50 years ago, when thousands of broken-hearted young people [sic] renounced an ideal, it was they, the others, who, without ever explaining it, promised Albanians paradise on earth. They were the ones who told us that in «Communist» Albania there would be so much freedom that people would open every door and every ministry with... a kick! They were the ones who promised that a miracle would come, that everyone would have a house of their own...! They were the ones who told us we would eat with golden spoons. They were the ones who wanted to convince us that the greatest earthly happiness for Albanians would descend from the heavens. They were the ones who sang: «We have Enver, we have the Party and our ally, Yugoslavia, You are ours, dear Tito, You are ours, you are ours, ours forever!» They were the ones who trumpeted that «they would bring water and electricity to Tirana for the anniversary!» They were the ones who shouted that the Soviet Union should be to the Albanian people like the sun, like the air, like water. They were the ones who convinced us that «the Soviet Union will turn Albania into a flourishing garden!» They were the ones who later sang: «Today the world has two wars, one in Asia, one in Europe?» They were the ones who called the monstrous metallurgical complex «Albania’s second liberation». They were the ones who promised that with our own strength we would work miracles. And they performed them like no one else on this globe: the madness of bunkers, which were turned into... public monuments. They were the ones who cursed and damned the whole world, and waited, cut off from it, as churches and mosques were torn down; who imprisoned and interned a quarter of the population, terrorizing and tormenting the rest with the dreadful anxiety of being scrutinized, along with their kin and relations, for a mere word. They were the ones who swore over the dictator’s grave that they would never give up their red ideals and would fight to their last breath against... everyone. They were the ones who solemnly pledged that political pluralism would not come to Albania, that democracy would be achieved through associations, that we were neither East nor West... They were the ones who later trembled and scattered in every direction to save whatever could be saved, to survive the democratic storm that was uprooting them. O people! Beware: they are alive, they are standing, they are as aggressive as before—indeed, more so than before, because their hour of death is near! It’s them, yes, them! Will we let them deceive us again? Weren’t 50 years of trials, experiments and mobster-like promises of socialism and communism enough, where everyone would eat and drink as much as they wanted, urinate as they pleased and have fun whenever they wanted, along with so many other absurdities that made us grimace, because laughing was punishable by 7 to 10 years’ deprivation of liberty? Can we remain indifferent at this moment, when the last historic opportunity is knocking at our door? Will we let the 50-year-old «newly created» party win? Will we agree to repeat everything from the beginning, with the naive belief that they are no longer the same people? Democracy does not impose obligations. Everyone can choose, whether you like it or not. But before choosing, one must have firmly fixed in one’s awareness that... they are, yes, they are the same! SKENDER SHKUPI

- For half a century «ZP» kept Albania poor, sovereign, isolated from the world and immune to every foreign influence, driving the country into the abyss and terrifying its people. We do not believe that anyone else could have set a worse example than the Party it boasted about, which devastated this country, and its faithful mouthpiece. Thus, for the newspaper, Albania’s true friends were those who yesterday broadcast our resolute anti-imperialist and anti-revisionist stance to the world, our reliance on our own forces, our complete isolation, etc.! Yesterday’s article, which occupied the lead editorial position in «Zëri», was eagerly awaited, all the more because it had become known a day earlier—something rare for this newspaper. With an intriguing headline, «Patriot after vacations and with black hearts», it seeks to draw its readers’ attention to Mr Ilir Manushi’s interpellation in the People’s Assembly. The anonymous Manushi aims to kill two birds with one stone: to blame the DP over relations with Greece and the return of refugees, while at the same time highlighting the merits of its Greek sister party (PASOK) in strengthening friendly relations between our two countries. To this end, it refers to PASOK’s period in power, when they were publicizing Albania inside and outside Greece as a country to be attacked and praised, from which others should take an example. etc.! To present itself as learned, «Zëri» has also begun using foreign words, whose meaning, it seems, it does not even know. The word «vacation» is used in Albanian to mean «a long holiday», and in this sense this newspaper continues in its old style of slander and sensational fabrications. The pluralist chairman of the Executive Committee of Korçë has never been on vacation in Greece. If it means this ironically (who knows what counts as irony here), it should put the word in quotation marks, as it did with the word «patriot». If it stems from ignorance, that still cannot serve as an argument. «Zëri» also targets deputy Ilir Manushi’s statement that our foreign policy should prioritize our neighbors. What is wrong with that? To state such a thing does not mean denying the other point—that relations should be developed with other countries—as «Zëri» tries to cling to a straw. As for Greek television channel 29, whether or not it belongs to PASOK, the more competent people to speak on this may be the PS and Fatos Nano, who really can go on vacation with the help of their friends in Greece. After all, the chairman of the Ko-gres, through his ties with Greek cities, has done commendable work, while how are we to understand Fatos’s visits to Greece? «Services» are measured by what you bring back from there. And while Iliri has brought some goods and businesspeople from Greece into Korçë, we do not know what Fatos has brought to Albania (except, of course, the refugees).

