No one has ever thought of obstructing Democracy, just as no one has the right to say that this is being done unfairly. The whole problem is that those who put forward motions do so through a strange and utterly harmful climate. They want to create the impression that the country is heading toward catastrophe, that everything is being destroyed, and that only they can save the people. But this people is not so naive as not to understand what is going on. Instead of helping to overcome the difficulties, they fan them. Instead of offering solutions, they content themselves with accusations. Instead of respecting the will expressed in the elections, they try to create a climate of uncertainty. This is unacceptable. This people has given its verdict. It has voted for change, for freedom, for a market economy, for a final break with the communist past. No one has the right to oppose this verdict with salon intrigues, with petty party calculations, with narrow personal schemes. We know that the difficulties are great. No one denies that. But they are not overcome with one motion after another, with alarmist calls, with attempts to destabilize the institutions. They are overcome with work, patience, responsibility, and support for reforms. Those who today speak in the name of the people must first ask themselves: where were they yesterday? What did they do when this country was being ruined by the old system? What responsibility do they bear for the inherited situation? They cannot wash their hands of it so easily. The Albanian people have suffered greatly. They do not deserve to be used once again as a tool for political games. They demand peace, order, bread, work, and dignity. They demand that politics not behave like a stage for intrigues, but as service to the national interest. Therefore, gentlemen of the 6 August motion, think carefully before speaking in the name of this people. For this people knows how to judge. And it will judge you not by words, but by deeds. (To be continued on page 2)

Much has been said about maneuvers, about hasty statements, about positions that do not serve the truth or the public interest. Democracy cannot be built on fog, nor on deliberate misunderstandings. It needs light, responsibility, measured words, and respect for institutions. In this sense, political debate is necessary and useful, but it must remain within the bounds of ethics and truth. When debate slips into slander, insinuations, distortions, then it no longer helps anyone. On the contrary, it harms society and weakens citizens' trust. Today Albania needs construction, not noise; cooperation, not intrigue; clarity, not fog. Anyone who feels part of the democratic future must understand this. For the truth, however difficult it may be, remains the only solid foundation of freedom. (To be continued on page 2)

On 11 August, a PD meeting was held in Shijak on organizational issues and on the analysis of the local situation. At this meeting, the most pressing problems of the area, the organization of the structures, and the need for greater civic engagement were discussed. The participants stressed that the reform process requires broader involvement and cooperation with the community. (To be continued on page 2)

So far we have not mentioned, except for a few, any of the loudest voices that have opposed or questioned the path of reforms. The following article appears to be a critical reflection on public figures, on the morality of politics, and on the way myths are created in Albanian life. If we must speak of names, let us speak with facts. If we must judge, let us judge fairly. Otherwise, every history we write remains incomplete, every portrait remains distorted, and every assessment unfair. (To be continued on page 2)