The second round of elections, held amid genuine state terror, political killings, numerous frauds, and improvised encirclements of polling stations by security forces “to welcome” voters at the polling stations, further strengthened the Democratic Party’s victory. Tirana, our beloved capital, the heart and mind of Albania, voted for the Democratic Party; so did Shkodra of the millennia, the city of the genius of Albanian thought, Barleti and Biçikemi, Mjedis, Fishta; Durrës, the cradle of our ancient civilization; Laçi, Miloti and Kruja of the Kastriots; Kavaja, the pioneer of democracy; Elbasan of Kristoforidhi and of the Normal School, an inextinguishable beacon of light; Vlora of Ismail Qemali and independence; Lushnja of the first Albanian pluralism; Korça of the immortal democrats. Thus, overall, the Democratic Party achieved a victory that was not complete. Yet its victory in these elections was a historic, qualitative victory of particular political importance. Hundreds of thousands of other citizens from all over Albania also voted for the Democratic Party, including hundreds and hundreds of communists; and why not—a communist can become a democrat, whereas a democrat can never become a communist. Around 39 percent of Albanians voted for the Democratic Party. In modern European history, no party only three months old has recorded such a victory. Great honor to the Albanian people. In these elections, the people also voted for the party, that is, they voted under the proportional system. The DP achieved a complete victory in all of Albania’s main cultural, economic, political, scientific, intellectual and industrial centers. Among other things, these elections show that the PPSH lost its base, the working class, which, disappointed by its failed policies, embraced the Democratic Party’s program. Meanwhile, the DP’s defeat in the countryside is only temporary. As the poorest opposition in today’s Europe, and with the short time, resources and material conditions at its disposal, the Democratic Party in Albania concentrated its activities in the cities, mainly the large ones. Our party knew only complete victories wherever it explained its program, wherever it managed to dispel the fear and anxiety of the past. Thus, there is no reason for the arrests, beatings and imprisonment of hundreds and hundreds of others. During this period, it is once again being claimed, in order to prove it, that the Democratic Party was terrorist. And, just as weapons were once planted in churches to prove that priests were organizing an uprising, people began to talk and declare that imported weapons had been brought into Albania and that the Democratic Party was organizing an armed uprising of its own. All this with one sole aim: to outlaw it. Second, after the PPSH suffered defeat in all the country’s vital centers, thereby becoming a peripheral party that would have to govern only through force and not through trust, political killings began in Albania, carried out by criminals hidden in the headquarters of the PPSH Committee in Shkodra. The Shkodra massacre, the killing of A. Broci, B. Beshanaku, B. Çeka and N. Kryeziu, and the wounding of around 60 others, is only a shadow of the witch-hunt that apparently has been prepared for the leaders and activists of the DP. Their killing clearly proves that the dark forces spoken of by our officials are specific sections of today’s state apparatus. On the day of the massacre, a senior PPSH official declared at a press conference that Azem Hajdari had led the furious crowd in Shkodra immediately after the killings, although at that very time the latter was in Tirana. The sinister calculations behind this statement are plain for anyone to imagine. In addition, shots are fired and dynamite is placed in Democratic Party buildings and in the apartments of its leaders; threatening leaflets targeting the lives of Democratic Party leaders are sent, and so on. Third, the elections of 31 March were held under extremely unequal conditions, in a climate of unprecedented fear and terror that forced thousands of Albanians to flee abroad and hundreds of thousands of others to vote for the PPSH. The many manipulations, the distribution of livestock before the elections, the repeated broadcasts of its leaders’ speeches, the placing of RTV under Stalinist-style censorship, the use of firearms on election day, polling-station committee chairmen showing up armed, the opening of ballot boxes, threats, blackmail and others. The Albanian people now entrust the new People’s Assembly with the role of implementing economic reforms and taking measures to ensure respect for fundamental human freedoms in a society with little experience of the democratic process. Full democracy and respect for the rights of national minorities form part of this set of fundamental freedoms. Despite these developments, it seems that the election process was... Today, the Democratic Party of Albania, [possibly: held 162 of its deputies in the 250-seat People’s Assembly. There is also credible evidence that intimidation and threats against opposition candidates and activists were used on a large scale, both during the campaign and on election day. The United States calls on the Albanian authorities to conduct full and open investigations into allegations of election-rule violations and to propose appropriate legal measures to remedy these errors. Even more disturbing are reports about the leader of the Shkodër branch of the Democratic Party, Arben Broci; dozens of others were wounded during report that a crowd gathered outside the headquarters of the Democratic Party in Tirana was forcibly dispersed with gunfire from automatic weapons. The United States condemns the use of force against peaceful demonstrators and calls on the Albanian government to end the use of lethal force against citizens exercising their fundamental right to peaceful protest. It also calls on all the Albanian people to remain restrained amid the tense situation. Political changes in Albania must take place through elections, not through the use of bullets.

