Yesterday at midday, an expert delegation headed by IMF Executive Director Mr. Mishel Kamdesy arrived in our country for a three-day working visit. President of the Republic Mr. Sali Berisha, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Alfred Serreqi, Minister of Finance and Economy Mr. Genc Ruli, other members of the Government, and members of parliament came to meet the delegation at Rinas Airport. «RD» correspondent

Address by President Sali Berisha at the meeting with senior MRP officers - Meeting with you gives me the pleasure of expressing my profound gratitude for all the achievements you, the Public Order forces in Albania, have recorded during this period. I would also like on this occasion to thank you for the valuable contribution you made to the arrival of democracy in Albania. The undeniable truth is that the Albanian police, the public order forces, did not line up on the side of the dictatorship; rather, with perseverance and with their democratic spirit, they lined up on the side of democracy, and through their actions made it possible, in a short time, to hold three free elections normally in Albania. And there is no doubt that in this process you have had, and continue to have, special merit. In other words, you not only technically ensured, as far as was your responsibility, the normal conduct of the elections, but hundreds of thousands of Albanians are witnesses that you were in favour of their normal conduct. The fact that over these six months organized crime, yesterday’s chaos, has been completely brought under control by you clearly shows that it was organised by the old authorities, not by the police. On the contrary, the police fought and continue to fight it. During this period, from January until now, the public order forces have lost the police officers Festim Hoxha, Shkelqim Ku[...] inspires your entire activity. This was also achieved because you made the necessity of reform serve your cause and your ideals. In practice, the way you have embraced reform is admirable: removing from your ranks those who compromise the public order forces and changing your platform. Reform and change themselves enabled you to become a powerful institution of the rule-of-law state, a powerful institution of Albanian democracy. Self-reform is important within the framework of your duties. In the reform process, you must aim to improve quality, to be demanding of yourselves, and to show dedication. A police officer is a mirror of the country: you must know well that a police officer reflects the country, its order, its people. Therefore, his image, conduct and dedication are extraordinarily important. A police officer whose conduct is not proper indicts the whole city; therefore, we must greatly strengthen discipline within the police ranks. And those who truly cannot submit to reform should calmly move on to other, private occupations, because the uniform entails its own restrictions. You have made yourselves subject to a powerful democratic instrument and an instrument of the rule-of-law state, and I must tell you that the rule-of-law state has an essence, and that essence is the alignment of law with justice. If law and justice are two separate things, the state cannot be called a state governed by the rule of law. In this regard, by defending the law, you have defended citizens’ fundamental rights and their freedoms. The freedom of property, which is essential, vital to enjoying all other freedoms. Thus, defending the law and defending justice are one and the same thing in a state governed by the rule of law. Therefore, I can tell you with great pleasure that in a short time we have managed to change completely the meaning of the term “police.” Today, the police officer reflects ... of Albanians are witnesses that you were in favor of their normal development. The fact that over these 6 months organized crime, disorder, and chaos have they were organized by the old power, not by the police. On the contrary, the police were and are fighting against them. During this period, from January until now, the security forces have lost the police officers Festim Hoxha, Shkëlqim Kuqi, and Kol Frroku. They are martyrs of democracy; they rest at the altar of freedom among the martyrs of our people. Therefore, I invite you to commemorate them with a minute of silence. Many others were wounded and injured, but the fact is that, in defending the law, citizens’ rights, and property and possessions, you managed in a short time to show that order and calm will be established in Albania; that Albanians are not anarchists, but a people who love order, a people who love stability, a people who know and respect the law. I want to remind you that on March 22, after the great historic victory, which truly resonated throughout Europe and the world, analysts, well-wishers, and democratic institutions were asking a question: would Albanians be able to build a state governed by law, a state under the rule of law, or would they be ruled by the mafia, corruption, chaos, and anarchy? I am very pleased that today, after 6 months, you, the security forces, were the first to give the final answer, and truly, with great sacrifice and great dedication, you managed to show that here corruption, crime, and the mafia are being brought under control by the forces responsible for maintaining public order. And you are determined to defend citizens’ rights; you are determined to uphold the law. This was achieved because, first and foremost, you know and value the human being, and it is precisely your love for people and their rights that drives you—or protects you—in upholding freedoms. The freedom of property, which is essential and vital to enjoying all other freedoms. Thus, upholding the law and defending rights in a state governed by law are one and the same thing. a short time, in combination with the political term, we have completely changed it. Today the police, apparently, are loved by citizens because, in 18 of the … areas under their direction, they protect them. And the more you help them, the more citizens will love you. So the role of the police today is entirely different. It would be hard to find another country where the police are both hated and blessed as they are in Albania. No people are more morally opposed to crime and theft, and the Albanian people least of all. Therefore, by fighting crime and theft, you help citizens and earn their admiration. In your work, it is very important to make professionalism prevail. Today Albania has hundreds of thousands of intellectuals whom you can call upon and involve to help you, because there are entire scientific fields that can work with you to raise the scientific standard of your work. But above all, it is essential to strive to acquire new knowledge. Crime is changing today; it has an entirely different dynamic. Poverty is naturally the main factor, but there are also other factors that intervene and shape its development. In the future, more acute problems will emerge: arms trafficking, drugs. In all these cases, you must use far more sophisticated methods to control and detect crime. It is an undeniable fact that in your work you have managed to increase the rate at which these crimes are detected to (continued from page 4).

