices or profiteering carried out at the people’s expense? (Try to leave personal merits aside.) 4. Who might have been a member of the “bloc,” and how did they become one? 5. Do you know people who, although they had the opportunity to be in the “bloc,” refused the positions? 6. What are the reasons and causes that led to the emergence of the “bloc” in Lezhë? 7. Do you think the “bloc” will last long, and how might it be brought to an end? Pay attention to the facts! Do not forget: the “Octopus” may indeed have its legs cut off in Tirana, but its invisible legs are still strong in the districts! We look forward to receiving your writings as soon as possible. THE EDITORIAL STAFF