Every so often, «Ifa» trucks pass along the road to Vlora, unloading trained sambists and young recruits. The swaggering attitude of these recruits makes you grit your teeth and brings to mind the popular saying, “bald and boastful too.” Sadly, in their faces, where the marks left by a bad and vain life are clearly visible, there is a painful gleam of satisfaction. They apparently consider it a privilege to have been chosen as the “bravest” among the village boys. They really do stand around with the rubber batons in their hands, with the same pride some women take in showing off their precious jewelry. Perhaps they also boast about the treatment they receive in the special canteens. They inspect everywhere, following their bosses’ instructions, and when they make up their minds, stop anyone, arrogantly and absurdly: — Where are you from? Your passport? They seem upset that no PPSH parliamentary candidate won in the city of Vlora. They themselves, of course, voted for the PPSH, in accordance with its old motto, “our votes are bullets for the enemy.” Yes. Their votes, the village’s votes—bullets for the enemy. Forgive the PPSH; let me add a postscript (following your logic) to this old metaphor. But what about the city’s votes? According to your logic, they are bullets for you, bullets for the legendary PPSH! Almost all the young men of Vlora, those who have “displeased” the government, have gone across the sea. The people of Vlora drove the invader into the sea twice, and once the PPSH very successfully threw Vlora’s youth into the sea. So why all these reinforcements, then? Why so many recruits everywhere? Perhaps to defend the victory of 31 March. And once again, the old motto: “our votes—bullets for the enemy.” For whom (Continued on p. 2)

— VIOLATIONS OF SOME KEY STANDARDS FOR HOLDING FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS — “On 31 March, the Albanian people voted in the first multiparty elections in several decades. In the latest vote, political changes in Albania have been encouraging, considering that only four months ago opposition parties did not even exist. Today, the Democratic Party of Albania, the largest opposition party, holds one quarter of the seats in the People’s Assembly. The Party of Labour, which previously maintained a complete monopoly on political power, is now represented by 162 of its members in the 250-seat People’s Assembly. These developments were accompanied by weaknesses and shortcomings that constitute elections. During the election campaign, Albania’s opposition parties were given limited time to use mass communications media controlled by the government. Meanwhile, officials of the Party of Labour enjoyed the right to use most of the state resources needed to conduct an election campaign. There is also credible information that opposition candidates and activists were intimidated and threatened, [the text is corrupted here; it says that a person] was killed on 2 April by shots fired from the party committee headquarters, while he was trying to calm peaceful demonstrators who supported the opposition parties. There are also reports that several other people were killed and dozens more injured in the violence that erupted immediately after the elections. Other sources report that a peaceful crowd gathered outside the Democratic Party headquarters in Tirana was dispersed in a manner that does not appear reasonable, using automatic weapons. The United States condemns

