The voting results were as follows: For the temporary president, 561 voters cast ballots; 547 ballots were deemed valid and 14 invalid. In the vote for the chairman of the Democratic Party, Professor Dr. Sali Berisha received 449 votes, Neritan Ceka 91, and Azem Hajdari 7. After the customary speech by Dr. Prof. Sali Berisha, the closing session of the First National Congress of the DP was held on the afternoon of September 29. Speaking on behalf of the temporary presidium, S. Berisha thanked the delegates and said that the results of the elections for the DP’s other bodies would be announced by Mr. Ferid Hafizi, chairman of the vote-counting commission. Then Mr. Berisha announced the composition of the DP’s presidency, elected at the first meeting of the newly elected Steering Committee. After being read, respectively, by Messrs. A. Imami and N. Ceka, and discussed for possible additions, the Final Resolution of the First DP Congress and the Resolution in Support of the Republic of Kosovo were adopted unanimously. At 3:10 p.m., after wishing them further success on the road to democracy, Mr. Azem Hajdari declared the proceedings of the First National Congress of the DP closed. The composition of the newly elected bodies of the DP is as follows: Presidency of the Democratic Party: 1. Sali Berisha - Chairman 2. Neritan Ceka - Deputy Chairman 3. Arben Imami - Deputy Chairman 4. Azem Hajdari - Deputy Chairman 5. Eduart Selami - Secretary 6. Aleksandër Meksi, 7. Rexhep Uka, 8. Mitro Çela, 9. Gene Ruli, 10. Gramoz Pashko, 11. Blerim Çela, 12. Prez Zogaj, 13. Merita Zaloshnja, 14. Ylli Vesiu, 15. Pjetër Arbnori, 16. Arben Demeti, 17. Leka Toto, 18. Bashkim Kopliku, 19. Ali Spahia,

- THE FIRST NATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE ALBANIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY CONCLUDED WITH COMPLETE SUCCESS -

Being elected Chairman of the DP by its First Great Congress is a vote of confidence that places upon me the responsibility—as a citizen, as an intellectual, and as Chairman of this Party—before you and before all the democratic forces of Albania. In our direct engagement with democracy, I, like you here, began to fight for what we had not fought for before; we all began to fight for the aspirations and ideals we had long cherished. At this solemn moment, I must tell you something profound from my heart. When I joined the student movement, when the DP was founded, even then I did not set out with my mind openly turned toward politics; I set out toward human democracy. I want to say from the outset that all of us comrades who have shared every hardship, and will continue to share them in the future, must serve our country and democracy, first and foremost by guarding against brutal repression and its dangerous actions. The DP’s historic merit in this struggle and effort will lie in the fact that on dozens and dozens of occasions it succeeded in averting bloodshed and preventing the establishment of a right-wing dictatorship. Our compatriots and the discussion of fair legislation, which recognized this as one of the party’s principal merits, [text unclear] the DP, as the principal party of the Albanian opposition, faces enormous difficulties. There is nothing harder than being in opposition in a country where the system of social relations is in a state of misery, where traffickers of every kind intersect their interests, where corruption is spreading rapidly, where the red form of power is being transformed by the political mafia into an economic mafia, where the law is profoundly distorted and exists only on paper and in the statutes; everything was a contradiction. Yet beyond all this, the heart of our common cause was not like that: Albania in democracy. Never has Albania had a more democratic public opinion than it has today; never has Albania been so engaged in this struggle, and this public opinion has never had the international ties it has today. Indeed, it is moving toward its natural, centuries-old alliances, toward the Western world, with which it shares a culture, an ancient heritage, and a common spirit. Despite the great achievements it has made during this period, the DP has—and will continue to have—a difficult road ahead. Albania has a deeply Enverist parliament; a Communist President remains in power, whose irony rests upon crime. Today this President tells the delegation of the Democratic League of Gjiuras of Albania: “I hear you, Sali Berisha, asked the Congress to take power.” On your behalf and on behalf of the DP, I want to remind him that the DP neither wants nor accepts his throne; the people will take it through democratic means. When we began this path, we did not set out for a seat of office, but toward unknown destinies, dangers, and difficulties. Our aim has been and remains to put the people in power, establish the rule of law and democracy in Albania, and not to install thrones that do not deserve to exist. We take the same position toward Parliament. The Albanian Parliament occupies its seats on the basis of fear. Those who used terror and intimidation to secure votes, I believe we all agree, do not deserve to be members of the People’s Assembly. This is the basis of our moral right, and of that of all democratic forces in Albania, to call for new, free elections in which the Albanian people, not under terror but with their free vote, can choose their representatives in Parliament. Ladies and gentlemen! The DP joined the Government of National Stability wholeheartedly, for reasons that are already known. But, to borrow an expression from Mr. Gramoz Pashko, the DP took the “kamikaze head-bangers” there; in other words, it did not pick and choose, but took those who could best help the people. The PS is trying every day to abuse our participation in government and portray the Government as the DP’s. On this occasion I want to warn the Socialists: if they think they can turn our share of power into a shield for themselves, they are gravely mistaken. Their calculations will not work out; we have been and will be a shield for the people, not for the Albanian crypto-Communists. Once again, I want to emphasize a particular point of importance to the DP. We must all strive to create a truly democratic party, because only if the DP is such a party can we make Albania democratic. In this regard, the fact that there has been suppression of opinion within the DP does not concern us. Throughout my participation in numerous meetings, I believe opinions and arguments have been freely expressed; currents have existed, exist, and will continue to exist, and I do not believe they will divide the DP. But there is one troubling matter we must all bear in mind. The DP will cease to be what it is if we here, and the hundreds of thousands who follow us, declare ourselves complete, perfect democrats. We would like to be, but we must be clear about the road ahead: it is still long. Therefore, we must fight every day to establish true democracy in Albania. Finally, I wish to express my profound thanks to all those who, with their votes, showed their confidence in me for the task entrusted to me. But I also want to thank those who voted against me, because in doing so they remind me, at least, that something is personally lacking in me. Secondly, we showed everyone that we do not repeat the Parliament’s voting practices, and that is democracy. Long live the First DP Congress. Long live Democracy! Long live the People!

