PD - WILL KEEP ITS PROMISES The million-strong vote of the Albanians will always remain the cornerstone of the successes and prosperity of the Albanian economy. Only with wise governance, the rule of law and real democracy will conditions be created for national recovery. The new elections opened the path of hope and trust. In this new climate, the Democratic Party assumes great responsibilities for the country. On Sunday, television stations and microphones around the world broadcast the world attack plan of the 120 new deputies of the new Albanian parliament. I begin with the victorious Democratic Party and with the protagonist of the Albanian democratic movement, Mr. Sali Berisha. The great victory is explained by the correct orientation of this political force and by the popular vote against the past. The Albanian people have decided to move forward. The hope and trust of Albanians for a better life are now closely tied to the new reform program. The challenges are many, but so is the political will to confront them. Democracy and a market economy require sacrifice, clarity and determination. The Democratic Party has received a clear mandate to govern and to lead the country out of its years-long crisis. Its promises will be tested by the difficult economic and social reality, but citizens expect concrete results. This is the meaning of the victory of 22 March and of the new political step forward. (Continued on page 2)

The person who builds the future must look beyond today’s troubles. Albanian society needs long-term thinking, stable institutions and civic culture. It is not enough to solve the crisis of the moment; we must lay strong foundations for the generations to come. In difficult periods, the temptation to improvise is great, but improvisation does not bring development. Politics must be vision, not only reaction. The state must encourage education, work, order and private property, so that society can move at a normal pace. Thinking only about today keeps us trapped in fear and insecurity. Thinking about tomorrow, by contrast, creates energy, hope and responsibility. Albania needs reforms that do not end with one mandate, but extend over time and are supported by citizens. (Continued on page 2)

After the statement by the PD chairman of Paskaqan [?], as the political landscape was becoming clearer, remarks and reactions to the elections of 22 March took up wide space in the press. In this context, a government emerging from the free vote must be political and not the product of inter-party bargaining. PD is clear that a coalition with PS would not serve the deep reforms the country needs. Its political responsibility is to form a strong government with popular support and to take on the burden of the transition. Any compromise that undermines this aim would bring uncertainty and delays. A political government of the blocs [?] implies divided responsibilities, clear programs and quick decisions. In such a delicate period for Albania, citizens expect determination and not equivocation. (Continued on page 2)

The vote of 22 March was the strongest civic response against a system that ruined the country. However, the remnants of the old mentality continue to appear from time to time with the same ugly face of arrogance and deception. Albanian society cannot go backward. Those who until yesterday bore responsibility for poverty, isolation and moral violence are today trying to speak in the name of reform. But citizens do not forget. Public memory is the foundation of democratic judgment and of a break with the past. That is why not only a change of names is needed, but a change of political culture, of public behavior and of the relationship with the law. This is the challenge of our time. (Continued on page 2)

From the experience of Eastern Europe, where the responsible figures of communist regimes have been brought before the law, a natural question also arises for Albania: when will those who violated citizens' rights and kept the country in misery be held accountable? Justice is not revenge, but a condition for social peace and for the rule of law. If Albanian society aims to build a stable democracy, then the break with the crimes of the past must be real. There can be no true reconciliation without moral and legal responsibility. Otherwise, the shadow of the past will continue to weigh on the present. (Continued on page 2)