The decision of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, which defines it as a sovereign and independent state, is a consequence of logic, of the heart, of justice, of the superhuman sacrifices made by a people, and of its past, present and future. This decision was taken at the right time, with courage and wisdom, with a great sense of responsibility for the nation’s destiny, for history, and for those who were burned, killed and slaughtered, sold and betrayed, massacred and annihilated. Kosovo—our body, Kosovo—our blood, the cradle of Albanianism—was the first of the Albanian regions to feel the merciless pain of the foreign knife that ominously cut off parts of it to satisfy the hunger of Wolf-Serbia. Kosovo the martyr, ablaze, was the one that rose up in its entirety, with its brave men, men, women, elders and children, in the magnificent uprising for Albania’s independence from centuries of Ottoman rule. We find Albanian heroism, mass participation, epic spirit and determination at this high point of history more fully revealed than ever and anywhere during these lands of noble men and women, who know how to face death with the joy of a birth. Kosovo became the honor and glory of the nation. For this courage, it was once again sacrificed on its altar. Albania gained independence; Kosovo fell into an even harsher and more brutal captivity. In its lands, the treacherous Serb, the most monstrous violator of Albanian blood and sacredness, the black dragon of Belgrade, took the place of the Ottomans; he devastated and shrouded entire regions in smoke, brought Albanian children out of the wombs of Kosovar mothers at the bayonets of his soldiers, and made them [?] before the devil himself to wipe out the Albanian seed— (Continued on page 8)

Dear participants, Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to the first Congress of Albanian Democrats, and wish you fruitful work at the Congress of free speech. This is the Congress of the Albanians’ ongoing efforts; it is the Congress of the thousands of victims of dictatorship; it is the Congress of the hope and ideal that survived. This is the Congress of the students and December; it is the Congress of the martyrs of democracy in Albania, in whose memory I invite you to observe a minute of silence. May their memory live forever! Dear brothers and sisters! As if our nation’s tragic fate and past were not enough, we added 50 years of communist occupation, among the most cruel and absurd we had known. The least necessary, yet also heaviest, mistake of this century—we must say that at least its end in Romanian-style bloodshed, which hung over us like a fatality, was prevented—is a credit to the democratic spirit of our people, in which the Democratic Party undoubtedly has a special place. The democratic movement in Albania is founded on the interests of our nation; it is guided by the idea of progress and of its union with civilized Europe, relying on the brilliant harmony of the Helsinki Act. On this newly begun, long and difficult road to building full democracy, while acknowledging the dire situation in which we find ourselves, we are convinced that Albania has, at last, its destiny in its own hands. Ladies and gentlemen! The first Congress of the Democratic Party is the highest point of its self-organization and its most important new achievement in the process of transforming the democratic movement into a modern organizational structure, essential to its progress. The Congress will crown the internal structuring of the Democratic Party in a form that supports and protects the new democracy at home, where every member’s freedom to express their views is the basis of every organization, and where free speech is affirmed as the foundation of democracy. I wish the first Congress of Democrats fruitful work for the good of democracy and for the good of Albania.

FIRST NATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TIRANA, 22–29 SEPTEMBER 1991

On Friday, 27 September, at 8 o’clock, the First Congress of the DP began its proceedings in the hall of the Opera and Ballet Theatre, amid great enthusiasm among the delegates and guests. This great event had long been part of our conversations and was eagerly anticipated, because it was to be the First National Congress of the first and largest opposition party in Albania—the party that opened the era of pluralism and genuine democracy, put an end to political monism, and dispelled the 46-year fear of Enverist dictatorship among free people; but in reality, it took that freedom away from them, promised them dignity and social justice but gave them brutal oppression, depersonalization, duplicity and disinfection, promised them prosperity but gave them poverty, misery and ration cards. The democratic revolution in Albania, which began somewhat late, is an inseparable part of the democratic revolution in Eastern Europe, developing along approximately the same paths and toward the same goals. The history of this revolution is inextricably and definitively linked to the DP, its founding and its activity. The founding of the DP by a group of students, intellectuals and workers on 11 December will remain one of the most important dates in Albania’s and the Albanian nation’s history. Its founding was the result of the action of a number of external and internal factors, the most important of which are: 1. The Helsinki spirit. The signing of this historic act helped the wind of democracy begin to penetrate more easily into the communist empire and giant. In a number of Eastern countries, such as Czechoslovakia, Poland and the GDR, a degree of economic pluralism and movements for human rights began to emerge. The Helsinki Parliament is gradually taking shape as an international political bible. These became a series of actions against the totalitarian socialist system. Their influence was felt in Albania, albeit later and more faintly. It is no coincidence that the Helsinki document served as the basis for the DP’s program. 2. The Gorbachev factor had a positive influence on democratic developments in Albania too, although the PPSH was the only party which, together with Colonel Gadaf, remained silent in opposition to him. The Helsinki spirit and the Gorbachev factor imposed openness on communism, which became its gateway to the grave. It is a historical fact that this system melted away as soon as it emerged into the sunlight. This was no accident. From the outset it had lost its legitimacy and did not deserve to exist. 3. The democratic revolution in the countries of Eastern Europe. Our democratic revolution is undoubtedly an inseparable part of the East European revolution and follows approximately the same paths and goals; that is, it aims to uproot communism from Albania and establish a new democratic order here. Developments in these countries, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the fall of the Iron Curtain and the fall of the dictator Çaushesku deeply shook the Albanian communist red fortress, headed by Ramiz Alia. 4. A special role was undoubtedly also played by the Albanian-language broadcasts of the “Voice of America,” and its analyses and commentaries on the situation in Albania and Europe, which were followed with great interest. These were major external factors that influenced the founding of the DP in Albania and the Albanian democratic revolution. I want to emphasize that, despite the importance of these factors, the DP would not have been founded in Albania and the democratic revolution would not have unfolded without a number of internal factors, which were undoubtedly decisive. The foundational factors are the conditions of an isolated country, without the presence of any voice from abroad. Among the key internal factors were the existence of a persecuted opposition and the brutal regime of Enver Hoxha, with its categorical intolerance toward every democratic dissenter. The hopes of the Albanians, perhaps among the most unacceptable and severe, and those of the people who were part of the country’s history. As if the tragic fate of our nation were not enough, we added to it 50 years of communist occupation, among the most ruthless and absurd we had known. The most unnecessary, yet also heaviest, mistake of this century must be said to have at least had a dignified ending, which gives great hope for the future. Compared with the problems and difficulties, the results achieved by the democratic revolution in Albania rank among democratic records. Rarely in their history have Albanians shown themselves as measured and as successful in politics as they have now. And this is to the credit of all Albanians. The swift transition from totalitarianism, one of the most brutal and underdeveloped in Europe, in less than a year, without (Photo: DRITAN KABA)