of the First National Congress of the DP The First Congress of the DP, marking the full structuring of the DP and recognizing that it represents a decisive force for resolving the urgent problems facing the nation, together with the responsibility arising from this; recognizing that, although it has a program, a new stage in political, social, and economic life lies ahead before democracy can fully triumph and the nation’s democratic aspirations can become reality, declares that: It is essential for the DP to assert itself by expanding and increasing its membership, through its members’ political engagement in every sphere of life, and through the quality of the individuals and ideas they represent. The DP must represent the democratic alternative, not revenge. It must be open to individuals, ideas, and competition in keeping with its program. It must work on the basis of internal democracy, as a model for the functioning of the future state. Alongside establishing democracy in our state, the DP considers the national question a fundamental issue of its policy. It recognizes, supports, and will fight for the just and legitimate demands of the Albanian people living in their own lands outside the borders of the Republic of Albania. The DP will create the conditions for cooperation on the national question among Albanian political parties inside and outside the Albanian state. The DP will vigorously use its influence in the People’s Assembly and in the government to ensure the full commitment of the Albanian state to the Albanian cause. The DP Congress supports legislative, institutional, economic, and cultural reform as the foundations for building the future democratic state. The Congress declares that: The swiftest possible transformation of the old monist regime is essential through— (Continued on page 6)

At this time, when Albanian society stands on the threshold of fundamental changes and the Albanian people as a whole face historic tasks and duties, the First Congress of the DP of Albania is an important national event that strengthens our hope and confidence. Today the very name of the DP is greatly revered and carries great weight. I therefore hope that the social mission of the DP of Albania will be to uphold the high ideals, values, and principles inseparable from democracy; the grandeur of social visions; the breadth of political and cultural horizons; and the courage of creative thought. I therefore hope that the historic mission of the DP of Albania will be to create the national, democratic, and social consciousness essential for the era we are entering; the spiritual, moral, and civilizational rebirth of the Albanian people; the unity of Albanian spiritual space; and a strategy for uniting the Albanian people and their lands. Albania will be strong if it is developed and prosperous; Albania will be even stronger if Albanians love one another as brothers; Albania will be invincible if it is an Albania of a united Albanian people. Dear brothers, I hope that the DP of Albania will tirelessly strive for such an Albania. REXHEP QOSJA

