NEXHMIJE IS BEING PURSUED FROM OLIMPI [?] At last, Mrs. Nexhmije Hoxha was arrested. It was the last time she arrived accompanied by a car and, following an attack by a General Investigation Office, she was immediately informed of the arrest warrant signed by the Prosecutor General and the Head of the General Investigation Office. Together with her, former Vice-Chairman of the People’s Assembly Rita Marko was also arrested. They say that the Queen Mother had not agreed with the arrest. She refused to sign the arrest warrant; in fact, she submitted her objections in writing and attached them to the investigative file. They also say she was greatly concerned that she not be sent to prison, but instead placed under house arrest; unfortunately, her wish was not granted. Although she lived with her royal husband in a dictator’s house, she had asked for very lenient laws and spent her prison days in her villa. People who were nearby when she was arrested said Nexhmije had asked to return home once, but apparently the law did not allow this [?]. This time her car and driver brought her to the General Investigation Office and returned empty. DYLBËR HOXHA

DECLARATION BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY Ladies and gentlemen! Today will be marked as the day on which the communist power-holders, through abuse, intolerance and disregard for the law, forced the DP to leave the Government of National Stability. The DP once again explains to Albanian and international democratic public opinion that it was not passion for power that led it toward the Government of Stability, but the great troubles, suffering and hardships inflicted on our people by the brutal half-century dictatorship. We entered the Government of National Stability at a time when the one-party regime had brought the country to the edge of the abyss, on the brink of destruction and disintegration. We entered the government during the general and historic strike of Albania’s workers, when the communist power-holders wanted to provoke social confrontations, even fratricidal clashes; at a time when the world had shut its doors to the Albanian communist government, and our children, elderly people, women and men were threatened by hunger, misery and poverty. For this reason, the DP, always guided by national principles, undertook to participate in the Government of Stability, which it strongly supported both domestically and internationally. It is an undeniable fact that the DP’s presence in this government brought Albania out of self-isolation and self-neglect and enabled the Government of Stability to achieve undeniable successes in foreign affairs. Albania was admitted to the CSCE, the IMF, the World Bank and the Bank of London, and gained the support of the Group of 24 and the Common Market. For all this, today we leave the government with our heads held high, because, even if during this period of cooperation in the Government of Stability ... [?] we have been criticized, we believe that Albania gained and benefited considerably from our presence in the government. I am convinced that our people will appreciate and remember this. Our active participation, our civic commitment and our effectiveness in advancing democratic reforms and building democratic institutions in our country ... [?] ... the red communist mafia, or when it proves that the former high-ranking officials have abused millions and millions of lek, the law remains silent, showing ordinary Albanian citizens that the former high-ranking officials have been and continue to be first-class citizens who do not recognize the law but make it up themselves. For all these reasons, and also because on 31 March the Communists won illegally, through pressure, fear and terror, the DP, as the only democratic alternative for bringing the country out of this deep political winter, called for free elections. On the basis of extensive analyses and discussions, the DP called from the beginning of November for general elections to be held within 1991. To this end, with tolerance, understanding and composure, it initiated dialogue with the country’s main political forces, as well as with the Government of National Stability and the Presidium of the People’s Assembly. Throughout November, it held numerous rounds of talks with all the interested parties. At the request and insistence of some of them, and so as not to interfere with the autumn harvest, the DP agreed to extend the requested election deadline from December to the end of February. It also committed itself to a calm, free, dignified and shorter election campaign. It further called on the communist power-holders to respect the laws: the one on the depoliticization of Radio and Television, the reopening of the Shkodër trial, and the arrest of the former high-ranking officials. Last week, it noted with satisfaction that the Government of National Stability agreed with the DP’s demands, considered them fair, deemed elections within the three-month period possible and necessary, and considered the other demands entirely legitimate. The DP sought to find the same flexibility and reasonableness among the other forces, but, as expected, it encountered the deceit and intolerance of the communist power-holders, who insisted on protecting the former high-ranking officials and delaying as long as possible the truth about the Shkodër massacre. The leadership of the SP and the President chose the path of overthrowing [?] their delaying tactics as long as possible the truth about the massacre in Shkodër. The leadership of the SP and the President chose to bring down the Government of National Stability and protect the red mega-thieves, clearly showing that they want to obstruct democratic reforms in Albania. Thus, although the issue of Radio and Television finally seemed to be moving toward a solution, the former high-ranking officials accused of abuse continue to live comfortably in their villas. Deeply outraged by the fact that the General Investigation Office has issued arrest warrants for some of them on the basis of indisputable evidence, repeatedly, yet in reality no arrests have taken place, we see clear proof that in Albania, alongside the legal authority, there is also a second, secret power operating in the dark, governing the country by its own laws. They are not concerned with the people’s hardships and misery, but want at all costs to preserve their ill-gotten power. Under these circumstances, the DP, relying on the declaration of the National Council dated 26 November, decided to withdraw from the Government of National Stability. With this act, imposed by the SP’s intolerance, it is convinced that remaining in power would not only fail to serve