The opening session of Parliament began the day before yesterday without the participation of the DP deputies. They decided to boycott the session as a sign of mourning for the innocent victims of the Shkodra massacre, as a protest against state terror and the diversion of the investigation process for political purposes, thereby expressing their tribute to the martyrs of democracy and their vehement protest against the brutal violation of human rights. The decision of the DP parliamentary group resonated widely and won support from democratic forces throughout the country, which are demanding that the truth about the events in Shkodra be made known to the public as soon as possible and that those responsible be brought to justice.

The chairman of the DP Parliamentary Group, Neritan Ceka, read the following statement in Parliament: The Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Party, expressing the will of its voters, who make up 40 percent of the Albanian electorate, maintains that the People’s Assembly session should be postponed until those responsible for the killing of 4 people and the wounding of 59 others in the city of Shkodra have been identified. Like the entire Albanian people, this group looked forward to the opening of the pluralist Assembly’s proceedings as the greatest event in establishing democracy in our country. The Shkodra massacre, carried out by the dark forces in power, not only struck the peaceful population of this city a severe blow, but also created an atmosphere of insecurity and tension in which democratic activities cannot continue. For this reason, we consider the identification and punishment of those responsible for the political killings in Shkodra to be the most basic guarantee for the normal functioning of a pluralist Parliament and for ending political terror. As early as 2 April, DP deputies from the Shkodra district denounced state terror and political killings, intervening to calm the situation. They called for the immediate establishment of an investigative commission, in which they cooperated with all forces, and also put forward the just demand that the convening of the People’s Assembly be made conditional on the progress of the investigation. Although the facts were clear and the perpetrators fully identifiable, astonishingly, the Investigative Commission has so far made only general and contradictory statements. It is clear that this is due to the biased positions of the deeply politicized law-and-order bodies involved in these investigations. How is it possible that the killers and those who ordered them have not been identified, when the use of weapons by the security forces is governed by specific, controlled rules? How is it possible that not one of the armed individuals who were inside the Party Committee building and acted under the command of people known both inside and outside that building has been arrested? How is it possible that those who, on the night of 2 April, declared the victims terrorists on Albanian television, while protecting their killers, have not been punished? How can the truth be confronted with the laughable excuses about the film being burned and people not appearing—excuses that are merely signs of the deception and intimidation this commission uses as a method to cover up political crimes? These facts show that the investigative team is artificially dragging out the clarification of the events in Shkodra for specific political purposes. Under such circumstances, when the law retreats in the face of the truth, the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Party considers the opening of the People’s Assembly’s proceedings prejudicial. It regards its withdrawal from the opening session as a means of ensuring the political stability of the country, which has been disrupted by the killers and those who ordered them, and can be restored only after they have been identified and punished. The deputies of the Democratic Party demand that their participation be established; after the perpetrators of the Shkodra massacre and those responsible for the national and international disinformation about this event have been identified, they will commit themselves to transforming the People’s Assembly into a fundamental pluralist body. Together with all democratic forces inside and outside Parliament, they will contribute to establishing true democracy in Albania. In my capacity as chairman of the Democratic Party Parliamentary Group, I considered it my civic duty to present the above statement to my colleagues and to those present in this hall, respecting the feelings of the DP parliamentarians present and of the voters they represent.