The First Congress of the DP of Albania, expressing the will of the party’s members and supporters and of all patriotic and democratic citizens in Albania, and at the same time recognizing the great event of historic importance for the entire Albanian nation—the decision of the Kosovo Assembly to proclaim the Republic of Kosovo sovereign and independent and to organize a popular referendum on this decision—[text unclear]. The Congress of the Democratic Party declares that this long-awaited act of the Kosovo Assembly is entirely just, is based on the right of peoples to self-determination, and accords with contemporary norms and practice in international law and relations. Albanians in Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Southern Serbia are an indigenous population inhabiting their own lands since the most ancient times. They form a nation of their own within the multinational Yugoslav state and have the right to effectively enjoy the same rights as all other nations. It is the undeniable and legitimate right of the Albanian nation in the Republic of Kosovo, in accordance with its freedom-loving and democratic aspirations and the new situation created by the dissolution of the then Yugoslav Federation, to have and proclaim its own independent and sovereign state, to decide by its own will, and to make the choice that will be best for it in the future, depending on how relations are restructured among the independent state entities emerging from the dissolution of the Yugoslav Federation. The National Congress of the DP considers— (Continued on page 6)

A group of Democratic Party members of parliament, consisting of the following gentlemen: Gene Ruli, Gramoz Pashko, Tedor Keko, Neritan Ceka, Mitro Çela, Albert Karriqi, Ylli Vesiu, Arben Imami, Maksim Konomi, Besnik Mustafa, and ten other members of parliament, at the initiative of their representative, Azem Hajdari, declare: Recognizing the grave condition of the roots of freedom—the violence and politics—and recognizing this difficult state of the country’s public finances; conscious that they urgently need initial material assistance from the total funds due to them, and all of us feeling ourselves also to blame because through our silence we were, above all, allowing the Communist dictators to influence their [text unclear] monstrous [text unclear], we have decided that all social groups and the government, together with everyone there, should help those who are left without fault, without bread, without shelter, and abandoned. By means of this modest gesture, we are not showing pity, but repentance. With this gesture we aim to establish a National Fund to help the Albanian people assist former political convicts and prisoners. We declare that our action will be followed by our families, relatives and friends, our electorate, and the whole Albanian people, each helping as much as they can. This is a modest voluntary contribution; at the same time, we will call on our compatriot brothers throughout the world and on international charitable organizations to take part in this Fund. Also, through this appeal we urge everyone to raise awareness among Albanian public opinion by bringing media attention to the difficult circumstances of these former convicts, who today are without work, without bread, without shelter, and abandoned. AZEM HAJDARI

LET US THINK MORE ABOUT TOMORROW The second session on the first day and the first session on the second day of this First National Congress of the DP were followed with great interest not only by delegates and guests, and by the country’s other democratic forces, but also by our opponents. These were to be sessions of discussion and debate, in which shortcomings, mistakes, weaknesses, and those responsible for them would be openly criticized, without sparing anyone, including the Steering Committee, at its second meeting at the venue. These sessions were necessary, useful, and constructive for us. But our opponents—the crypto-Communists, old and new, and the dynasties of the apparatchiks seeking to revive their reign and survive—anticipated the fruits of their slanderous campaign, aimed at degrading Mr. Sali Berisha and the party in general, and at causing its deep division, which would have meant its own condemnation and the division of the democratic alliance. But our Congress did not grant them their great wish; it continued as it had begun, as a Congress of freedom, free thought, and healthy, transparent debate. The second session on the first day was chaired by Mr. Prec Zogaj. The first to speak about Enver Hoxha was the person mentioned by Mr. Sali Berisha on behalf of the DP Steering Committee: Mr. Gramoz Pashko, Deputy Secretary of the Council of Ministers and Minister of the Economy, one of the founders and most prominent leaders of the DP, until he was relieved of his high state duties; one of the [text unclear] now ranked among those who, through their democratic culture, were innocent victims of the Enverian dictatorship. The poet Zhaneta Ogranja, who was on hunger strike along with several wives of former prisoners in one of the lower halls of the Palace of Culture, had sent him a poem, which Mr. Pjetër read to the congress participants with great emotion. Then he addressed several problems and tasks involved in strengthening the DP and improving the quality of its work, so that it would be better prepared to face the great challenges of today and tomorrow, and to withstand the intensive propaganda of the PS and its other, new allies, which sought to cause people to lose faith in the DP. “Now,” he emphasized, “we are in a new, calmer phase, in which (Continued on page 2)