The Press and Information Office at the Presidency announces that, in a letter to President Berisha, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Miguel Angel Martinez, announced that he would visit Albania on 12–15 November. This visit will be another step in strengthening relations between Albania and the Council of Europe. Our country has guest status with this Council, and during President Berisha’s visit to Strasbourg in May of this year, full membership in this European forum was requested.

The draft law ratifying the agreement between the Republic of Albania and the European Economic Community on trade and trade and economic cooperation is approved. Drawn up by the plenipotentiaries of the parties concerned, namely: for Albania, Mr. Genc RULI, Minister of Finance and Economy; for the European Economic Community, Jaoa de Deus PINHERIO, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal – Acting President of the Council of the European Community – and Frans ADRIESSEN, Vice-President of the Commission of the European Community; finally, after almost five months of waiting, the Convention in question “made it” to Parliament (!): The two-article draft law ratifying this vital agreement for Albania was approved yesterday at the morning plenary session of the People’s Assembly, following a modest discussion and answers to members’ questions from the responsible specialists. Under Article 21 of the Agreement, it shall enter into force on the first day of the second month following the date on which the contracting parties notify one another that the legal procedures necessary for this purpose have been completed. The session then continued with the presentation and discussion of the draft law “On the Electric Police,” submitted by the Government. Alongside the version set out in the draft law, two other options were proposed during the discussion of this issue. One proposed that the powers of this police force be exercised within the framework of the financial police, while the other suggested that it operate as a department under the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. It was agreed that, in order to arrive at a single version, the options in question would first be discussed in the parliamentary groups together with the draft law “On Forests and the Forest Police”; they would then be discussed in a plenary session, which opens this morning at 10 o’clock. «RD» correspondent