democracy but, on the contrary, would be exploited to disguise the strengthening of the foundations of a neocommunist regime, which would be cancerous to the Albanian nation. It also leaves the Government of Stability determined, as a true opposition, to continue its struggle and efforts by all legal means to establish democracy in Albania. On this occasion, the DP expresses its unwavering appreciation to its ministers for their fruitful work for the benefit of the country and the people during their time in the Government of National Stability. The DP also expresses its appreciation for the extensive work of the other opposition ministers and those of the SP, who clearly demonstrated their steadfast commitment to reform. Together, we are reform-minded intellectuals, and the democratic forces will long remember their work. It considers that the failure of the Government of National Stability is in no way their personal failure; this group of reformist intellectuals was obstructed on the path toward reform, but naturally this will not succeed in obstructing democracy. Thus, the DP is convinced that in the future these intellectuals will be able to demonstrate their values and abilities in building a democratic Albania, because the DP has appreciated and will continue to appreciate them, having regarded their stance toward reform as a fundamental criterion. The DP requests that Mr. G. Pashko, who is serving abroad, remain in the post of Deputy Prime Minister until he completes his important mission of signing Albania’s membership in the Bank of London on 7 December and returns to his homeland. The DP is well aware that, following the withdrawal of DP ministers from the government, the communist, Enverist and extremist power-holders of every stripe will secretly and jubilantly rub their hands, and will try to bring back to Albania, by any means and at any time, the communist dictatorship, Enverian Stalinism. But I want to tell these gentlemen that such adventurous plans and projects will meet with nationwide Albanian and international opposition. A people that destroyed a dictatorship and cast off the half-century communist yoke will not accept another yoke. The DP is also aware that news of its departure from the Government of National Stability will sadden and worry many honest people in Albania and throughout the world, who saw in the Government of Stability the creation of a genuine democratic government and often a hope of bringing the country out of the misery and backwardness in which the communist regime left it. On this occasion, however, I want to assure them all that, even if the communist power-holders managed to bring about the departure from the Government of Stability, they will not be able to force us to abandon our commitments and our struggle for democracy in Albania. The Democratic Party, the DP, sincerely welcomes this decision of all genuine groups and the end of communism in Albania. … found the support of the Group of 24, the Common Market. For all these reasons, we are leaving we as a party have indeed from our presence in government. I am convinced that our people will appreciate this and remember it. carrying out democratic reforms and building democratic institutions in our country were used to discredit, slander and attack the PD, with the aim of laying all the blame on it for the grave crisis that the half-century communist regime inflicted on our country through its instruments of repression and exploitation, and of placing all responsibility for the difficulties created on the opposition in government. Communist propaganda is diabolically blaming the opposition in government. By taking this dishonest path, they managed, for extremely sinister purposes, to bring about complete paralysis at every level of executive, legislative and judicial power and of the press. The executive branch as a whole, the government at every level, failed domestically to ensure public order and the safety of citizens, and failed to ensure that reforms were carried out. Thus, it failed to overcome the strategy of violence and terror, which from the outset aimed to eliminate the Albanian opposition. Later, this strategy aimed, first, to use crime to prepare our people psychologically for the restoration of a neo-communist dictatorship in Albania; second, through theft and looting, murders and executions, to deform the Albanian people in the eyes of the world, so that the world would forget them and they could rule in peace like the dictator E. Hoxha; third, if this strategy failed, to create “scorched earth” so as to delay as long as possible the arrival of a future democratic regime. It is paradoxical that they want to blame the police for all this, when, according to this logic, the police are now supposed to replace the Albanian state at the local level. Likewise, the PD observed that economic reform in Albania is being deliberately obstructed by communist state structures at every level. The most typical example is agricultural reform. The law on land privatization, approved several months ago, is undoubtedly one of the major achievements of economic reform, despite all its shortcomings. But its implementation was obstructed and systematically undermined by the Ministry of Agriculture. Likewise, through the permanent privatization of SMT and the tripling of prices for farms and chemical fertilizers, this ministry effectively blocked autumn planting, imposing on the country a deficit of around 400–500 thousand tons of wheat for the coming year. The Ministry of Agriculture is headed by officials who oppose land privatization, anti-reformers who are protecting Bolshevik-style Stalinist interests. We can say that this ministry discredited agricultural reform. The PD also observes that, owing to the unexpected dominance of communists in power, democratic processes in Albania have slowed considerably. Changes coming from abroad have diminished and continue to diminish. Foreign investors are not investing because of the instability and political situation. The country’s Parliament has also abandoned its legislative power. It is an unimaginable fact that the movements of the majority came to power through vote-rigging. This happened before the electoral law had been completed, while the political forces responsible for Albania’s social and economic crisis… In the major political, economic and social spheres of Albania. In much of Albania’s political life, its deputies have not only failed to reform, but have also openly and jointly supported [them] on the ground, assisting with inspectors and even openly opposing RTV, in flagrant contradiction of the Voice of America and its journalists. In this continuation there is helbëk, tra…