CHRONICLE On Monday, at 17:00, the new People’s Assembly of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania convened. Its deputies had been elected in the first pluralist elections of 31 March and in the second round held on 7 April. Deputies of the PP and of «Omonia» were present at the first session of the 12th Legislature. Members of the Presidential Council, the government, leaders of political parties and institutions, Albanian and foreign journalists, heads of political missions accredited in Tirana, etc., had also been invited. The proceedings of the Assembly were declared open, on behalf of the 10 oldest deputies, by Adil Çarçani, a PP deputy from the Gjirokastër district. As has been reported, the DP parliamentary group of 75 deputies did not attend. It was represented only by its chairman, Neritan Ceka, who read a statement in which all DP deputies said they would boycott the opening session of the People’s Assembly as a protest against the Shkodra massacre, and as a sign of mourning and tribute to the martyrs of democracy. The Assembly decided to continue its proceedings on Wednesday, also at 17:00, and called on the DP parliamentary group to change its position. At the first session of the People’s Assembly, one of the Labour Party deputies, Ali Alushani, spoke on behalf of several deputies and expressed opposition to the Democratic Party’s decision not to attend the meeting. During his speech, he implied that this view was shared not only by the PPSH deputies and the veterans’ deputy, but also by «Omonia». In other words, he took it upon himself to represent all the deputies who were there! It is the same logic and the same monist attitude that the Labour Party imposed for 45 years in a row. But that time is over. The «Omonia» deputies wisely understand that they do not depe— «The DP condemns in the strongest possible terms any insulting attitude toward the peasant or any abusive gesture toward him. It considers such acts undemocratic and uncivilized, and stresses that if their perpetrators are DP members, they must immediately leave the party, because they have nothing in common with its program, aims or ideals.» (Sali Berisha, «Rilindja Demokratike», 10 April 1991). «The peasant does not fly. By nature, he is patient and skeptical; you must convince him, and only then will he follow you... We must admit that the DP won in those villages where its program was explained in clear and understandable language, without exaggerations or complications.» (Preç Zogaj, «RD», 10 April 1991). «The Albanian peasantry has always been distinguished by fervent patriotism and a love of freedom, and consequently it cannot fail to love democracy too, because freedom and democracy are inseparable...» (Dervish Duni, «RD», 10 April 1991). After swivelling his eyes from Jezerça to Konispol and from Korab to the Adriatic, the «ZP» journalist Musa Ulgini sounded the alarm, declaring that «a new national division is appearing on the horizon. A silent hostility is developing among different districts, regions and cities». The assertion seems shocking. So, up with you, Albanians: let us say stop to a new national division, to silent hostility! The author of the article in «ZP» should descend from the heights of generalization to the «lowlands» of concrete facts and tell us where this evil is taking shape, in which districts and regions! Or at least tell us which direction the window of his office at «ZP» faces, so that we can get our bearings once and for all. But Musa has decided to remain a fanatic to the end. His impatient pen leaps over the wasteland of facts and signs a harsh indictment against the DP and its publication. The condemnable policy has left the Albanian village far behind the European village, and behind the Albanian city, which is itself extremely underdeveloped. This is the harsh reality. To change this reality, it is worth helping— and javër malon, thisto i?… [the text above is partly cut off and illegible] Dritëro Agolli, Vangjush Gambeta, and later the writers Spiro Dede, Mehmet Elezi, Xhevahir Spahiu, and many others. They would glance at the list of those who are speculating today in «Zëri» so much PREÇ ZOGAJ (Continued on page 2)

Stand up, competent authorities, outlaw the DP and shut down «RD». Unfortunately for the accuser, that is not going to happen. In Albania, in the countryside and in the cities, in the Prime Minister’s Office and everywhere else, there are people who know how to read newspapers as well as look at the horizon. At the beginning of this article I quoted three passages from articles published in «RD» on 10 April. One was signed by the DP chairman, Dr. Sali Berisha. I signed the other two, as the person responsible for the press. I believe our «ZP» colleagues understand that a party’s or a newspaper’s official position on a given issue is the position declared by its leaders. With Ulgini’s article, «ZP» replied on 14 April, as if it regretted that the DP not only had no reservations about the countryside, but had openly admitted that its program was not entirely clear at the outset and that its agitation work in the countryside left much to be desired. «ZP» replied on 14 April, at a time when incidents in which narrow-minded or provocative citizens clashed with peasants who had come down to the city to sell something had subsided, along with the initial irritation about the election results that had been observed here and there. «ZP»’s drumbeats about a «new national division» and «silent hostility» sound both belated and ominous. Its aim is to open a chasm between the DP and the countryside. But today’s peasant, among whom educated young people predominate, is no longer deceived by pompous phrases. He knows very well that «in the name of national interests» his land and livestock were taken from him, that he was dispossessed of everything and left as a hired hand on his own age-old land, which no party gave him and no party can give him, because it is his land. This violent underdeveloped. This is the harsh reality. The DP has made changing this reality its primary objective. There was a time when I loved «ZP». I loved it because I saw there the writings of some of the masters of our journalism, beginning with Javer Malo, Misto Treska, Dritëro Agolli and Vangjush Gambeti, followed by the writings of Spiro Dede, Mehmet Elezi, Xhevahir Spahiu and many others. Take a look at the list of those who today exploit things in «Zëri» so—

