The day before yesterday, at the invitation of the Steering Commission of the Democratic Party and the Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, the Chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, arrived here, along with members of the League’s leadership, Ali Aliu and Bujar Bukoshi. At Rinas Airport, the honored guests were welcomed by the Chairman of the Democratic Party’s Steering Commission, Dr. Sali Berisha, and the Secretary of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Sihart Tozaj. Last night, in honor of the distinguished Kosovar activists, the Steering Commission of the Democratic Party hosted a dinner at Hotel «Dajti». Attending the dinner were Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, Ali Aliu and Bujar Bukoshi, as well as Dr. Sali Berisha, Dr. Gramoz Pashko, Aleksandër Meksi, Arben Imami and Frok Çupi. The evening, among brothers and activists for democracy for the Albanian people in both parts of their homeland, Albania and Kosovo, was very warm and cordial. Yesterday, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, Ali Aliu and Bujar Bukoshi laid a bouquet of flowers at the «Mother Albania» monument and visited the city of Lezhë. There they visited and laid flowers at the memorial dedicated to our national hero Gjergj Kastrioti-Skënderbeu. Before Skënderbeu’s tomb, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, Ali Aliu, Bujar Bukoshi and those accompanying them from the Democratic Party observed a moment of silence as a sign of deep respect for the Hero. The guests were given an introduction to the memorial by Mimoza Pelingu, historian and storyteller of Lezhë. The distinguished Kosovar activists were accompanied on their visit Sali Berisha, and other activists from the commission. «Correspondent of “Rilindja Demokratike”»

... February, morning. Tirana wakes to the anxiety of those responsible for the people confined in a hunger strike for peace. Will they come out, or will they stay in? The students’ demands have not been met, and thousands of the city’s workers, young people, and high school students stream toward «Democracy» Square and the hunger strikers. People take to the streets and watch as the square fills. «Tirana is with you!» thunders from the building where pluralism was won. Tears, bridges, cries, fingers raised in a V-shape accompany... the great message of the people and the striking students. Their voices are no longer as strong. Fatigue is beginning to overcome them. Their faces are pale; they are losing some of their strength. The leaders of the free trade unions, one after another, organize themselves there and then. A wave... those who will begin a hunger strike if the students’ demands are not met! The Carpet Factory: We will not leave until the students end their strike. And so it goes, one after another, all the enterprises and institutions. Events fall silent. Eyes turn toward the administrative part of the city. From over there, nothing breaks out. The students wait behind the windows, wait! A woman climbs onto the platform. She proposes that the women and girls break away from the rally and hold a peaceful protest in front of the People’s Assembly. It is not right to kill students over a name! Here the rally moves toward Tirana. The women cannot separate themselves. They walk together: men and women. The police stop the crowd from entering «Dëshmorët e Kombit» Boulevard. The first confrontation with the forces maintaining order signals a clash. A weapon is fired into the air. Shouts are heard: Don’t shoot! Don’t kill our brothers! The soldiers are our brothers! We don’t want blood! We are with the students! Was anyone shot? Nothing is certain. Meanwhile, the crowd...

The dead came to life! The living were revived! On a beautiful day in February, Albania was freed from the horde of class-based hunger. National flags, tears of joy and emotion, people embracing police officers and soldiers, patriotic songs, heroes... The dead came to life; the living were revived At last, we too are in Europe. In the catastrophe of inevitable death, the students’ lifeboat appeared. One day, all of us will be forgotten. They will remain immortal. “Do not destroy the pedestals,” pleaded a mother dressed in black; “we will need them for the students’ monuments!”... They proved that they are the true mind of the nation; they proved that our people are brave and courageous, and that even under dictatorship, when the children of the «gerde» were taught to speak in fairy tales, they knew how to safeguard the state and the spirit. (Continued on page 2)

All those who had the chance to be in «Skënderbeu» Square on 20 February saw how, after the monument to the dictator Enver Hoxha was removed, the empty pedestal was climbed by the masses. General enthusiasm; the national flag. Workers and students, intellectuals, women, children... Until late in the evening, amid a civilized calm befitting a people like ours, the pedestal and marble podium were transformed into a public platform where legitimate exhilaration, civic spirit, concern and an oratory suppressed until yesterday found expression. Had the dictator’s shadow really been so oppressive? We saw with our own eyes how the people climbed onto the pedestal—ah, just as befits them, on their own feet; but how had they climbed so high? There are many answers, but one seems to be the main one: by enshrining dictatorship, persecution, violence and spiritual mutilation in law... The technology for creating dictatorial cults seems to be the same in all eras and in all countries... (Continued on page 2)

— Interview with the writer Ismail Kadare — In an interview with «Voice of America», the writer Ismail Kadare made the following comments on recent events in Albania. — I think the students’ demand is justified. The University of Tirana is the first institution, the first temple of the Albanians’ national culture. And this culture has existed for thousands of years. It is not identified with the Communist Party. Therefore, there was no reason to give it the name of the party’s first secretary. There is even less reason for it to continue bearing that name. Only backward African or Asian dictatorial countries have named universities after party or state leaders. Saddam Hussein did this in Iraq, for example. Albanian students are right to want to break away from this humiliating tradition as soon as possible. The cult of the individual is one of the greatest disgraces for a people. The Albanian people had never before known a cult (Continued on page 5)

