The media also reported a heinous political criminal assassination attempt near Fushë-Krujë. While travelling from Tirana to Krujë, the well-known American of Albanian origin, head of the Albanian section of the “Voice of America,” Dr. Elez Biberaj, together with his wife and the well-known journalists Hamet Elezi and Qemal Sakajeva, were subjected to terrorist attempts aimed at physically eliminating them. The vehicle in which they were travelling was hit and forced to roll over by two unidentified people driving a car without a license plate. This heinous act was neither an amateurish undertaking nor an accident. The circumstances in which it was carried out clearly attest to this: the expertly chosen location, which made it easier for the perpetrators to disappear without a trace in several possible directions; their persistence in the shameful mission entrusted to them; the coolness with which they watched the outcome of the crime; and their departure only after they were sure of its “successful” conclusion. The police arriving at the scene only three and a half hours later is another indication of an undertaking planned with clear aims and objectives, which certain forces in the highest echelons of power have an interest in concealing. The target of the crime reveals its charac- [Column continues] ...ter. But this is not done in the open. A powerful force has paralysed the work of the law-enforcement bodies in this area too: a state within the state, a fortress of massacre and national genocide that still imposes its law above the law—the State Security service—and even a hand-picked guard whose reins, unfortunately, continue to be held as the last guarantee by the former members of the Bloc and the renewed monists. It is not the Albanian custom to betray a guest’s trust, to lay an ambush for him and attack him. A guest has been as safe in an Albanian’s trust as in God’s. The saying “An Albanian would slaughter even his son for a guest” is proverbial. But the faithless people who destroyed the homeland and the people of our land, and sold their souls to the demon Communism, have been and are worthy of nothing but demonic acts, just like their entire regime and their very nature. Albanian history records only one similar case, strangely enough in this same region. During King Zog’s regime, an American was killed in Mamurras. Various theories have been put forward about that killing. Various theories may also be put forward now. But regardless of them, and of any possible alibis, one thing will remain indisputable: the direct or indirect authorship, through infiltrated agents, of the State Security service in the attempt to murder this patriot, Biberaj, and his wife. In their desperation, they seek to wreck the highway that is opening up for the Albanian people. The crypto-communists entrenched in the State Security bodies are trying to sow doubt and insecurity inside and outside the country, to isolate Albania once again from the world and its true friends, so that they can more easily return to the kingdom of crime, injustice and absolute arbitrariness. The tragic event near Fushë-Krujë, following the monstrous killings of our children and young men in Tirana, Shkodër, Durrës, Kavajë and elsewhere, proves that the monist power-holders have not laid down their arms; like every reactionary force in history, they cannot accept their miserable fate and cannot relinquish their vulnerability to losing power or leave the political stage as its dominators. Their rebranding calls to mind the fable of the wolf who, in order to wreak havoc among a herd of horses, tried to wear their skin. But they are calculating wrongly. Our people, whom they treated like a flock of livestock, are an intelligent people, able to distinguish fable from tragic reality. They cannot help but remain vigilant and resolute on their path toward the final victory of democracy in Albania, the burial of communism and of its dear enemies, the State Security service. In Albania, no one can play with burned-out cards anymore. [The upper part of the text is cut off.] The police’s arrival at the scene only after three and a half hours is another element that points to a planned operation highest spheres of power have an interest in concealing. The object of the crime reveals its political nature. The fact that the vehicle they used had no license plate cannot hide this truth. Only in Albanian territory have vehicles without license plates been circulating for several months. The competent authorities are not concerned about this phenomenon. Why? Because it serves someone’s purposes: theft, murder, countless acts of depravity, political and ordinary prostitution, insecurity, and anarchy. It cannot be believed that our state is so powerless that it is unable to stop the circulation of … Various theories have been put forward about this murder. Various versions … vigilant and steadfast on its path toward the final victory of democracy in Albania, toward the burial of communism and its beloved weapon, the State Security service. No one can play with burned-out cards in Albania anymore. BASHKIM TRENOVA Editorial note While we had sent the above article to press, we learned that the car and the driver who caused the “accident” had finally been apprehended. Let us hope this is so; let us hope this is not a case of a Van der Lube; let us hope the investigative authorities will act honestly and swiftly to bring the truth about this criminal political assassination attempt to light?

