BUT LEZHË STILL DOESN’T KNOW WHO IS KNOCKING. OUR OFFICIALS DON’T KNOW WHAT AUTHORITY THEY HAVE IN DEALINGS WITH FOREIGN COMPANIES By way of introduction to my fellow townspeople and others in the city. The premise is the nature of relations throughout Lezhë; I want to clarify something: I am talking about a time when things are happening that might seem to cast at least a little doubt on our good reputation abroad. For months I have wanted to talk and offer some good news, some hope, but I haven’t been allowed to. And this is what everyone abroad is waiting for. And then, amid all the confusion, I run into Eduart Reç, my former schoolmate. For months he has been trying to bring a powerful company to Lezhë, one that will also show that Lezhë has interests of its own. Things are simple with Eduart. He wants to bring Italy here to Lezhë. «I can’t bear to see the people of Lezhë humiliated, looked down on by Italy itself,» he says. Reçi would have married a girl. He told the emigrants in Italy, Alessia. Tomorrow will show whether he did this out of love for Lezhë and its people, so we won’t talk about him, since he made a request of us: not to make a fuss in the newspaper. And so far, nothing has been done. It’s true: words are carried away by the wind. Let’s look at the facts. What do they themselves say about this? An introduction is made in the chairman of the committee’s office. Prof. Cataudella, who is involved in securing his own interests, says: «I know Lezhë, because I have also been to other cities. I know its traditions, problems and interests. If I didn’t know you, I wouldn’t have come here to develop a new activity. [Unclear.] Your coast and [unclear] are very difficult. I have big plans to restore your lagoon, build facilities to exploit the fish resources, [unclear] and develop ecological tourism that will benefit both sides. Later, I can also talk about other projects, can’t I?» «Yes,» he tells us. «What needs to be done is for us to grant powers and receive them. The premise is your wonderful nature. The people are the foundation, while the government is the checkpoint, because I want to do concrete things. I count the fish I have in my net, not the fish that have been promised. I say this because many people who come here have plenty of words but empty pockets. I’m not like that, so first of all you must think about…» 5. Tell us concretely what you will do for us, your fellow townspeople? Agron Dibra, meanwhile, is more forthright: «Lezhë must never be expected to simply nod and approve whatever other people say. We want things to be different. I don’t know if I was wrong to tell them this. To tell the truth, I was—and still am—afraid that someone might sign just to get a road to Italy. And the signature is put down in the people’s name. As always. Knowing this, I’ll bring the Italians over to our side; they didn’t hesitate to invite our bosses over there. So we ask you: Be careful with our future, because we don’t blindly believe. We’ve believed like that long enough. Here’s one more example. Everything had been beautifully prepared in the large dining room for tourists at the Hunting Hotel. Why didn’t our chairman want to eat with the others, and instead chose a private room where, once upon a time, we used to eat and drink in a closed circle? And yet even the ordinary Bulgarian ambassador had lunch with the rest of us. A simple incident, but one that, in my opinion, says a lot. I hope that by writing these things I haven’t betrayed my friend Eduart, who asked me not to make a fuss, at least not against the Italians, because, as he said: «I want to use Kumen as bait for the Italians, to get them to come into all of Lezhë, because I know their potential.» And Agron has helped me too, Eduart said. But for this I ask everyone for help tomorrow. It is for everyone’s good. I believe Eduart and those he will involve in this great undertaking. ZEF SHTJEFNI

