I met the doctor only once, face to face, for an interview concerning the article: “Mr. President or Mr. Berisha in the dock.” We were introduced under less than pleasant circumstances, since he did not believe that the editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Koha jonë” was 28 years old, but thought I was 50! That was what some pseudo-democrats from Lezhë had led the doctor to believe. And he had been left with that impression—that Nikollë Lesi had worked for nearly 25 years in party committees! And yet, there are different roads to democracy. He has his, and I have mine. Everyone thought about democracy according to their own ideas. The doctor was still holding rallies. Regardless of the fact that the other doctor, Mr. Pashko, was calling for the TABLE, that is, a conversation. And yet, the meeting with the Democratic Party’s supporters on Sunday was necessary. He proved diplomatic and cool-headed. A democrat, naturally. As I watched him talk about everyone’s right to renewal, the precise implementation of the land law, the low cost of conversation at the table, intellectuals, etc., my mind went to Gramoz Pashko and Preç Zogaj. I looked at Berisha and, in any case, came away convinced that party leaders, too, have the right to renewal. I agreed with Zogaj, who had said that under the weight of Enver Hoxha’s dictatorship, there had been no possibility for genuine, democratic politicians to grow. In any case, today’s party leaders have not yet completed the full course in how to be a politician. In my opinion, Dr. Berisha passed the test, showing that he is also a diplomat. My sincere congratulations, Doctor! NIKOLLË LESI

The misfortunes that pursued the Albanians throughout their lives meant that he, as Kadare describes him, thin and strong, roamed the mountains constantly with his long rifle. The Roman occupation, the Ottoman occupation, the First World War, Zog’s reign, the Second World War, and the communist occupation swept over the Albanians one after another. All of these lashed his bare shoulders like a giant whip. These hardships and obstacles, which our people passed through, could not fail to leave serious negative traces on our people’s morality and conscience. During these wars, which exerted psychophysical pressure, the people continually felt the need for leaders, chiefs, kings, and commanders. In most cases, they proved capable of leading the people along the historical paths of their time and left their mark through their actions. Our people, more than any other, have felt the absence of freedom. For this reason, in love with it, they followed their leaders obediently and self-critically, seeing in them the embodiment and the possibility of realizing their long and tormenting dreams. This social, political, and economic fate influenced, and provided a favorable climate for, the formation of an inferiority complex toward “the one in charge.” This complex has continually lived in the consciousness of Albanians. If I were to mention a number of people who, at different times in the past, led the people or a particular group, I would say that each of them, some more and some less, deserved and justified the people’s trust. But if we look at more recent times, we find the opposite. The creation of idols and the existence of the psychology of the cult among us during the last 50 years was a deadly epidemic that brought, among other things, the loss of people’s personality and individuality. Communism and the socialism practiced in Albania, the Slavic countries, etc., stripped people of morality and conscience. Enver and his company were an absolute Olympus, with the right to decide over the social and private life of the individual. The oral and visual slogans that reigned and sowed gloom over mountains, hills, apartment blocks, committees, bakeries, maternity wards, schools, and everywhere were a macabre farce that served all too well to create the cult of E. Hoxha and the PP. This cult dominated human life, life itself, and every one of its monstrosities. Of all these things, the worst, most harmful, and most shameful were the “false idols,” who were represented with distinction by (continued on page 2) ALFONS ZENELI

