- The Initiating Commission fulfilled its task. A governing commission was elected and entrusted with leading the Party until the National Conference to be held in June. - Dr Sali Berisha was elected chairman of the DP Governing Commission. - The students’ request to remove Enver Hoxha’s name from the University is their right and does not diminish Enver Hoxha’s standing as leader of the PPSH. A referendum of the students and the UT staff collective is the fairest solution. - The Democratic Party distances itself from acts of violence of any kind, as well as from manifestations of genuine or simulated psychological terror. It adheres to the inter-party call for social peace during the pre-election campaign. The DP’s regular press conference, held yesterday at the Palace of Culture in Tirana, focused mainly on the announcement of the meeting of the DP’s first assembly. Preç Zogaj, chairman of the publishing council of the newspaper «Rilindja Demokratike», read a communiqué stating that on 13 February 1991 the first assembly of the Democratic Party was held in Tirana, attended by members and prominent activists of the Party from the districts and the capital. The assembly discussed and debated the Party’s electoral platform and issues relating to the election campaign. Particular attention was given to explaining the economic program, especially certain demands that have raised questions among the electorate, such as the privatization of housing, the buying and selling of land, and some others. The comments and suggestions made on this occasion were noted for incorporation into the final version of the platform, which will soon be published as a pamphlet. The assembly supported calls to put forward as candidates for deputies to the People’s Assembly the most capable people, who can represent the interests of the electorate and, more broadly, of society as a whole with dignity. It was said that the bitter experience in which the initiators of a movement are necessarily expected to compete for positions in state forums as well, regardless of their abilities, must not be repeated. The Party and those who initiated its creation in the capital and the districts are fighting first and foremost for democracy and progress, not to occupy seats. The assembly also discussed the current political situation. The Democratic Party stands for political and economic stability; it has taken and will take no destabilizing action, while distancing itself from acts of violence of any kind and from genuine or simulated psychological terror. The Democratic Party believes that stability cannot be achieved by turning a deaf ear to, opposing, or condemning the students’ political demands, in particular their primary request to remove Enver Hoxha’s name from the University. Meeting this request, on the basis of a referendum among the students and the UT staff collective, PPSH. That Party has the right to republish his works, keep him in its own places of honor, and commemorate him. The same applies to all citizens who love him. But the University is now a pluralist, non-ideological institution. Under the third item on the agenda, the work carried out so far by the Initiating Commission was assessed, and it was proposed that, given the new circumstances in which the Party finds itself, now that it is organized in most districts, a governing commission be elected to lead June. By secret ballot, the assembly elected 19 members to the Governing Commission, including: Arben Demeti, Arben Imami, Azem Hajdari, Aleksandër Meksi - Doctor of Science, Eduart Selami - Candidate of Science, Gramoz Pashko - Doctor of Science, Genc Ruli - Candidate of Science, Merita Zaloshnja, Mitro Çela, Preç Zogaj, Sali Berisha - Doctor of Science, Tefalin Malshyti, Shahin Kadare - Doctor of Science, Lili Dhame - Candidate of Science, Ilir Myftari, Edmond Trakave, Blerim Çela, Neritan Çeka - scientific associate, Rexhep Uka. At its meeting, the Governing Commission assessed chaired by Azem Hajdari, leader of the student demonstrations and one of the founders of the DP. The Governing Commission elected Dr Sali Berisha chairman and Eduard Selami secretary by secret ballot. Correspondent of «Rilindja Demokratike»