An imaginary (special) interview with Mrs. Nexhmije Hoxha for the newspaper «Koha jonë». — Mrs. Nexhmije, even after your candid statement in the press, there are some rumors that still don’t believe the stories about your family’s economic hardships. What will you do about them? — Let them try living even a single day in the block where I lived, and they’ll shut their mouths. There they’ll suffer the torments of Christ. — Then why do you live there? — The people demanded such a sacrifice from my family. So, in the name of the people, we shut ourselves up in the block, depriving ourselves of many things, even an evening stroll to the center of Tirana. — When the student protests began, what did you think of first? — I thought about the poor job the Party’s basic organization at «Enver Hoxha» University had done with the students. — Specifically, what did we think about doing at that moment? — I thought of making greater use of the government’s and state’s means to calm the students with all kinds of humane and democratic methods, starting with aspirin and going all the way to the rubber truncheon. — Was Enver Hoxha there often, madam? — Yes. In fact, I saw him in a dream one night. He was tired and said to me: «Take care of my monuments. Here in the kingdom of Hades I’ve received signals that the people are going to topple them.» — And what did you do, madam? — I informed the state (the Ministry of the Interior and the prime minister) about this dream, while the state gave the policemen guarding his monuments another special decree… for the protection of my husband’s monuments. In the nights that followed, up until February 20, life was good and the late man’s ghost no longer appeared to me. In the nights that came later, as is well known, I didn’t sleep, so naturally there was no room for dreams. — After February 20, what impressed you most? — I liked some rallies in small districts, where people held up images of my husband’s ghost and endlessly shouted for unity and brotherhood; but I especially liked the activities of the patriot and revolutionary democrat Hysni Milloshi. — Is it true that your husband lives deep in the hearts and minds of the people? — Yes. I declared that in the press too. — But why did you declare this just one day before the 10th Congress of the PPSH? — I had reliable information that some renegade gentlemen such as Dritëro Agolli, Moikom Z eqo, etc., would try from the congress podium, with malicious and divisive intentions, to say that they were against… — Have you ever been to Lezhë, and what do you think of Lezhë? — Yes, I’ve been to Lezhë. It is a wonderful city, though more should be done to preserve it. Vaina and the Hunting Hotel on Ishull Lezhë, in terms of their value, remind one of the block where I lived for decades. — Will you come to Lezhë again? — I will come, but only when true democracy has been established in our country, the democracy my husband aspired to. — Madam, you are the head of one of the world’s most powerful institutions of Marxism-Leninism. A few of your thoughts on politics: What do you think of Baker’s arrival in Albania? — A violation of the Marxist-Leninist principle based on “relying on one’s own forces.” — Mrs. Nexhmije, what would become of the slogan: «We’ll eat grass and principles as kicks, at a time when even grass is scarce»? — We would eat one another in the name of principles, just as the distinguished leader of the world proletariat did, for five decades in a row. — What does the Marxist parliament represent for you… MARASH MIRASHI (Continued on page 3)

…the beautiful women of Lezhë, from the village of Altin Doçi and Zef Doçi beyond Lezhë, in the village of [unclear] themselves: How do you feel then? they ask us by telephone—We would live happily, if only the Greek police weren’t following us— We have been here in Athens for several months. At first we looked for work picking olives, until we found a place in the home of the owner of a shoe factory. Although they don’t pay us very well, they didn’t ask us to do work [unclear], because we don’t know Greek. We have tried to learn Greek, of course, by living among Greeks in a village. In a village near Athens, we prepare [unclear] for some Albanians who go to a family of their own. An Albanian friend working for a wealthy family received a telephone call. [The following text is illegible/unclear: “To kolot dhe tri—? u deshë ndodhia, e cila u ...”]

On Friday and Saturday of last week, in the hall of the «Manush Alimani» Palace of Culture in the city of Lezhë, the orchestral group «ALBATROS», made up of young people from Tirana, gave Lezhë music lovers a concert featuring its first album, entitled «Happy days ALBATROS». This premiere and this group had a special quality in their choice of repertoire. All the compositions aimed for modern music and were professionally arranged. The group consisted of talented young men passionate about the beautiful and popular art of light music. They were all at a high artistic level. Guitarist Eduart Bejko, bassist Altin Nagellari, keyboardist Bruno Qerimi, drummer Roland Pusha, together with Arben Beko on synthesizer, were expertly led by the professional conductor Eduart Hy—? and formed a very appealing orchestral ensemble. The singer who carried the weight of the entire show, Gjergj Gorgaq, won the audience over with his voice, and they rewarded him with enthusiastic applause. The group’s lead singer performed songs composed by Alin Nagellari and Gjergj Gorgaq, [unclear]. They also performed songs from the works of well-known singers from around the world. The songs most warmly received by young people from Lezhë were «Marrojmë dhe falem», «Vitet kalojnë», «Vajzës sime», as well as «Blaze of fire» and «I got my mind». We welcome this group back, as well as others, and hope that talented young people from Lezhë who are passionate about music will also come forward with creations of their own, so that groups can form in Lezhë and we need not wait for music and entertainment to come only from others. ALIKS FRANI

Regarding the article «Love under one roof», written by Aleksandër Frangaj and published in the previous issue of the newspaper «Koha jonë», the comrades in the district Socialist Party Committee do not agree. Here is the opinion of Gjergj Shyti, political secretary of the KPS: — No Party committee in the Republic has handed over its offices and facilities. I handed them over on my own initiative; in fact, many people criticized me. At first I wanted to share it with the other parties, but by consensus we agreed that I would vacate this building and the Executive Committee would hand over its own building to the other parties. Now it seems to me they are betraying our trust, because trade and so on are moving in there. And the trade office isn’t being turned into a hotel, as had been planned. On the other hand, instead of thanking us for this initiative, they criticize us in the newspaper, and harshly too. We have 11 offices and will reduce their number again. Don’t forget that this building is administered by the Central Committee. We could also turn it into a hotel on our own account, but that would not have been proper. We acted this way, so we are owed an apology for being criticized, and we are also indebted to the Central Committee. You can be sure that we are not in love with either the Executive Committee or the Party of Labour. The Socialist Party is a new party.

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