On Friday, 2 October 1992, at the House of Culture in Përmet, the PD branch organized a meeting with PD members and independent intellectuals who had contributed and had heard democracy’s call to support it wholeheartedly. Mr. Tamor[?] also took part in the meeting ... [The surviving text is garbled.] ... the destruction then never ... theirs. We cannot build the temples ... of prosperity. When, in a democracy, we have declared total war on communism, we want to destroy its legal and organizational structures in the name of protection against destruction and against corruption. This ... There is much speculation about the elections of 26 July. I would say that on 26 July we won extraordinarily, just as on 22 March 1992, when we won political power. To win 60 percent as a democratic grouping ... as a democratic grouping, after having liberalized the prices of bread, flour, etc., and removed the subsidy basket for many items, is a great achievement, when public-opinion and voting trends shift not only over months but even over weeks. The Përmet of the democratic Frashëllis must return to that tradition in which its honour also lies. Therefore, you should choose a working team that will work devotedly on restructuring the PD and bring about a qualitative leap, making the PD a party of European standards, as we are a Permanent Observer Party of the European Democratic Union. Mr. Dosti concluded. Questions and discussion followed at the meeting. At the end, a team to deal with restructuring the PD was formed. The team immediately grew to 40 intellectuals, and Mr. Theodhoraq Vangjeli was elected its chairman. DASHNOR M. FRASHERI On Friday, October 2, 1992, at the cultural center members and independent intellectuals who have contributed and feel the call of democracy to support it vigorously. Mr. Tomor Dosti, Secretary-General of PDSH, also took part in the meeting. The meeting was opened by Mr. Edmond Theodori, secretary of the PD branch. The Secretary-General of PD, Mr. Tomor Dosti, expressing his wish to hold discussions with intellectuals from all political groupings because PD is an open party that always brings issues of national scope before the assembly for building a democratic Albania, emphasized that this gives us the right, first of all, to invite intellectuals to contribute vigorously to political, economic, and social life: Only through maximum contribution, ability, and dedication to democratic ideals will we build an Albania which, during these 4 years of the first democratic government’s mandate, does not belong only to PD. Above all, Albania transcends parties and is built by all Albanians. Because if many people build and fill it, they rejoice… When we democrats declared total war on communism, we wanted of prosperity against hopelessness, and not against communists who had been mentally massacred by indoctrination. It is understandable that those who raised communism onto a pedestal built with the bodies of people murdered in the communist way will answer for it before the court of history, just as communism itself is appearing before the historic court of world philosophy. Much is said about how PD, after taking power, has not yet done anything visible. I would say that a great deal has been done in these 5 months. Rebuilding the destruction of 47 years in such a short time—and rebuilding it properly—takes time. The government has been inaugurated in all international forums. Parliament is working at a rapid pace, even under conditions in which it faces a destructive rather than constructive opposition, the social-communist PP(S), which, with its declared strategy of overthrowing democratic power, distorts democracy and wants to portray it as an even worse dictatorship…

INTERVIEW WITH MR. SALI KELMENDI, MAYOR OF TIRANA — Mr. Mayor! How does the situation look for the Municipality of Tirana? Parliament approved the statute for the 18-year-old municipality. Immediately afterwards, the municipal council met and, among other things, approved the organizational structure of local government. It would be of interest to the public to hear your more detailed views on this structure. — I think the process of restructuring the Municipality’s administration has been delayed compared with other networks. The reason was that, as you mentioned, Parliament took some time to approve the Municipality’s statute. Nevertheless, this did not prevent us from working to improve this structure and make it as efficient an organizational structure as possible. It is important to emphasize that the procedures followed have been welcomed by all political forces. I judge that the parties are showing seriousness and commitment to reorganizing this government, particularly representatives of the Democratic Party, the Socialist Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Republican Party, etc. At the meetings held in recent days, we moved forward by further consolidating the structures of local government. Thus, we established commissions for the respective areas, approved the internal regulations, appointed the deputy mayors, Mr. Gëzim Kallëku and Ramazan Drita, approved the Municipality’s structure and, on that basis, organized and established its administration. — What is the Municipality’s general structure? — I will touch on three points I have in mind. Tirana is the capital, where the President and the Government work, along with various research and study institutions. It has a lively private sector that is continually growing, and public order is improving, though there are major problems; it also requires more in-depth intellectual work and more advanced scientific organization than other districts. The development of the market economy and business in Tirana has reached a level that influences life in other cities of the country as well. Here, as we continue to cooperate with the Government, the Municipality of Tirana will be conceived as an intermediary between a citizen and another large city. Consequently, as we said at the beginning, the structure of this Municipality will have three main levels: directorates, which have been prescribed and will also exist in the Municipality, because the staff with different specializations in this administration will communicate with enterprises and institutions, but will also conduct studies themselves concerning the institutions. In addition to directorates, as in other places, we will have sections and offices. In short, the structure will be: directorate–section–office. — Do you think that, by abolishing the districts, the Municipality will be able to handle the entire workload? (Continued on page 8)

— Our legislation gives us the confidence to invest quickly — A Belgian delegation led by the president of the Belgian-Albanian Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Zhak Ti…ermann, has been visiting since 30 September ... The delegation includes prominent businesspeople from important sectors, who are discussing the possibility of making an investment as quickly and in as organized a manner as possible. The Chamber’s vice-president, the well-known lawyer Mr. Lombard, said that Albanian legislation is now democratic and liberalized, giving us the opportunity to invest without fear and quickly. The Belgian-French Chamber of Commerce comprises 41 private companies. During its stay in our country, the delegation also met with various government and political figures of the country. GUXIM KOJELI