The delegation of the Democratic League of Albanians in Croatia, led by Tom Berisha and comprising Muharrem Nexhipi, deputy chairman, and Zef Marku, a member of the Presidency, during their official visit to Albania held a meeting at the headquarters of the Democratic Party with Sali Berisha, chairman of the Democratic Party Governing Commission, and members of this Commission, Gramoz Pashko, Azem Hajdari, and others. At this meeting, which took place in a fraternal spirit, views were exchanged on the DP’s activities to establish democracy in Albania, as well as on the Democratic League of Albanians in Croatia and, more generally, the Albanian alternative in Kosovo and the other Albanian lands in connection with the defense of national rights against Greater Serbian oppression. Experience was also exchanged on issues of mutual interest, and agreement was reached on joint action in the service of national interests. In this context, the possibility was discussed of a joint meeting of all Albanian parties of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania and of the Albanian parties in Yugoslavia. The Democratic Party praised and supported the activities of the Democratic League of Albanians in Croatia and its efforts to defend the legitimate rights denied to Albanians by the Greater Serbs. For its part, the Democratic League of Albanians in Croatia also praised and supported the Democratic Party’s activities in the process of establishing democracy in Albania. The Democratic Party and the Democratic League of Albanians in Croatia discussed and considered it useful and positive to maintain ongoing contacts through exchanges of delegations and other means.

The First Secretary of … of the Durrës district finds shelter at the headquarters of the P… branch For two days, pupils at the «Dr. Medar Shtylla» general secondary school had been boycotting classes in support of the students in Tirana. At around 9:15, the First Secretary of the PPSH in the Durrës district, Nazim Skuqi, also arrived at the school. He wanted to hold a dialogue with the pupils’ representatives. As the First Secretary of … in the Durrës district found shelter at the headquarters of the P… branch in the town center. I asked them to spare the First Secretary, Nazim Skuqi. When the crowd set off toward the town center, we drove Nazim Skuqi away in a covered car. MUHAMET SHEHU, at the DP branch, Kavajë. Meanwhile, the school’s teachers also notified me, as the DP representative. When I got there, I found the pupils agitated and shouting: «Nazim, you traitor!» Besides the pupils, hundreds of Kavajë residents had surrounded the school. What had happened? The pupils’ representatives asked that the conversation be heard by all those present. During this time, the chairman of the Executive Committee also arrived at the school. Seeing the crowd, he asked that the conversation not take place. This situation angered the townspeople and the pupils. I also took the floor and asked everyone to speak their mind about democracy, but without insulting or harming anyone. I insisted that the First Secretary be protected from any incident. At 11 o’clock, we escorted Nazim Skuqi out of the school, but the angry crowd also struck him. Then we took him into the headquarters of the Democratic Party branch. The DP headquarters was surrounded by hundreds of Kavajë residents. We talked again and said that we would hold a rally branch, Kavajë.

(On the announcement by the Minister of Internal Affairs) For two days in a row, Albanians were made aware of the announcement by the Minister of Internal Affairs that «the state authorities have full information that dark forces with specific destructive aims are preparing to create serious disturbances among the people... The information indicates that these forces are mobilizing criminal and terrorist elements equipped with means of repression, such as firearms, explosives, bladed weapons, etc.» This is the first time in the history of the modern Albanian state that the Minister of Internal Affairs has issued an announcement about an activity that has not yet taken place. For decades we have been accustomed to hearing about the most monstrous armed activities and armaments, carried out while their authors held the posts of ministers and prime ministers; and while they were acting «under the rug», other people—not them—were punished for agitation and propaganda if they spoke of the misdeeds of these enemies, who had not yet been exposed. Only when these high-ranking officials were arrested did ordinary people learn of their destructive, terrorist, and anti-national aims. Thus, in our 45-year history, we have been accustomed to seeing the enemy announced first and then their deeds revealed. This time it is the opposite: it is announced that dark forces have prepared themselves (not are preparing) to create disturbances among the people, yet the concrete enemies are missing... The news is distressing. It brings to mind something from films about the Mafia, from Bologna’s railway station, from the chronicles of Beirut... And yet the greatest distress arises from the most natural question: How can the Minister of Internal Affairs himself say that «the state authorities have full information», and yet not a single person, not a group of people, despite being «dark terrorist and fascist forces», has been apprehended and punished? It is not hard to notice that, for the first time, the citizens are anonymous, unnamed, undescribed, somewhat ethereal and untouchable, just as in an ordinary police thriller. The wolf’s tracks are clearly visible, but the wolf itself is missing... One gets the impression that alongside the destructive, terrorist, and fascist forces—which may actually exist—there are other forces interested in their existence. There are people who want, at all costs, to see instability, tensions, destruction, vandalism and, why not, civil war follow democracy. There are people who, by speaking so insistently about the dangers of destabilization and civil war, seem to summon their own phantoms, just as African sorcerers summon evil spirits by loudly uttering their names. There are people who want to tell us: look, without democracy we were peaceful, without destructive and terrorist upheavals, without the terrifying abyss of the specter of civil war. And, finally, the anonymous figure is missing—as though someone would like the perpetrator to belong to the democratic forces, as though someone would like the anonymous figure to be conjured up, like a fog that then makes «the innocent suffer along with the guilty». Democracy is opposed to terrorism, vandalism, and destructiveness. It is as far removed from them as life is from death. Yet the latest announcement leaves room for many questions. Perhaps those who find it difficult to answer prefer questions above all else. RUDOLF MARKU