—as much as we can, rather than weave hymns to backwardness. For the DP, the only way to revive the countryside is privatization. It will happen one day, perhaps even under the communist government, and there is nothing surprising about that. Did Prime Minister Fatos Nano not embrace the DP’s idea of privatizing enterprises by distributing shares? One wonders whether some «ZP» scribbler, a fanatic in his Bolshevik convictions, will direct a «hey» at the prime minister, just as he did at the DP three months ago: Tell us openly, sir, are you for socialism or capitalism? But God forbid the prime minister should be asked that! The scribbler has no convictions. He has only the reflexes of submission to the «great ones» and the easygoing reflexes of a human being toward those who oppose the great ones. This scribbler and the newspaper he works for forget three columns about the «threats» supposedly made to it by telephone, but kept the solemn silence of the killers about those murdered in Tirana and Shkodra. This scribbler has the Bolshevik reflexes of «inventing the enemy», exactly as in Dino Buzzati’s novel «The Tartar Steppe», or, more plainly, exactly as in the «ZP» article of 14 April. All this pseudo-journalistic alchemy mainly produces material for smearing, for making a mess. And since things have come to this, dozens and dozens of petty hacks in «ZP» and local newspapers have suddenly sprung to life in recent days, in a feverish contest to see who can stand out most in fabrications, who can be more malicious than his comrade. exploit things in «Zëri» so—

WHAT COULD A DP MINISTER DO IN A COALITION GOVERNMENT WITH THE PPSH? The PPSH is increasingly often raising the demand for a coalition in governing the country. These demands come from its leaders and from the government, even before the echoes of the election campaign have died away and before people have recovered from the killings and wounding of Arben Broci and others. The PPSH, so resolute and such a «granite rock» until yesterday, has today made 180-degree turns as easy as anything, becoming a true ballerina. I would ask: why does the PPSH want a coalition, and with whom does it want one? The purpose of a coalition is quite clear and simple: a political party cannot form its own government because it cannot win a vote of confidence in parliament. A government opposed by parliament—that is, one whose every action and bill is rejected—would be destined to leave office. In such circumstances, the party is forced to form a coalition with one or more other parties; together they can secure a majority of votes and get the government’s actions approved by parliament. But there is no such need here today. The PPSH has a majority for the government it wants to form, so it does not need a coalition at all to administer or govern the country. It has a majority of votes in parliament, and it will have no difficulty getting any bill it introduces passed. The irony is that, on paper, the PPSH has both the stone and the nut. What does it need a coalition with the opposition for, then? Is it perhaps just for appearances before the world? Does the PPSH still have two faces, one for the world and one for us here? What is this unity it is trying to seek, when after so many clashes we have only just managed to become a pluralist country like the entire civilized world? Perhaps the most basic pluralist—and even democratic—concepts still do not function among the PPSH leaders. It seems we must explain to them that, nowadays, appeals to unity are out of date. A government cannot be a coalition of people or comrades who have everything in common except that they carry membership cards of different parties in their pockets. People belong to different parties because they have different ideas and intend to implement different ideas through different programs. In a program, there is only one issue. While we are in opposition to the PPSH, we are so in terms of ideas, not as people or individuals. Welcome, gentlemen; come, let us have coffee and talk together, but let us not make decisions together about the fate of this people, because on that point we differ. We see the future of the Albanian people completely differently from the way you see it. We see differently how this people can be lifted out of the mire. So it is absurd to form a government with the participation of people representing programs that are diametrically opposed. We are divided by completely opposed programs, first and foremost economic and social programs that you have spent much ink and paper attacking. Let us turn to the facts and then return to the logic of things. Imagine that a member of the government representing the Democratic Party proposed in parliament that aid be obtained to increase the protein share of the calories consumed by the Albanian people, and pointed out that our country manages to produce about 1000/1200 calories through agricultural production, while for the rest, for now, it is forced to rely on imports. The minister would propose that we obtain through free humanitarian aid for the people about half the calories—and especially the protein—needed to ensure a level close to the European average, in the form of milk, fats, meat, etc. Why would this proposal provoke the anger of its vanguard, the press? (To avoid any misunderstanding, it is well known that these days the PPSH’s vanguard is no longer the working class, which voted for the DP. Its vanguard is now purged and consists only of ZP and Albanian TV.) Let us continue with the next hypotheses. Suppose the minister representing the DP proposed privatization, parliamentarization— will it be used? This would be a text of … [the text continues beyond the edge of the image] GRAMOZ PASHKO (Continued on page 2)

COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE PD BRANCH — SHKODER — On 12.4.1991, under the chairmanship of Mr. A. Luarasi, Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, a meeting was held between representatives of the political parties in the Shkodër district. The Free Trade Unions, with the participation of Mr. Hajrredin Shyti, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs; Mr. Rrapi Mino, Prosecutor General; Mr. Qemal Lame, head of the General Investigation Department; Mr. Ferit Sulo, head of the investigative group, chaired by the Deputy Head of the General Investigation Department; and Mr. Kico Koci, Deputy Prosecutor General. Also attending were Ms. Terezina Marubi, Chair of the Executive Committee of the district People’s Council; Mr. Gëzim Potgorica, Director of Radio Shkodër; and correspondents from the press and RTV. The meeting discussed the tragic events of April 2. The head of the investigative group reported on the results of the investigation. His report made it clear that the group’s main aim was to uncover the organizers of the illegal peaceful gatherings and the organizers of participation in the burning of the Labour Party Committee, and, finally, the perpetrators of the killings, which he mentioned only once in his presentation. Although everyone already knows, and it has been acknowledged Around Ms. Terezina Marubi, Director of Radio Shkodër, Mr. Gëzim Potgorica, to uncover the organizers of the peaceful gatherings, knows, and it has been acknowledged in all the meetings with representatives of all the parties, that the events of April 2 began with the peaceful demonstration, with secondary-school students; around 300–400 students sat down in the square. Around them gathered a semicircle of kurshtarësh, approximately 200–300 people, according to eyewitnesses. Among them were also the Labour Party representatives at this meeting, Dashamir Din and Pasataj. Then the security forces advanced first and spoke with their hands… [partly illegible] Although this sequence of events was accepted as true by everyone… …children and students began to be pelted with stones. This was acknowledged by everyone. Meanwhile, nine young Albanians had been summoned by the police to the school to help disperse the people: a member of the Commission, leaders of the district PD branch, Arben Broci, activist Nazmi Krezya, member of the PD Steering Commission Fran-Q Gjergji, and activist Fatmir Berdica. When the square was almost empty, they were shot in the back from the Labour Party Committee building. (Continued on page 2) and Omonia as well. Thus, years in a row. But that time is over. Omonia’s deputies made it clear, with maturity, that they are not answerable to the political parties and that no one has the right to speak on their behalf. … At the invitation of the PD Steering Commission, our co-chairman, Dr. Idriz Basha, chairman of the organization «Bashkimi i shqiptarëve të lirë», based in Brussels, arrived in Tirana. He is accompanied by his wife, Kimete Basha, and Naki Zyheraj, a member of the steering committee of «Bashkimi i shqiptarëve të lirë». The day before yesterday, Dr. Idriz Basha was received at the PD headquarters. Dr. Sali Berisha spoke to him about the March 31 elections and the factors that led PD deputies not to attend the opening session of the new People’s Assembly. For his part, Dr. Idriz Basha welcomed the opposition’s partial victory, calling the establishment of a pluralist parliament in Albania a historic success. (Continued on page 5)

On April 18, 1991, the Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania will begin publishing the first issue of the newspaper «Sindikalisti».