— Summary of discussions at the active meeting of the DP National Council — What stood out during the afternoon sessions of the activity of the National Council of the Democratic Party was the airing of things. A number of speakers said that for some time they had noticed manifestations of differing positions, no longer on matters of unity and cardinal issues. “Tell me, please, who is in favor of right-wing revanchism,” Mr. Agron Çika addressed the authors of the platform motion. “Tell me who asked for the people of Përmet to be surrounded with barbed wire if they voted for the SP—Gramoz Pashiko, that is, a man of the moderate wing, so he must not be of the right wing. Then why do you accuse the DP of being sought by the right? Who is the right wing? Is all this noise being made to create the idea of a threat from the right, in order to shift the DP from the left? Tell me who has spoken about the ‘future cheque,’ about revenge against the communists? Aren’t these the very people of the ‘moderate’ wing? Then who is the right wing? Take the words being said, weigh them, and find yourself a position. We gave S. Berisha power when N. Ceka and those around him wanted to seize it from him. And we all unanimously elected him president—not only us, but also the overwhelming majority of the other parliamentarians. S. Berisha’s extraordinary role in the victory of 22 March is well known; it was also recognized as extraordinary in Europe.” “I was strangely placed in the right wing,” said Mr. S. Zhulali in his speech. “But let me say here that I am neither a former persecuted person nor a revanchist in my actions. The reform in the army was carried out according to criteria clarified by the government and parliament. But how can we feel at ease when those caught with illegal weapons are released by the Prosecutor’s Office without any legal basis? How can we accept that those military personnel who took sides and returned from the Italian government are released, without even knowing their names, and that it took all that time to find them again? Who did this—does the Prosecutor have a moral right?” “They have no ideals. They take their instructions and come out. They are not leaving the DP; they are trying to split it at certain moments, as with the elections of 26 July, when the communist card was being played once and for all.” “We are surprised that they call us right-wing extremists,” said Mr. I. Ferizaj. “Why do we remove the old guard? Why do we remove communism from all its levels? But what are we supposed to do, according to our moderates? You say the people have turned away from the struggle against communism? Go and ask the people openly about this: was life better yesterday or today? How poor are we? When was there more freedom of speech, today or yesterday? And then you come here lamenting and talking about freedom of speech and tolerance. But which part of the people are you asking? That is also the question… I myself was… in the shortened session, because I… No, the Pro… could not remove me from the DP and democracy.” “People play far too much with the word ‘intellectual,’” said Mr. V. Kalakula. “The DP has thousands of intellectuals. And” …are called right-wing? Who… would be who has spoken about the issue of the future… about revenge against the colo… nists? who is the threat to the DP? The left that presents itself as humane, or this left that, at certain moments, spreads ultra-right-wing slogans so that it can then attack them as a threat to the DP?! “I used to respect Prof. Arben Imam in,” said former student Bardhyl Ukcama in his speech. “But now I cannot remain silent without telling him that I would listen respectfully to any criticism of his if he presented himself openly before the DP National Council. If he and his counterparts had worked with all their heart and soul during the election campaign and after the victory—which could have been greater than it was achieved—they would have had a moral right to express their reservations then. But they are all now admitting that they had waited for others to engage in this life-or-death struggle against communism and neo-communism..! Can it be accepted that a party vice-chairman and several members of the DP Steering Committee should wait for ‘orders’ before contributing to the election campaign of the party they still call their own? This happens because the selection of people has not always been made by the people themselves, even those on the National Council. Students, for example, were left with representatives chosen when students were represented in the DP by Lidhvan Peshkëpia, when he was selected by us as a parliamentary candidate, and then, at the last minute, went and submitted his candidacy somewhere in the South. Had he been spared as our representative then, he would have… democrats like him among the students are not bad.” “We ourselves chose the DP leadership, we did,” said Mr. Pjetër Arbnori. “No one imposed it on us. Mr. Azem Hajdari knows these matters well, so you should look…” ...to be corrected and calmed ... those caught with unlicensed weapons are relea...sed without any right by the Prosecutor’s Office? the ship and were returned by the Italian government should be all that time to find them again? Who gives the Prosecutor this moral right? After the State Audit in Dibër, when all the people there were waiting for the thieves to be arrested, they were all left free; they strolled through the streets and mocked the citizens they had robbed? In his speech, Mr. A. Hajdari asked that the reasons for his departure for America be repeated—the ones Mr. Sali Berisha and Mr. Eduard Selami had declared to Parliament and the National Council at the previous meeting. “I am in favor of an immediate face-to-face confrontation within the PD,” he said. The PD must be restructured, he acknowledged, while always remaining the property of the democratic majority. As for what is being said—that A. Hajdari is dissatisfied, or that he was not rewarded with power—that is not at all true, because I have not deserved power. Not today, nor in a hundred years. It is known where I stand. I have the ability to engage in dialogue with the masses, with people. He went on to express his reservations about T. Dositit and L. Toto joining the party, but Mr. Sali Berisha opposed this view. “The PD must be cleansed completely of the State Security and its levers,” it was said on this occasion. Look at how the things written in «ZP», in «Koha jonë» and in other articles try to bear witness to ... ... the Chief, K. Danaj, F. Çupi and N. Tozaj, together with all the representatives and the testimony of the accused. Crime does not let you stand face to face with the past. It compels you constantly to serve yesterday’s ... cause. Take it that he is entangled with the crimes of the past, that it is impossible for him to escape them; look at the positions taken by the ranks of the “moderates” of the PD. They come out afterward, according to instructions, saying that ... from the calm moderates ... by the Prosecutor’s Office? be Prosecutor this moral right? — “The word intellectual is being used far too freely,” said Mr. U: Kalakula. “The PD has thousands of intellectuals. Intellectuals are those who understand the trends of tomorrow, of democracy, and where the danger of communism comes from—not those who try to invite us into compromises with it.” — “On 26 July, the people showed that they supported the PD even under the difficult economic conditions at the beginning of this reform,” said Mr. M: Me...mi. “Despite the PD’s and the democratic government’s mistakes, they ... this, and that is what matters most. Various forms of opportunism have nothing at all to do with democracy. The majority is unquestionably right, and individuals must submit to its will, after debating it beforehand. And that is how we have always acted.” — “Today I couldn’t understand Mr. Aben Imami,” said Mr. A. Musaraj. “Usually you don’t understand Fatos ...non..! We fought communism face-to-face, but he is also ... , completely pure. As for A. Hajdari: Azem is Azem, and whether he will remain that way or not...?” In his speech, Mr. Leka Toto emphasized his view that the arrival of formerly persecuted people among the members of the PD was an honor for the PD and democracy. “We have not been, and will not be, in favor of revenge,” he stressed. “People who have suffered themselves never want others to suffer. We want to establish justice, because we have suffered all our lives at the hands of ‘justice.’ Dialogue is undoubtedly necessary, but it must remain within the boundaries of the union. An intellectual has a duty to do this: to open the people’s vision of democracy, not to cloud it.” Finally, Mr. Sali Berisha took the floor. Correspondent of «RD»

Discussion at the National Council by Mr. BLERIM ÇELA Today people are no longer talking about two lines in the DP, but about two parties with different political platforms, which have become clearly distinct from one another. The party of the “moderates” wants to proceed hand in hand with the social-communists, to create a joint government (along the lines of Stability), without making visible changes to the structures of the state apparatus, but merely shaking off a little Enverist dust, which brings nothing new politically or socially. They support and cooperate with the social-communists through the newspaper (if it can be called that) “Koha jonë.” Under the label of “high-calibre” intellectuals, democracy and “standards,” they accuse the DP of revanchism, radicalism and right-wing extremism—charges that have no basis whatsoever. Mr. Berisha, whom the “moderates” accuse of despotism, should be criticized for liberalism, because this meeting should have been held a long time ago. The other party, the real one, in which the “moderates” do not see themselves, wants to uproot communism and neo-communism once again, without any compromise, factually and genuinely expressing the interests of DP members and supporters and of the electorate that gave it its vote of confidence on 22 March and 26 July 1992. We will not let the party corrupt, since the Çekës, Çupës, Zogajs, Tozajs, Breztofts and company have themselves set them up to bring about changes in the DP in their own favor. This is confirmed by today’s article in “ZP,” which questions whether Mr. Eduard Selami will remain chairman of the DP. I reply, on your behalf as well, that Mr. Selami will be chairman of the DP, strong and respected. Let the “ZP” spokesmen we have here, within our ranks, pass this reply on to them so they need not remain anxious. “ZP”’s campaign against the DP for right-wing extremism is in complete chronological alignment with the pseudo-democrats within the DP leadership. Look at the articles in “ZP” and “Koha jonë” from recent months. Their campaign against the DP began with the nominations for party chairman; here, Frokku Pupi was removed as editor-in-chief of “RD,” supported by P. Zogaj and later by hundreds of them in the newspaper “Koha jonë,” and by the pitiful, blind tool Lëshi, who has turned the image of crime upside down; but the red nomenklatura, represented by its own organs, is still making a fuss on TV about cases of violations of the law, while we do nothing. The people do not know how things have been divided up, or whose hands the justice bodies are in. They recognize the democratic state and government, and believe that the spoken word becomes reality; otherwise, trust fades. This people cannot live with a weak and disorganized state. As for the pseudo-democrats, I am in favor of their suspension and of discussing them face to face at the party conference, which will decide their fate. On this occasion I wanted to add that at the meeting of the National Council it was clearly seen… Mr. Kadare, the people and “Koha jonë” insult me constantly, but that does not matter. What matters is that you joined this chorus, and we now know who you are. Your insults are certificates of merit for me. I have put my life and honor on the line to uphold the law, but you feel sorry for the Çupës, Le and company. The people say, “Tell me who you spend time with and I’ll tell you who you are.” You have launched a filthy campaign of disinformation against the respected “RD” journalist, Mr. X vat Mustafa, because he is tearing the mask off pseudo-democrats like you, Mr. Kadare, and your friends. You are the ones who engage in political prostitution, yet you accuse us of abusing the foreign press. You have built your case on a press campaign and filthy gossip, and now you talk about freedom of thought and dialogue. You have never been deprived of this right, but you have exploited it by using the newspapers “Zëri i popullit” and “Koha jonë,” along with your entire clan, to attack the DP rather than engage in dialogue with it. You accuse us of being Mr. Berisha’s lackeys and attach other degrading labels to us, but it is not as you see it. We are not in the DP with Sali Berisha; Sali Berisha is with us in the DP, and anyone who opposes the DP’s program and the people’s interests… has no place in this party, even if he is… risha, for whom we have great respect and esteem. This is not servility. Look carefully at whom the real lackeys serve. I call on Mr. Azem Hajdari to take a position regarding the Çekës, Çupës, Zogajs and Pashkos and their associates, and to state it in the press. the articles in «ZP» and «Koha jonë» of these past few days. Their struggle against the PD began with the nominations for party chairman, indeed from the time Frrok Çupi was removed as editor-in-chief of «RD»—a move supported by P. Zogaj and later by their Guard in the newspaper «Koha jonë», the blind tool of T. Qoshi, who has fulfilled the profile of a criminal, but is protected by the red nomenklatura, represented by the justice authorities, with Prosecutor General Maks Haxhia at its head. In our work, we and the chairmen of the district executive committees have encountered unprecedented and brazen opposition from the justice authorities in Sarandë, Dibër, Bulqizë, Lezhë, and elsewhere. This shows that the corrupt are being protected by corrupt justice authorities, which must be replaced immediately. The people whom we have denounced, with evidence, for serious violations of state legality write thuggish articles about me and the fight against corruption. Instead of strengthening and increasing the authority of the rule-of-law state that we are building with great difficulty, this diminishes and discredits it. The people link the strength of government to the implementation of the words and promises made. The State Audit Commission issues announcements almost every day

The Extraordinary National Conference of the Democratic Party of Albania will be held on 13 August 1992, at 10:00, in the hall of the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Tirana. THE PRESIDIUM OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

At the proposal of the Ministry of Trade and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries, the Council of Ministers decided that the Ministry of Trade and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries, according to average per-capita quotas, shall set the allocation of food-basket items for each district and organize their distribution through wholesale trading enterprises. At the proposal of the Ministry of Trade and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries, the Council of Ministers decided that according to average per-capita quotas, shall set the allocation of food-basket items for each district and organize their distribution through wholesale trading enterprises. The sale by private natural and legal persons of imported food-basket items and those produced by state enterprises is prohibited, with the exception of the natural and legal persons of the district executive committees.

It began when comrade Ramiz Alla took the initiative for the democratic “reform” from the top down. At that time, a steady stream of people arrived, bearing the label “businessman,” and made the most astonishing promises. People thought things would change, that Albania was truly opening up. But the authors of this scenario knew very well that these “businessmen” were nothing but puppets, brought in to create an approving environment for the communists who were transforming us into a democracy. We say this because foreign investment, banned by the constitution for nearly 50 years, required special legislation. And although the PPSH opened the doors of the labyrinths, did Albania pass even one law? And you foreigners, through the televisions, why… with electoral… ended up in… The result: not a single serious investor, not even their own money in Albania… except Mr. Hajdin Sejdia, preferred by… the ranks of the Political Bureau, a policy… within the boundaries of the Bloc, who was directly declared to be in business, and therefore his famous hotel… you… (continued on …)

A source at “RD” informs us that Mr. Aleko Dhima, Secretary of the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, has congratulated [someone] on the appointment of Archbishop Anastas and has received the approval of the special… Assembly and Secretariat, an invitation to the Ministry of Culture. The State Secretariat for Religious Affairs at the Ministry of Culture was informed only when it received the invitation to the ceremony in question (8 days beforehand); it had received no notification of this decision and had not approved it. We protest against this unjust statement and ask Mr. Aleko Dhima to respond publicly as soon as possible. For the Secretariat for Religious Affairs BARDHYL FICO SOKOL MURAKAJ