At this time, burdened by politics and poverty, but also filled with great hopes for a beautiful future, poetry comes and sits among us like a balm for the soul, continually ennobling us and making us more human. Our newspaper’s editorial staff, honoring the demands of poetic translation, this art so refined, delightful and enchanting, and honoring the generous singers of the soul—the poets—modestly announces the “NDOC GJETJA” POETRY PRIZE, which is open to literary writers up to the age of 25. Young writers who wish to take part in the poetry competition for this prize with their poems must send to our editorial office one cycle of no fewer than 15 poems, typewritten in two copies, marked: For the competition. The competition closes on 29 February. After that date, no more cycles will be accepted. The material submitted to the editorial office will be processed by young poets who are members of our editorial staff. They will present the 10 best poetry cycles to the jury, consisting of the poets RUDOLF MARKU, PREÇ ZOGAJ, and AGIM ISAKU; the winner of the PRIZE will be selected from among them. The winner of this prize will be announced in the 13 March issue of the newspaper KOHA JONË, where the winning cycle of poems and a short biography will be published. In addition, the winning author will receive all the poetry books by the poet Ndoc Gjetja, as well as the modest sum of 1,500 new lek. Let all join poetry! Welcome! Ndoc Gjetja came to the city of Lezhë as a child and worked, studied, and lived there until the age of 35. Today he works as an editor of the magazine “SPEKTËR.” He is among the first founders of the Modern School of Lezhë Poetry. Author of eight volumes of poetry. A poet with a distinctive poetic individuality. A completely original voice in contemporary Albanian poetry. The naturalness, transparency, and concise relationships between things and phenomena, beautifully expressed in his poetry, make the poet especially dear to readers. From his latest book, KTHIMET, we excerpt:

During his most recent visit to Bankok, Dr. Gramoz Pashko, accompanied by Genc, was taken by the Thai authorities, who wanted to entertain their distant guests, to a museum and tourist center. Many people go to see the graves; do they not put the full years of life on the gravestones? In Bankok, Dr. Pashko was surprised by the fact that the ages of the people in the photographs did not correspond to those written on the marble plaques. For example, there were photographs of old people and children, and the difference between their year of birth and year of death was 10 to 30 years. “I can’t understand what this is,” he said to Genc. “I can’t make head nor tail of it either!” “...” Genc replied, shrugging his shoulders. The Thai guide, who apparently understood their confusion, explained that in Thailand people do not put the total number of years they lived on their gravestones, but only the years they spent in complete happiness, amid great luxury, enjoying part of their lives. While the guide was explaining, Dr. Pashko turned to Genc: “I don’t know what you think, Genc, but when I die I’ll leave Professor Sali instructions that my grave should bear the inscription: GRAMOZ PASHKO WAS BORN DEAD.” DASHNOR KALOÇI

On Monday, at 10:00, Mr. Napolon Roshi, former editor-in-chief of “RD,” went to the office of Përparim Xhixha, editor-in-chief of “Zëri i Popullit,” to discuss his pension years. News spread through the editorial offices that Napolon had asked to come and work at “Zëri,” supposedly to complete the years required for his pension. Nevertheless, Përparim Xhixha, as his friend, did him a favor: he did not make him pay for the typewriter, which he had not returned since working as a journalist on international affairs at “Zëri.” As for the three months Napolon needs to complete his pension years, he can make them up at “Kombi” with Astrit Nuri, at “Koha jonë,” or at the International Youth Center. D.K.

... defeated by the PD. Perhaps it is a struggle for party power; perhaps it is an ordinary game played by the socialists. Nevertheless, given that Ismail Lleshi was also removed from his post as chairman of the PS parliamentary group as soon as there were signs of a tendency to overthrow him, and an agreement was reached for Nano to return, it is possible that F. Nano will win this round too. Pëllumbi, meanwhile, will be forced to “fly” to some embassy in a Western country. A familiar practice of the PP, and so the PS, its offspring, has taken up the custom. The quarrel has begun. It seems that Nano is capable of eliminating his opponents within the ranks of the socialists. B. SOKOLI

You are so beautiful that you make me ask: “What are you to me? A person or art?” I look at you and tear up the poems I have written, for every verse pales before you. You are poetry. Everything else is prose. You are poetry that cannot happen twice, you are the inspiration that gave birth to me, and the world seems to me entirely washed in sunlight. For so many days you have walked beside me, day after day we stay so close the dearest words, “I love you,” have become as ordinary as the bread we eat. When your whole being is given to me, I take the world in my hands and know its secrets, and kisses repeat themselves and become copies; I say foolish things that have no poetry. So go, leave me until evening, or go away for a week, and I’ll come and take you back. I want to live with your absence, to create within myself a longing without you. I need an emptiness that wants to be filled, I need a thorn that pricks me from within, I need to create a winter without troubles, I need to love you once again. Prepared by: M. MIRASHI, A. ZENELI

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