“It is not the right time for us to resign. We need a government that continues to exist until the elections, to lead us out of this political crisis,” Pashko told Reuters. He stressed that he would obey the party leadership and resign after returning to Albania, but added: “This is a split in the Democratic Party.”

The day before yesterday and yesterday, the President of the Republic of Albania, Ramiz Alia, met with leaders of the five parties that took part in the formation of the Government of Sta-

five parties that took part in forming the Government of Stability: the SP, DP, PSD, PR and PA. The Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Ylli Bufi, also attended the meeting. The meeting was held to seek a way out of the government crisis. Mr. Sali Berisha reiterated that the DP’s demands had not been met deliberately, in order to force the party to leave the Government of Stability. These demands were logical, fair and entirely achievable, as they had been put forward several months earlier. There was debate at the meeting about Mr. Ylli Bufi’s statement. Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha described this statement as psychological pressure on the people. He expressed the DP’s readiness to find a political solution, offering two alternatives: First, the Socialist Party should form its own government because it has a majority of the members of parliament. Second, a working government should be formed with independent intellectuals. In this case, the DP does not agree to its members participating in the government. Deputies who are not members of the DP must obtain the approval of their electorate before joining this government.

Four days have passed since the Albanian Parliament approved the decision to elect the new governing council of Albanian Radio and Television. At the same time, by not electing any of the incumbent communist directors, Parliament decided to dismiss the Director General, Fatmir Kumbaro, the television director, Hysni Lika, and the radio director, Thimi Nika. Normally, the governing council would have met two days ago and elected the new heads of RTSH from among its members. However, as of today, everything is still blocked. Meanwhile, the Director General of RTSH, Fatmir Kumbaro, who immediately after Parliament’s decision began working in the leadership apparatus of the PS, has returned to RTSH together with his communist aides! Bravo… Meanwhile, the employees of Albanian Radio and Television are continuing their strike.

These days, prompted by the many requests from citizens, we put forward [a proposal] to make it popular in the city, to draw it away from the opposition forces, the opposition political forces and the independent trade union in the area shared by the municipalities. They conclude that the chairman of the pluralist Executive Committee, Viktor Doda, and the chairman of the branch of the Independent Trade Union Federation, Kastriot Gje… laj, should resign from their official posts. At meetings of the steering committee of the PD branch, with the people… attending from the Rubik area, … Perlat’s Enterprise, it was clearly stated that the people are demanding, at any cost, the start of the election campaign to remove from this policy the true perpetrators of national destruction, who today call themselves socialists, etc.

1. The decision that the DP would leave the Government of National Stability if the demands presented in the declaration of the extended meeting of the National Council and the Deputies’ Group were not met was adopted by majority vote at that meeting. Those attending who voted against it favored leaving the government immediately. 2. All other interpretations of this decision are untrue. 3. The DP’s departure from the Government of Stability was announced at 1:00 p.m. on 4 December, after the Democratic Party’s demands, set out in the declaration mentioned above, had not been met. The Chairman of the Democratic Party fully complied with the decision of the National Council. 4. The Democratic Party ministers agreed with this decision. 5. Six of the Democratic Party ministers submitted their resignations in writing to the President.