I spent 30 years of my life in Lezhë. I arrived as a very young man and left as a grey-haired one. I have the fondest memories of the noble people of Lezhë, who loved and protected me even when red officials of the likes of Mithat Bara and Dodë Doda pursued me relentlessly with character reports, files, and even public meetings, branding me a person undesirable to the red regime. Having grown up and matured in that city, I can therefore claim that I know its people, its customs, and even its family ties. So I was surprised one day to hear Radio Shkodra, which, while broadcasting its news program, relayed a report from Lezhë by its correspondent Kujtim Dashi (chairman of the PP(S)), saying that the pharmacist Hamza Rama had supposedly been neglected, forgotten, and almost persecuted by the monist regime. In the interests of truth, I must say that none of this is true; quite the opposite happened. I was fortunate and privileged to work with this very respected man for 20 years as a veterinary doctor. One cannot count the poor people to whom Mr. Hamza gave medicines free of charge, even though they were much sought-after. For years, members of this family served on the Executive Committee; two became education chiefs, and two were Communists, one of whom was head of the education sector at the Party Committee. One graduated in foreign languages, another in pharmacy, and the last, although he graduated as an agronomist without ever getting his feet muddy on the city farm, went into education. This last one is Mr. Iran Rama, whose articles in «Zëri i popullit» praise the former party leaders of Lezhë, whom the brave Lezhë poet and journalist Rudolf Marku aptly characterized in the excellent interview he gave to the newspaper «Koha jonë». When Mr. Hamza died, all of Lezhë accompanied him, and almost the entire Bureau of the district Party Committee attended his funeral, headed by Seit Bushati, a man well known in Lezhë for his «deeds» in directing the class struggle. He was not subjected to this kind of denigration and communist mistreatment... Hamza Rama, like anyone else, should not be elevated by inventing imaginary things about him for political purposes; on the contrary, that diminishes his standing. ... the truth. But does Radio Shkodra correspondent from Lezhë, Mr. Kujtim Dashi, really not know these things? Of course he knows them. But by wanting to portray such people as victims of the monist regime, he seeks to prove the devilish communist-socialist theory that under the monist regime we all suffered, we were all mistreated, we all served it equally, and therefore we all bear equal responsibility. No! A hundred times no, it was never, ever like that. We who have spent our lives in Lezhë know very well that, as throughout Albania, the monist regime divided people in Lezhë into those with a good biography and those with a bad one—that is, into the privileged and the unprivileged, into... … if none of this is true, then he himself was in financial difficulty. In his family life, fortune was generous to this noble man. I mentioned these things not to tell the citizens of Lezhë who Hamza Rama was, since they know that better than I do, but to show that I too agree with what was said about this man’s character; however, it is not at all true that the monist regime forgot or denigrated Hamza Rama. He was one of the first post-liberation councillors, and his photograph is in the City Museum. His family was among the most favoured in Lezhë. It is enough to mention that, of the six children, with the exception of one who took up sport, the other five completed higher education in the most... … all the more so for their minds. And to think that gifted Lezhjan minds were scattered in distant Vëlë or somewhere in Tale. These were the families that grew in number whenever construction took place in Lezhë, when two families of talented agricultural specialists were housed in one apartment, or when the poet Agim Isaku and his wife had to live and create in Rrile amid the foul smell of pigs. How many things we who have lived in Lezhë have seen! We have seen how intelligence was flagrantly despised, whether by bringing some ignoramuses from Golloborda, Kolonja, or Dukagjin to positions of authority in the district, or by promoting local cadres—some former tractor drivers, opingollarë, ordinary teachers—who strutted around all day with a pistol at their waist and issued orders they had been given, which you had to be extraordinarily thick-skinned to listen to. We have taken part in scientific sessions led by people (continued on page 4) MUBAREQ' DIZDARI

In recent days, the Pope made strong statements against the promotion and publication of pornographic material in the commercialist Italian press. He called for these materials to be banned by law, describing them as bait for corrupting young people and as a means in the hands of press bosses to make money.

There has been much talk in Tirana in recent days about financial manipulation and speculation by Mr. Dema, chairman of Albania’s charitable humanitarian organization. Nevertheless, after verifying the facts, its governing council dismissed him from the post of chairman and expelled him from the organization. Agustin Sa-ta was elected in his place. It is thought that the matter will be referred to court.