The student movement, from its beginnings in December 1990, led to the overthrow of a monist system and gave birth to the first opposition force, the PD. Among other things, it put forward a series of economic demands. Meeting them was linked to improving, even modestly, living and study conditions both in the dormitories and at the university. The students forcefully presented their economic demands to the government again in February 1991. The university would be closed. The justification: “Abnormal living and study conditions.” Naturally, the real reason was concealed and was entirely different. Likewise, the university and indeed all Albanian schools would not be allowed to open their doors on 1 September. At last, the autumn term began. Little has changed in the student city. Somewhere at the entrance to the little town, above the boiler house, an inverted five-pointed star... For two days now, workers have been burning the fallen branches at the roadside. The buildings still have not been painted. The boilers are not working; the cinema club and the buildings have no windowpanes, not to mention the condition of the canteens and other service facilities. The students, of course, expected nothing from the PPSH, nor could they have. It kept the university closed and forced thousands of students to flee along the roads of the world. But the Albanian opposition, which gave voice to the democratic spirit of our people, managed to enter the political arena and take part in government. Although powerless in government and facing a profound, total crisis in the country, it should have done more for the students. During the days of the student movement, government officials, politicians and ministers never stopped promising substantial funding, better food, the establishment of cinema clubs, and so on. But unfortunately, at the beginning of this term, we feel profoundly disappointed. As far as their economic demands are concerned, the students achieved nothing through their movement. Nothing. On the contrary, the scholarship allowance has been increased. Newly graduated students wander in vain from office to office at the employment committees; they are not even included in social assistance. This year there have been even fewer places for further study. The closure of the university, this shameful act by the party in power, had serious consequences. A bunch of Enverist lecturers, despite Mr. Nano’s “struggles” for a measure of tolerance, took the opportunity to leave students facing the next term with three or four, and even five, subjects to sit. The students rightly demand the opportunity to take their autumn examinations; otherwise, as they say, they will use every means of democratic struggle. It is truly astonishing how today’s “spineless” government officials still mutter about postponing classes. No, gentlemen, you can no longer get away with this! Even during the Turkish occupation, Albanians managed to open their schools. The students are now extremely determined and united. They accuse the former Çarçani government of deception, Mr. Nano’s government of closing the University, and today’s government of stability of neglecting the student question. The reality is painful and profoundly disappointing. What should we do? Our eyes have now begun to ask the question. WE ACCUSE YOU! Enough of empty promises! Enough of deception! The students accuse the former and current governments. ARBEN LIKA BARDHYL UKCAMA

(For the information of Mr. Hamdi Jupe in “ZP”) In a short article of mine published some time ago in RD under the title “Power-holders who were released from office find jobs in Tirana,” we reported that former leaders of the PP-(S) and of the district executive committees, whom the newly begun pluralism forced to leave their unmandated posts, are being brought together and employed in Tirana. Very soon, the newspaper ZP, which specializes in deliberate deceptions, took up the cause of the sinners in its own party and raised the issue through the “vulgar proser” H. Jupe, according to whom our article supposedly hinted that they should be left without jobs. Jupe did not respond to the actual substance of the article—that is, to the fact that Enverist methods were being used to preserve the party’s loyal cadres, who were being brought from the districts to the capital when they could very well have been employed in the districts where they had been working. By giving the example of Petraq Kalemi, the former chairman of the Krujë executive committee, who left Krujë in dire straits after turning that district into his own property and came to settle into the seed directorate in Tirana, we merely thought we could help prevent further wrongful actions. But, as the people say, “The wolf changes its fur, but not its habits”; the PP(S) continues to pursue its “personnel policy,” a thoroughly notorious policy, which is known to... (Continued on page 2) ...a second service center is being equipped, where the battalion of the “Akui” brigade will operate. From Italy, 100,000 tons of wheat, several tons of oil, rice, sugar, etc. are ready to arrive.

From the ferry “Gjiri i Durrësit,” on the morning of 17 September, 250 members of the eighth logistics battalion “Karso,” around ten specialist doctors and nurses, and more than 20 transport vehicles disembarked at the Port of Durrës under the command of Antonio Kuintana... From the ferry “Gjiri i Durrësit,” on the morning of 17 September, 250 members of the eighth logistics battalion “Karso,” around ten specialist doctors and nurses, and more than 20 transport vehicles disembarked at the Port of Durrës under the command of Antonio Kuintana. In the afternoon, another 20 vehicles and 200 more soldiers arrived aboard the other ferry, “Pallatio Venetia.” The contingent, whose official name is “Italfor Pelikano,” was stationed at the logistics center four kilometers from the port, in the summer camp for pioneers. Meanwhile, a second distribution center is being set up in Vlorë, sugar, etc. are ready to arrive.