Our public has learned in recent days of three telegrams sent from Rreshen and Përmet to Ramiz Alia, First Secretary of the PPSH Central Committee. Reading the telegrams mentioned above, one cannot help asking: how, for example, did 16 institutions, production centers, and schools in Rrëshen organize themselves to send a joint telegram? If the initiators have become familiar with the style of anti-everything (spontaneous, though it is well known that someone illicitly and flagrantly fans it), now they must apparently also get used to the version of spontaneous telegrams serving the same strategy: physically weaving a net and suppressing thought. One may sympathize with the convictions that a position or a spontaneous telegram from the masses may express, though it is clear that their demands are not spontaneous at all. But it is incomprehensible how anyone can speak of blocking the history of Albania for 100 years! I am not mistaken when I say 100 years. This follows from the demand to keep the archives closed for 50 years. Thus, nearly 50 years have passed without many issues in Albanian history being examined fully, objectively, and scientifically. Now, it is being proposed to add another 50 years to those nearly 50 years. The fact is that the main archives of our country—for example, the Central Party Archive, the Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and those of the Ministry of Defense—have either not been opened to our researchers at all, or have been opened only drop by drop, symbolically. In practice, they have been and remain bunkered with regard to the key issues in the development of life. The Central State Archive has been more accessible. But even there, files containing documents, after passing through the convoluted route of secrecy without secrecy, have often not been made available at all to Albanian historians and researchers in general, etc.). A similar picture can be found in the district archives. Under these conditions, what remains to be done? They are asking to remove even the trickle; they are calling for a 50-year-long suppression of historical, philosophical, so- BASJIMI TRONOVA (Continued on page 2)

The Strike Committee of the students of UT and Tirana’s higher institutes stated yesterday: Since the demands presented to the government by the striking students, who make up 80 percent of the total number, are not being met, whether economic or political, the Strike Committee, in agreement with the students, decided that the boycott and rallies should continue; and if there is no positive response from the relevant authorities, the Committee will declare a hunger strike on Monday, 18.2.1991, inside the Student City premises. Registration of volunteers for the hunger strike (male and female students and lecturers) has begun. On 16.2.1991, the strike’s steering committee will propose to the striking students that, starting now, they remove Enver Hoxha’s name and henceforth call it simply the University of Tirana. To clarify the matter for public and state opinion, the Committee (Continued on page 5)

We, the citizens of the city of Kavajë, through the organization of a popular referendum signed by 15,000 (fifteen thousand) workers, intellectuals, veterans, young men and women, women and the elderly, strongly support all the students’ economic and political demands. They are entirely lawful and just. The students and their teachers are the finest sons and daughters of the people, our present and future leaders on the difficult, but not impossible, road toward a developed Europe. As such, they are free to choose their own path, without being manipulated by anyone and without anyone imposing their free and democratic convictions on them. Therefore, we demand the immediate fulfillment of their demands, alongside which we also put forward our own demands. 1. The name “Enver’s Pioneers” should be removed from the pioneers’ organization, a name that we consider (Continued on page 3)

Tiles: B. Marikaj