I remember how, four years ago, a widowed woman with eight children, without a job, went on trial because she had stolen 28 empty half-litre bottles from the wine depot (worth 26 lekë). She had previously also been caught with several kilos of corn taken from the cooperative and had been fined. Although she was a repeat offender, the law sent her to the district court, which tried her. I remember how, until a year ago, the judicial panel consisted of assistant judges who changed every 15 days, whereas now they have «chosen» salaried functionaries—or, more accurately, people who have committed and continue to commit abuses. But who sentenced that widowed woman with eight children? What was the value of what she appropriated? Here is the answer: the judge and prosecutor (not as individuals but in their official capacities) who have stolen and continue to steal without respite. And their theft is not worth 26 lekë, but sums exceeding 26,000 lekë. What do they steal? Electricity. How much do they steal? Around the clock, without stopping. Whom do they rob? The poor people. Why do they steal? Because the law does not catch them, since there is no law for them. Want proof? Go and inspect the four-storey courthouse-prosecutor’s office in Durrës—or, more accurately, the disgraced officials’ hotel of these institutions in Durrës. But how do they do it? By falsifying bills, even though they know they are falsifying them and stealing. Where are they? What jobs do they perform? They are prosecutors and senior judges in the four-storey courthouse-prosecutor’s office in Durrës. But who holds trials in that four-storey building? Some «chosen» salaried assistant judges. But who are they? Here, let me introduce them: We made inquiries and found a certain Grozi Pronjarri. A devoted Communist. For years he was a party secretary in Plastike. Nobody has ever told him «good work», because he has never worked. Either he is at a party meeting, or at the Party Committee, or out and about in the city, or an assistant judge at the court—or... anywhere but at work. And he draws a salary. But now that he is at 80%, he has again found a way to get a higher wage, the full salary. We made inquiries and found another (continued on page 4).

1 March 1992. Election day. At around 10:30 p.m., large crowds had gathered at one of Tirana’s most modern clinics. 1 March 1992. Election day. At around 10:30 p.m., large crowds had gathered at one of Tirana’s most modern clinics. A little later, three very luxurious black «Mercedes» entered through the hospital’s main gate. The first to get out was Fatos Nano. Behind him came prominent figures and politicians such as Namik Dokle, Namik Hoti, Bleta, Razi Brahimi, Gramoz Ruçi, Bardhyl Fasko, and several others I did not recognize. Five steps behind them walked Dr. Kastriot Islami alone, as if to show that he was independent. No one understood why they were there at the hospital. There was no polling station here. What was happening? To satisfy my curiosity, I decided to go into the hospital, but it was impossible. The policemen would not let even a fly get in. I immediately had an idea and showed them my press card; with great difficulty, I managed to get inside. What had happened? For two weeks, the chairman of the Albanian Communist Party, Hysni Milloshi, had been hospitalized there in serious condition with an occupational illness. He had been in a coma for a week and showed no sign of recovering. The high-ranking figures who had arrived decided to attend the final consultation that the best and most carefully selected doctors would hold there to determine what to do about Hysni’s serious condition. The first to speak was the head of the medical commission, who at times looked to me like Ahmet Kambëri, at others like Isuf Kalo, and said that Hysni’s condition was extremely critical and that he should be sent to France, to Pol Miljezi. But Razi Brahimi rejected this proposal, because Hysni’s amnesty should not be violated and they should rely on their own resources. Someone proposed calling Dr. Prof. Sali Berisha as well to examine him, but the visitors categorically rejected this proposal too, because they would be accused of an alliance with, or capitulation to, the opposition. But the man who seemed to me sometimes like Kambëri and sometimes like Kalo insisted, waving before those present a petition bearing one million signatures from the «Enver Hoxha» Voluntary Union association, demanding that Hysni recover within 3 days, or they would declare a hunger strike. After several unpleasant exchanges, Dr. K. Islami intervened and restored calm with a bell. But this did not last long. Amid a great commotion, the door of the sa- (Continued on page 2)

1 — Interview with the Secretary General of the PSD, Mr. LISEN BASHKURTI, given to our editor ALEKSANDËR FRANGAJ. 2 — A visit to the country with three capitals — Italy (By Nikollë Lesi and Daniel Gazulli). 3 — MOIKOM ZEQO: Poet, archaeologist, politician, or...? (By Alfons Zeneli) 4. Interview with the caricaturist Likë Rehova, given to Mr. Zef Luca.