— Interview with academician Rexhep Qosja — Events in Albania are being followed with attention and concern in Kosovo. In an interview with «Voice of America», the well-known Kosovar academician Prof. Dr. Rexhep Qosja called on President Ramiz Alia to accept the students’ demands that the University of Tirana be stripped of the name «Enver Hoxha». — If the situation in which the Albanian nation finds itself today has brought me worries and pain, today it brings me sorrow. Before the oppression of the chauvinist Ser-bombadh regime in Kosovo, we are still continuing to slide downhill, and we do not know when or where this descent will stop. The downhill slide seems all the more tragic when we learn that the process of democratization in Albania, rather than proceeding more easily, is proving more difficult. Must the Gordian knot of the Albanian nation be created around a name? Must the entire political culture of people from one of Europe’s most ancient peoples be put to the test over a name? e a te her ot ar na të-atu-vjen më të gjithaq? BJU 4 ...

— Statement by the PD Commission — The day was a day of... and entirely for democracy. Left- and right-wing extremists are trying to push the country backwards. According to information we have received from PD branches in Përme, Skrapar, Gjirokastër, and Kuçovë, employees of Cooperatives and of the Labour Party Committee in ... have called for volunteers to be registered to march towards Tirana, overthrow the president and the central government. Other forces at work have sent ... to the Executive Committees... organization ... registration of volunteers to march on Tirana. In the district of Vlorë, a rally was announced, which was later cancelled. In Peshkopi, a call was made to register volunteers. Likewise, groups of officers and military students have put forward demands that conflict with their legal obligations. In Tirana they have established an Initiative Committee that declares itself above the commander and the general command. The actions of right-wing extremists are added to these actions. The Democratic Party once again calls on all its members and supporters, and all the democratic forces in the country, to remain calm, (Continued on page 5)

... the Democratic Party held talks ... The leaders of the Democratic Party and the democratic delegation of Kosovo ... ... The Chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo and Mr. Bujar Bukoshi ... the Democratic League ... The delegation of the Party ... ... the Albanian people, both within state borders and in Kosovo, wherever they may be, now more than ever need calm, reconciliation and democracy—as necessities for achieving their lofty goals of progress. The Democratic Party condemns all extremist actions, every act of violence and revenge, which harm the national cause. The Democratic League of Kosovo and the Democratic Party of Albania are two fraternal political forces committed to achieving democracy, justice and prosperity, so that the nation may develop and move forward, toward a more advanced present ... European and global. The Democratic Party and the Democratic League of Kosovo declared their commitment to close ties and cooperation between them, to joint exchanges, and to mutual assistance ...

POLITICAL DIARY Monday, February 18. Students and teachers filled the entrance of the palace of culture, Vëtëngjilum. The greatest wonder of this century’s end! Perhaps unprecedented. They are sacrificing 723 young lives. A unique occasion! He returned home. I felt a pressure and decided to leaf through the newspapers. At first, without any particular purpose. I read the notes not in chronological order, but in reverse. I started with 1981 and went on to 1989. Here is a phrase from ...: “The student ...” The square ... crowded, ... at ... time. Tirana’s square? ... the students. ... Spring ... thousands of students ... Demonstration... for genuine democracy... But a brutal force was directed against them. How many were killed! The official statistics ... are ... A bloody demonstration, televised to mark the 10th anniversary of the Chinese reforms and the 40th anniversary of the People’s Republic: “Bullets against an unarmed crowd.” The world was shaken. But was Europe more concerned? It was written about in the press, alongside statements by various public figures. Andre Fanten, editor-in-chief of Le Monde: «The students of the capital were massacred by the army, which called itself the People’s Army...» Frantua Miteran, president of France: «A regime that, in order to survive, feeds on the young has no future». Theçer, prime minister of England: To shoot blindly at the people! Does this not speak to the differences between Western democratic society and socialist society? (That year, the so-called socialist bloc was living out its final months.) Boris Elstin: «A crime against the people!» 8:00 p.m. A television news broadcast. I tuned in to RAI... It did not fail to mention news from India: A bus had overturned. As for Albania, nothing. But why—was «Democracy Square» carrying any less tension than Tiananmen Square? At the very least, if ... Yugoslavia should have been mentioned. ... Reported... «Voice of America» gave the fullest report. I don’t know why, but I almost shouted: Europe, Europe—a longtime prostitute when it comes to Albania! 10:00 p.m. The phone rings... Hello... We have a Commission meeting. We’re waiting for you... But why? The political parties had requested a meeting with the president. Saliu Azemi, Eduardi and Preçi had set off at 9:00 p.m. But it was too late. Some missed the crossing and went home. Frruku and I decided to wait by the door of the Presidium. Never alone, like ... Without washing? ... — Vetë e prang... surprised me (Continued on page 2) Representatives of the free trade unions, one after another, in an organization formed on the spot. The people of Valias. We will begin a hunger strike if the demand is not met. ... in order to ... (Continued on page 2)

«Skënderbej» Square, February 20, 2:06 p.m. (Photo: Besim Fusha) «Skënderbej» Square, February 20, 2:06 p.m. (Photo: Besim Fusha)