In the next issue: TEODOR KEKO and MITRO CELA — DID THE LABOUR PARTY SAY: «DON’T TALK» ABOUT THIS MATTER? HOW MANY HIDING PLACES FOR ALBANIAN GOLD DOES THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS KEEP UNDER GUARD, AND WHAT VALUES REMAIN THERE? — THE FIRST ARTICLE IN «RD» WAS ANSWERED BY MR KAMBERI, BUT THE STATE TREASURY—THE STRAW KEYS, THE ONE THAT OPENS EVERY DOOR, IS THE STATE SECURITY SERVICE (WITH THE FORMER AND STILL-EXISTING MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS). «ZP» ACCUSED THE «DP», IN CONNECTION WITH THE «MYSTERY OF ALBANIAN GOLD», OF BEING A PARTY LED BY DECEIVERS. HOW WILL «ZP» AND THE PS RESPOND WHEN SCANDALOUS DOCUMENTS ABOUT THE PROBLEM OF ALBANIAN GOLD COME TO LIGHT? WILL THEY CHANGE THEIR TUNE, AS THEY DID WITH ENVER, HAKHMIMI, AND TOMORROW WITH RAMIZ? — WHY HAS THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS NOT ANSWERED REGARDING THE PROBLEM OF ALBANIAN GOLD? WHY IS MR ISAI NOT BEING QUESTIONED BY THE INVESTIGATORS? — WHAT VALUES REMAIN THERE? — THERE MAY BE BANK DEPOSITS IN FOREIGN BANKS IN ALBANIA’S NAME. BUT MR SULO AND ENVER’S BOYS KEEP QUIET. — SCANDALOUS DOCUMENTS: FROM THE TREASURY, IN 1974–1976, 6,613 KG OF GOLD AND 2,500 KG OF SILVER WERE MOVED INTO THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS’ TUNNELS. THIS ALSO INCLUDED ABOUT 12 KG OF GOLD JEWELLERY WITH DIAMONDS, BROOCHES, RINGS AND EARRINGS—WERE THESE THE WOMEN’S TREASURES? AFTER 1986, A GREATER TREASURE CAME OUT OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS’ TUNNELS THAN HAD GONE IN. SO, HOW MUCH MONEY IS IN THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS’ TUNNELS? PERHAPS THE INVESTIGATORS WILL INTERVENE!

THE MYSTERY OF THE GOLD LIKE REHOVA

Reply Poor «ZP», look what it’s come to, where it began with poetry, instead of taking from the best, it takes from poor K. TH. Spiri... (It seems to have lost its wits). Poor «ZP», look what it’s come to, where it began with poetry, instead of taking from the best, it takes from poor K. TH. Spiri... (It seems to have lost its wits). Lately we have noticed that «Zëri...» is becoming emancipated, writing poetry and humor. Naturally, you cannot expect wisdom and culture from them, because minds are not bought but inherited, and acquiring culture at the age of fifty, as «Zëri...» is, is extremely difficult! All the same, they try to write verse—that is, to make words rhyme—thinking that this kind of doggerel will make them more popular. And since they are renewing themselves in everything, like their party, they are also renewing the old «poets»: instead of K. TH. Spiri, we get a K. TH. Spiri (the younger), and with this approach they could also renew Enver by turning him into Fatos (the younger). But these rhymes should come as no surprise, because this newspaper has always written in verse. It was right here that we first read the heartfelt lines: «Uncle Enver, Uncle Enver, your joy is sweet as sugar»! On the front page of yesterday’s «Zëri...» we find a joke! And you can’t help laughing. Not because the humor comes from the construction of the story, but because of the ignorance of its creators. There are two kinds of humor: one made by the wise person and one made by the fool. A deranged person in the street, through what he says and does, makes not only passers-by laugh but also the journalists of «Zëri...». To be honest, we must acknowledge that the newspaper «Zëri...» has been writing to us ever since its first issue, with Enver Hoxha as editor-in-chief, right through to its latest issue, with Perparim Xhixha as editor-in-chief. OREST SHURDHI