In the article “Problems on the Road to Resolution,” published in “Zëri i Popullit” on 17.9.1991, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health provides clarifications concerning the fulfilment of the material-supply requests of the “Frederik Shiroka” Surgical Hospital. As stated in the article, a response was given to the pioneer of the B.S.P. and the trade union was informed about the prospects for resolving the problems. Despite the disagreements we had in the discussions held at the ministry and at the hospital directorate, the Ministry’s spokesperson presents to the wider public figures for the fulfilment of the requests in aggregate, as well as prospects for further development through humanitarian aid. Describing this article as disinformation being presented to the public and shifting the problem to the underlying facts, I am obliged to provide some clarifications concerning these issues. At the end of every year, the hospital directorate submits to the Ministry of Health a studied and detailed plan of its material-supply requirements for the following year. At the Ministry of Health, these requests are reviewed by the person [unclear text] once a year, to be referred to as follows. For 1991, our request for material supplies was for 10,000 units. To date, we have been supplied with only 1,730 units. That is what it means to work in surgery and have nothing with which to operate on patients. We have been forced to use the type of scalpel we used here 20 years ago. After the incision, surgery involves repairing the organ and the surgical wound, which is done by stitching them. (We are not talking here about automatic suturing, because that is a luxury in our surgery.) Suturing is done with various types of suture material, so we submit requests for different assortments of this material. Thus, we requested 8,000 units of catgut 000 for the year. The plan was approved by the Ministry for 6,000 and then reduced to 4,800. The annual supply delivered was zero. The request for catgut 00 was also for 8,000 units; it was approved for 6,000 and reduced to 4,800. So far we have received only 820 units. The request for catgut 0 was for 10,000 units. It was approved for 6,000, reduced to 4,800, and only 850 units were supplied. The request for catgut No. 1 to 4,800, and we have received 1,860 units. The annual request for catgut No. 2 was for 8,000 units; it was approved for 6,000, and we have received scalpel we used here 20 years ago. As we understand from the newspaper article, we were informed that supplies had exceeded the plan, as the article says, but that was catgut, and this is true—poor thing, but only catgut No. 3. As a specialist, I say unequivocally that this material is not suitable for widespread use in surgery. Another suture material used in surgery is silk. Our annual request for 22 kg was reduced to 18 kg, and so far we have received only 8 kg. This supply too was of a grade that is not widely used in surgery. One consequence of using unsuitable material has been infection of surgical wounds, which has necessarily, among other things, required greater use of antibiotics. In the article, apparently written for sensation, a figure is given for the supply of ampicillin tablets, allegedly 7.5 times our request. For your information, I should clarify that oral antibiotics (taken by mouth) are used very little in hospital surgery. Gentlemen of the department: with the materials you have in surplus, it would be better to supply the pharmacies in the cities and villages, and assess the supply plan more carefully for 2,890 units. Finally, from the newspaper article we learned that supplies had exceeded the plan, as the article states, only catgut No. 3. (Continued on page 5)

SEPTEMBER 27–28: NATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY On Friday at 8:00, the Democratic Party Conference for Tirana began its proceedings. Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha attended on behalf of the DP Steering Committee. The opening speech was delivered by Merita Shkupi, secretary of the steering committee of this branch. Then Prof. Dr. Ylli Vejsiu presented the report on the activities of this branch from its founding until now. At the outset, he highlighted the path it had covered, its achievements and weaknesses, as well as the experience gained in dismantling and publicizing the DP’s political and economic program. The Tirana branch—continued the report—alongside multiplying its ranks, establishing new sections and building up its presence in the countryside, has also set itself the task of improving the quality of its membership, attracting as many intellectuals as possible, activating those who made a major contribution during the election campaign for the March 31 elections, and securing greater involvement from former political prisoners, etc. Two important initiatives have been organized to achieve these objectives. The first is the creation of party groups comprising intellectuals from various fields, such as economics, education, sports, urban planning, geology, agriculture, etc. The second initiative concerns the full engagement of the DP branch in nominating and electing its cadres to the district’s pluralist executive committee, those of the regions, and the people’s councils. The report went on to provide an in-depth analysis of the economic and political situation in the district of Tirana and to highlight the tasks facing the branch in this sector in order to address it successfully. In this context, the establishment and successful culmination of civic political activity are of particular importance. The report devoted considerable space to contributions, problems, and tasks in the organization of the branch and its sections. On March 31, 80 sections had been established in the countryside; there are now 137. Today the Tirana DP branch has 11,000 members, of whom 3,000 are in the countryside. Intellectuals account for 15 percent of the branch’s total membership. Taking into account the fact that, of the 9 parliamentary candidates put forward in the March 31 elections, only two won, the rural committee was reorganized. It now has 40 members and has been strengthened with 11 sections, each headed by a member of the steering committee, a deputy, or a well-known specialist. Mr. Shaban Memia and Pellumb Malaj were commended for their dedicated work and good experience in the organizational and ideological-political fields. Both in the report and in … (Continued on page 4) Photo: DRITAN KABA

27–28 SEPTEMBER NATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY