People themselves and their economic well-being play an important role in building the system. They are of particular importance, indeed a direct factor in the economy and in the social sphere as well. In this regard, the response to the program—or, more briefly, to the promises—is particularly important. They should not be delayed or dragged out. The strength of a party must be demonstrated precisely by solving and choosing without delay how to address difficult problems. One of them is the trial of the Bllokmen. The people can no longer accept excuses: that the prosecutor’s office had said this year should also be included, or that the authorities had not taken it into account. Since all the justice institutions are carrying out their work within the framework of the rule of law we want to establish, they can very well jointly determine the course of this problem, which is clear and should not be dragged through months of hearings. In this regard, without taking into account the “weakness” of this or that person toward Mr. Ramiz Alia, he too is required to give an account and be tried just like his comrades, because he led and directed them. Delays and concessions in this trial inevitably harm and diminish the PD’s support among voters, among ordinary people who demand justice. Alongside this delay, we should also mention the trial concerning the martyrs of 2 April 1991. Not only Shkodra, but all of democratic Albania awaits that trial. The farce by the former communist-socialists in this case has gone on long enough. Democracy, with the people here, has opened the way to such actions, which ultimately stem from reality. Thus, in our bread lines, and even in workplaces, you will hear complaints about these and other problems. Many ordinary, honest people cannot understand how, even in a democratic state, a number of former communists or PPSH officials continue to hold leadership positions. Reform was begun in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also in the bodies of the former Ministry of Internal Affairs, but it seems to us that there are still many bureaucrats from the old nomenklatura in the Prime Minister’s Office. In fact, I know one of them well. At the beginning of our pluralist Parliament, when the Socialists held the majority, he threw the opposition newspapers in our faces over the articles we published. Now he is silent, even says something kind, but still holds an important position. I do not know how conscientiously he will perform his duties, except that he or his comrades would be ready to raise their flag again at the slightest success by the Socialists. The Socialists will make a fuss about these purges. Better that they do so than that we leave leadership to people who are against democracy at heart. I do not mean putting them on welfare, but assigning them to other duties. Yet, strangely, reform seems to have retreated on this point, although it is well known that anyone who stood beside the dictator, even as an escort, cannot again remain behind the leaders of democracy, because the matter of purging will also be addressed in state institutions. Under the Government of Stability, some former officials profited unjustly at the people’s expense. Several weeks have passed, not to say months, and the people have received no information about which officials of that government, whether Socialist or Democrat, got their hands dirty and should be put on trial—or at least be called upon to return to the people what they appropriated or gained abusively. So far, no one. Complete silence, at a time when the people are extremely sensitive to corruption and the abuses of former leaders, because those things, too, brought us to the economic catastrophe we are experiencing. Although these are actions by people in the superstructure, they are directly connected to the economy and only add to the distress of troubled hearts. It is clear that foreign investors, even when they come, withdraw either because the law is lacking or because vital issues such as land are being delayed. They have enough experience and knowledge not to have forgotten that urban land had an owner. The Communists dispossessed that owner. Democracy must return what was taken from them. But while this law is being delayed again and again, an investor does not dare come, because if you buy land from the state, or build on an expropriated plot together with the state as a joint venture, tomorrow the true owner will demand their share. The matter will go to court and one problem after another will arise for the investor. This is not my imagination. An Albanian from the USA, when he heard that a foreign institution was building a factory in Albania, first asked how it had secured the land. The answer from the Albanian entrepreneur was how it had secured the land. …ty. Alongside this delay, we should also mention the trial for enough. With the people here (those who held positions and were responsible for giving the order to shoot), democracy has no reason to prolong