— INTIMIDATION IN THE VILLAGES CONTRIBUTED TO THE OPPOSITION’S DEFEAT — U.S. Senator Denis De Konsini strongly condemned the violence used by the police against demonstrators in Shkodra. In a statement by Senator De Konsini, co-chairman of the U.S. Congressional Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, concerning recent developments in Albania, it is stated, among other things, that after the elections Albania has become an arena of unrest, where, as a result of the use of violence, several people were killed, including one of the leaders of the DP branch in the city of Shkodra, Arben Broci. The U.S. senator expressed his deep regret over these developments and said he hoped the situation would be normalized by peaceful means and methods. Mr. De Konsini condemns the use of firearms and beatings against demonstrators and strongly urges the Albanian government to refrain from any further use of violence in its efforts to restore order and calm. The U.S. senator also fully supports those opposition leaders who call on the people to preserve calm, restraint, order and tranquility. Furthermore, Senator De Konsini says in his statement that the protests are the result of the PPSH victory in the elections held last Sunday, in which the communists, although they lost in the main cities, won in the backward rural areas. Before the elections, Mr. De Konsini was in Albania at the head of a U.S. Congressional delegation. The U.S. senator stated that on election day there were very worrying signs at polling stations and that intimidation and other efforts took place in the villages, which affected the opposition’s defeat. Senator De Konsini said that would soon issue its report on the detailed observations made in Albania. In his statement, Mr. De Konsini assures the Albanian people that the Commission will continue to follow developments in Albania closely and, as it has consistently done, will insistently call for and encourage further progress toward Albania’s transition to a free and democratic political system. At the end of his statement, De Konsini says that the future development of the newly established U.S.-Albanian relations, Albania’s admission as a full member of the CSCE, as well as its participation in European processes generally, will depend mainly on progress in this process. The U.S. senator says he truly hopes that no attempt will be made to reverse the gains achieved so far in Albania’s democratic process.

On 8 April, at the headquarters of the Democratic Party in Tirana, the Chairman of the DP Steering Committee, Dr. Sali Berisha, received the Chairman of the Independent Trade Unions of Kosovo, Prof. Dr. Hajrullah Gorani. Present at the reception were members of the DP Steering Committee, Dr. Aleksandër Me[k?]ksi and Arben Imami. Both sides exchanged views on the political situation in Kosovo and on the political situation and elections for the People’s Assembly in our country. The reception took place in a very warm and fraternal atmosphere. RD correspondent

On Sunday, April 7, elections were held in 16 of the 19 electoral zones, where the PP’s significant victory in numbers on March 31 had influenced the electorate psychologically, making them feel they had to submit to the inevitable. But the democratic spirit of most voters triumphed over real and imagined fear, over the lure of promises... (Continued on page 2) temporary. The Democratic Party in Albania, as the poorest opposition party in today’s Europe, focused its activities on cities and especially large cities, given the short time at its disposal and its material resources and conditions. of the past. There is therefore no doubt that one day the Albanian peasant, too, will understand and approve this party’s program. The worldview of our age-old peasantry, which has borne Albania on its shoulders, is incompatible with the proven Marxist-Leninist ideology. The only sacred and eternal thing is Albania. The wind of democracy that will blow from the cities will cause its age-old spirit to shine again with the virtues for which it yields its place to no one. Surely it will no longer agree to vote for those who turned our countryside into a kind of reserve for keeping as many workers as possible and giving birth to as many children as possible. The DP condemns in the strongest terms any insulting attitude toward the peasant or any other gesture against them. It considers these actions antidemocratic and uncivilized, and emphasizes that if their authors are DP members, they must leave the party immediately, because they have nothing in common with its program, goals, or ideals. The elections are over. Immediately after the first round, PPSH invited others to form a coalition. At first glance, it seems like a political gesture, and naturally many people may have welcomed this political smile of theirs. The Democratic Party declares that it will not accept such an offer, not because of prejudice, but for the reasons we list below. First, from its founding until today, the DP and the democratic forces have been shadowed by the black specter of a strategy of violence and terror, devised by PPSH, which has resulted in the killing and wounding of dozens of people during the election campaign and in unprecedented terror that forced thousands of Albanians to take to the roads and hundreds of thousands of others to vote for PPSH. The numerous Stalinist-style censorship, the use of firearms on election day, commission chairmen showing up at polling stations with weapons, the opening of ballot boxes, threats, blackmail and makeshift encirclements of polling stations, and, especially, the disproportionate division of electoral zones, creating zones with 4,000 residents and others with 13,000 residents (in practice, the countryside has 12–13 more electoral zones than its share according to the number of voters), as well as the uncontrollable number of ballot boxes (5,400!), clearly demonstrate that the atmosphere of the election campaign was in flagrant violation of the CSCE’s requirements and that the degree of manipulation and irregularity was high. For all these reasons, the DP has not issued its final judgment on the character of the elections in Albania. The facts listed above, along with many others, clearly show that PPSH does not want a coalition at all; on the contrary, it prefers monism—its own monism alone. The Democratic Party will give it this opportunity. It will not enter into a coalition with it. Under these circumstances, the DP will devote all its efforts to strengthening and improving its organizational structure, especially in the countryside, but also in the cities. As it has done until now, it calls on its members, supporters and all democratic forces to avoid any provocation that could lead to the use of violence, to adhere to the DP’s program of achieving democracy solely through democratic means and methods, to develop and cultivate democratic tolerance and a spirit of democratic dialogue, and not to forget that our unwavering motto has been and remains: opposition to our brothers.