Report of the DP Governing Commission, delivered by its chairman, Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha Ladies and gentlemen! Esteemed delegates and guests of this Congress! Today is a momentous day for the DP, because its first great Congress has begun its work. At this Congress, the DP marks an entire stage in its organization and consolidation and further strengthens the foundations and progress of democracy in Albania. Our Congress is a welcome event not only for members and supporters of the DP, but for all people whose hearts burn for freedom and democracy in Albania, for the prosperity and progress of the people and country that has suffered like no other in Europe during this half-century under the most brutal and darkest communist tyranny, which Enver Hoxha and the PP kept standing through blood, violence, terror, deception and economic ruin, and the moral and spiritual destruction of Albanians. This Congress is also welcomed by all democratic forces in Europe and around the world, which have been so close to us during this difficult and historic period Albania is going through. After 10 PPSH congresses, which with noise and fanfare and the deafening din of deceptive words made the country’s situation worse and worse, a party congress is meeting on Albanian soil for the first time, to serve the struggle for democracy, progress, unity, national reconciliation, the unification of our compatriots who have been separated, and the union of Albanians in a united and civilized Europe. We are gathering for a party congress, but one founded on national principles and spirit, not on an imported ideology unsuited to the Albanian people; we are holding a party congress not merely for the party, but for all our people and our entire nation. We want our first Congress to renew the ancient, wonderful and historically unblemished tradition of genuine Albanian statehood. The democratic revolution, democratic revolution in Eastern Europe. taking shape as an international political bible. Albanian-language broadcasts of the “Voice of America.” an international political bible. Albanian-language broadcasts of the “Voice of America.” democratic dissenter.

The Albanian people, all of Europe, are experiencing one of the most dramatic periods of change of the ages. The democratic revolution in Eastern Europe began at the end of December and, growing stronger, shook the red kingdoms and the anti-people communist dictatorships. This democratic revolution, generally peaceful, has as its principal historic mission the burial of the totalitarian socialist system, which, like a black magma, covered an endless expanse stretching from the Ocean of Corfu to the homeland of Berlin, and from the Balkan Peninsula to Indochina. The democratic revolution in Eastern Europe aims at the definitive destruction of communist ideology, which, in practice, is no longer being upheld; for Albanians, it was an anti-Bolshevik ideology and practice. Socialism promised people freedom, but in reality took it away; it promised them dignity and social justice and gave them brutal oppression, depersonalization, duplicity and disinfection; it promised prosperity and in Albania, which began somewhat later, definitively linked to the PD, its founding and its activity. The founding of the PD by a group of students, intellectuals and workers on December 11 history and that of the Albanian nation. Its founding was the result of a range are: 1. The spirit of Helsinki. democracy begin to penetrate the communist empire and giant more easily. and the GDR, a certain to emerge. The Helsinki Parliament is gradually taking on the form of an international political bible. developments in Albania as well, although the PPSH was the only party that, together with Colonel Gaddafi, remained silent in opposition to him. The spirit of Helsinki the gateway to its away as soon as it came out into the sunlight. This was by no means accidental. the same paths and pursues the same goals; that is, it seeks order here. Developments in these countries—the Curtain and the fall of dictator Ceaușescu—deeply Albanian-language broadcasts of “Voice of America,” and by the analyses and commentary the founding of the PD stress that, despite the importance of these factors, the PD revolution would not have developed without a range of internal factors, which were undoubtedly decisive. The founders were shaped by the conditions of an isolated country, with no voice from outside present. Among the principal toward any democratic individual opposed to it. The hopes of Albanians, perhaps among the most unaccepted and most severely burdened of those who were part of the historic country. 1. broadcasts of “Voice of America.” the PD outside present. Among the principal toward any democratic individual opposed to it. (Continued on page 2)