This time I entered the New Prison—not to say that I was the same as before. It took 31 years for something like this to happen, something they had believed would never happen. As soon as I entered, an officer came out to meet me. The director was Ismail Mu- ia, the former commander of Burrel Prison in those terrible times. - I have come from the People’s Assembly, - said the deputy chairman of the Human Rights Commission. We have received several complaints concerning arrests and detainees. He did not say anything. He ordered them to act on the spot. Then he said: - We are going into the cells, which the police guard at all times. The director’s room fell silent and, so as not to be noticed, he left the room. We went down the stairs. Allowing a former death-row prisoner to come and inspect the prison, even though he is now a deputy, was no small responsibility. He had seen many people being led in and did not want to cause trouble for anyone or have anyone put things right for him. - Let’s go! - I said firmly. - Let’s go! - he said reluctantly, and we proceeded. Then came the obstacle of the telephones. Some people were troubled by the idea of entering the prison without authorization. The person responsible wanted to avoid taking responsibility himself and hesitated. - I don’t want to, - I told him. - I can allow you to enter as a member of the People’s Assembly, and I am responsible before the TV cameras. You’ll have to decide how you can leave me in this mess in these circumstances. The order was given. The grating symphony of iron doors, which I had heard for more than 28 years in a row, began again. - I want to see everyone: ordinary prisoners, the bloc leaders, and those accused of the Shkodër massacre. The same cold, frozen cells made me feel sick. The same pale faces. Where three or four detainees were held in one cell it was a little warmer, but the air was more foul. Everywhere the detainees were huddled in the bathrooms. Their blankets were worn out. In our time, prison blankets were filthy rags, almost worn away by rot. It was said they had been left behind by the Soviet occupation; then the Russians had used them for about 30 years and given them to Yugoslavia; Yugoslavia had given them to us as aid without interest, and our prisons used them for yet another few decades. The second positive difference was that everyone had a mattress. In Enver Hoxha’s time, we had one or two blankets, depending on the investigator’s whim. They served as both bedding and covering, and we slept on cement. In fact, I once had to sleep naked, without a blanket, day and night on cement, at 15 degrees below zero. The third difference was the prisoners’ serving of their sentences. Except for the bloc leaders, detainees did everything: they washed with freezing water. In our time, they forced us to bathe in cold water. (Continued on page 6)

- THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE SP, MR S. - PËLLUMBI DEFENDS THE TRU-TH. - IN HIS TELEVISION INTERVIEW, LIKE ME, HE CALLS FOR MR NANO’S TRANSPARENCY IN THE PRESS. - AS FOR MR NANO’S PURPOSES AND SECRET VISIT TO GREECE, IT TURNS OUT THAT THE SP KNOWS NOTHING. AZEM HAJDARI

SHOULD THE INHERITED PROPERTY BE DIVIDED? On Wednesday, 8.1.1992, the chairman of BSPSH, Mr Valer Xheka, met with the Minister of Finance, Mr Perviq. Among other matters, they discussed the inheritance of the property left by the Professional Unions. The BSPSH representative asked that this property be frozen until the conclusion of the court case between BSP and the Free Confederation. After that, the property should be divided according to the number of members. However, Mr Xheka added, it has been observed that the Free Confederation, knowing that we do not have the larger number of members, is using this property without any restraint. Therefore, its immediate freezing is being demanded. The court will decide how this property is to be divided. The problem is that by the time the court case is over, there may be nothing left to divide. POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS While awaiting the Council of Ministers’ response to the 8 demands submitted by BSPSH, on Saturday (4.11.1992) the BSP executive committee met and decided to hold a nationwide demonstration if the 8 demands were not met. Having learned that governments always gave positive responses but, in practice, nothing was implemented, BSPSH is determined to see its demands fulfilled. OTHER ACTIVITIES On Thursday, BSPSH drafted a petition addressed to the Government, urgently calling for the provision of an identity card and for every means of support for the opposition press. On Saturday, the organizing committee decided to reorganize the newspaper «Sindikalisti».