Name, father's name, surname, profession BERAT 1. Abdi Hasan Baleta — Lawyer 2. Bardhyl Mustafa Balteza — Engineer 3. Spiro Vlash Doraleci — Epidemiologist 4. Vangjel Petro Stamo — Architect 5. Bashkim Bahri Kopliku — Engineer 6. Emin Hamit Musliu — Engineer 7. Bardhyl Bexhet Reso — Engineer 8. Naim Demir Kariqi — Economist 9. Sali Ram Berisha — Cardiologist 10. Ismet Xhevit Ferizaj — Teacher 11. Dhimitër Theodhor Miho — Teacher 12. Skënder Ramazan Dika — Painter 13. Petrit Haxhi Llafteru — Biochemist 14. Lindita Ylli Prifti — Agronomist ELBASAN 15. Argjir Jorgji Panariti — Metallurgical engineer 16. Neritan Hasan Ceka — Archaeologist 17. Fatmir Rushit Manushi — Metallurgical engineer 18. Arben Ali Demeti — Engineer 19. Qazim Hamdi Radoniqi — Lecturer 20. Daniel Pandi Karanxha — Economist KORÇË 21. Petrika Perikli Minga — Physicist 22. Natasha Petro Lako — Writer 23. Stavri Spiro Frashëri — Mechanical engineer 24. Petraq Ilo Kolevica — Architect engineer 25. Ilir Spiro Manushi — Engineering lecturer KRUJË 26. Sadedin Shaqir Balla — Teacher 27. Agim Asim Mero — Construction engineer (Continued on page 2)

The Shkodër branch of the Democratic Party has sent this statement to the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, the Presidium of the Council of Ministers, the Steering Commission of the Democratic Party, the Human Rights Forum, and the newspaper «Rilindja Demokratike». The Shkodër branch of the Democratic Party, meeting today, April 6, 1991, to analyze the events of April 2, 1991, finds: The tense situation and bloodshed in Shkodër were organized according to a premeditated plan by the Shkodër internal affairs authorities, in cooperation with PPSH leaders in the city of Shkodër. This was the result of PPSH’s defeat in the March 31 vote in our district. The authors of this heinous political crime had planned to kill members of the district’s Democratic Party steering co[mi?]ssion, taking advantage of our sincere party and civic commitment to calming the situation and the demonstrations. The entire chronology of events bears this out. The Shkodër branch of the Democratic Party will contribute to bringing the facts to light and identifying the perpetrators of this bloodshed, carried out for PPSH’s political purposes. The Shkodër branch of the Democratic Party (Continued on page 2)