this issue too, as is happening. People rightly ask: “Why are the criminals not being punished? Does it take this long? Or do they not want to punish them?” Of course, people can say what they like, and some may be wrong, but the rule-of-law state has no reason to… …and which it regarded as its own democracy. I mean not putting them on welfare, but transferring anyone who stayed beside the dictator, even as an escort, cannot continue to serve under the leaders of democracy, because any state needs people with convictions, not mannequins. This delay, too, is precisely what harms the PD’s deserved authority. Indeed, the government and the PD face many difficulties, because it is not easy to lead a country with so much debt and maximum unemployment, but each link in the chain should carry out its duty. It was rightly said that during the time of… …difficult, but…? (Continued on page 2)

THE FINANCIAL POLICE IN SHKODRA Alongside its other duties, the Shkodra Financial Police Branch has also devoted attention to inspections in the border area and border zone. During these months, these inspections uncovered and processed 50 cases of [?] livestock, foodstuffs and fuel. Among the cases detected, we mention the seizure of 108 head of livestock, about 900 kg of powdered milk, 700 kg of coffee, diesel, tobacco, etc. Fines totaling 70,600 lek were imposed for violations discovered in the border area, and goods worth 4,203,000 lek were seized. The Shkodra Financial Police Branch caught in the act the driver of unit 8001, A.J., who, together with his companion, was selling a quantity of 220 liters of diesel from the unit 8001 bus to the Yugoslav citizen Gjon Çaçmaj. The Shkodra Financial Police Branch apprehended the offenders, seized the diesel and filed a report with the command of unit 298 concerning the goods escort and the driver for this illegal act. Also in recent days, the Shkodra Financial Police Branch inspected the Shkodra Fuel Branch, during which it found that the differences resulting from the revaluation of the fuel stocks held on 1.10.1991 and 1.7.1992 had not been paid into the budget. For this reason, the legally [?] limit, amounting to 1,347,000 lek, was seized and the offenders were fined. Some state enterprises that had stocks of goods or fuel transferred the income they received from price changes unlawfully into their working-capital accounts instead of paying it into the state budget. Specifically, among food products, NTSH Kuçës had not paid in 203,000 lek. The commercial enterprises of Vlora, 531,000 lek; NTSH Sarandë, 635,000 lek, etc. As for fuel branches, we can mention the Krutë Fuel Branch, which had deposited a difference of 21,000,000 lek in the bank; the Durrës Fuel Branch, 404,000 lek; the Burrel Fuel Branch, 203,000 lek, etc. Because of these violations, these unlawfully obtained proceeds were seized, totaling an estimated 29,105 thousand lek, and the persons responsible were fined. MISUSE IN VLORA, BURREL, BERAT The Vlora Financial Police Branch found the following during its inspections: - At NTSH Himarë, the meat-and-dairy shop was given 580 kg of sugar, 30 kg of rice, 4 kg of oil and 117 kg of powdered milk, which were distributed without authorizations or orders for [?] unfortunate occasions and weddings. This enterprise had also failed to pay into the budget the 340,000 lek price difference resulting from the revaluation of goods. The director was fined (Continued on page 4)

(Continued from the previous issue) The Italian Carmelo Liguori, owner of machinery for producing shoes, comes to Albania at the invitation of an acquaintance of his, S. Boneso. While they are entering into an agreement with the shoe factory in Tirana, R. Borva and M. Lazri (the son of Sofokli Lazri) propose that the machinery be used in their private company. Ultimately, after several difficulties, Mr. Liguori decides to cooperate with the shoe factory, and the machinery is used under a protocol agreement for producing shoes with customer-supplied materials. After some time, «Skandia» stops producing shoes without fully carrying out the contract. In this case, the shoe factory demands that the contract be honored or that the damages be paid. «Skandia» declares that nobody was authorized by it to sign a contract. It has paid the invoices for the shoes produced and considers its obligations settled in full. Meanwhile, Mr. Liguori’s machinery remains blocked in the factory because S. Boneso’s signed contract does not identify a legal entity. In practice, the enterprise finds itself in an unpleasant situation. At the shoe factory, they said that when they entered into this arrangement, they acted in good faith and on the basis of the fact that S. Boneso had once appeared at the factory with representatives of «Skandia». Can one reason this way in a state founded on laws? Lack of experience and a genuine desire to get started do not seem to justify turning a blind eye. Would these problems have arisen if things had been done in accordance with the law