The visit of the Managing Director of the IMF was a true glimmer of hope and confidence that international finance would not abandon us. Someone might say: “Oh, it was only a visit, like so many others...,” fine words, smiles, and nothing else. If one considers that the agreement with the International Monetary Fund opens the way for all the world’s banks to invest in Albania without fear, strengthens the country’s financial credit network and creates conditions for major investors and private companies to follow the banks, there is no way to regard this visit as insignificant. The IMF is the greatest guarantor on the planet today: this organization has directed and guaranteed the economic reforms of Latin American countries such as Chile, Argentina and Brazil, and today these countries, once afflicted by chronic deficits, see themselves as states with rapid economic development and annual growth in gross output of 106–110 percent. The Fund’s advisers are also actively working in our economic ministries. THE FEELING OF BEING IN A TUNNEL The sharp rise in prices, unaccompanied by an equivalent rise in wages (had that happened, we would have had inflation three times greater than the current rate), makes the situation seem darker and more hopeless, as if one were in a dead-end tunnel. To cope with sugar becoming 1,000 percent more expensive on the free market, I had a helping hand from watermelon. This year, there was no shortage of it as a crop. Most people have only their state salary as income. Almost everyone, in the city as well as in the countryside, has turned their attention to trade. But not everyone has the capital to enter the market and take a risk. They do not have a cheap fruit like watermelon in front of them. They face welfare payments, job insecurity, and the prices of meat, cheese, sugar, etc., which do not want to move from their Western Olympus (and will never come down without competitive domestic production). These are the bitterest fruits of reform; they care nothing for any kind of enthusiasm and shake even the blindest faith. Many people do not know where to turn; they find themselves ... ... joint-stock companies with a view to privatizing them in the near future. So the idea of reform is beyond reproach. Every serious person in Albania has accepted it; so, who is to blame? Since reform is not to blame, some say the one implementing it—the government—is at fault. In their view, it is carrying out the reform badly. But why is the government carrying it out badly? Because it has raised prices, increased taxes, and is throwing us out onto the street—the innocent, impatient people reply, word for word. It is quite true that prices have risen, and risen considerably (in some cases, even more than economic logic would warrant). It is quite true that taxes have increased, but a state with a chronic deficit of tens of billions of new lekë has no other means of survival. It is true that thousands of people are receiving welfare. This whole situation has not arisen because one or several ministers have acted badly (although some of them have made mistakes through inexperience and for other reasons), or because the whole cabinet has erred. The reform strategy is sound. It aims to bring productive activity into being, which will be the country’s only savior. The bitter fruits being experienced today are part of the logic of reform’s first steps. It is understandable that we will have a harder time than the East Europeans, because the Enverian regime left us with no “fat” to fall back on. If we are committed to carrying out reform, we must also have the courage to accept the consequences of the first months, which are temporary. You cannot possibly play the role of a patient who cries, “Heal me!” but refuses to be pricked by needles. IS THERE LIGHT AT THE END? It is much too early to speak about the success of the government’s stabilization program. This will depend greatly on how capable this cabinet is of placing competent managers in key positions in the management of the economy and profitable enterprises, and on what kind of working environment is created for them to act on their own initiative. A government cabinet’s program should not be judged by the first impression it makes. What is visible today in government measures and the reduction of the bloated state administration constitutes one seventh of the reform as a whole. The rest concerns, in particular, legal reform, monetary reform and institutional reform as a whole. All these radical transformations will create an acceptable and attractive environment for foreign capital, so that it can establish itself here. Without putting an appropriate legal framework in place, and without changing the institutions that will guarantee the implementation of these laws, the foreign investor will remain forever an observer in Albania. On the other hand, (Continued on page 2) ... people do not have a cheap fruit like watermelon available to them. They face welfare payments, job insecur[?]ty, do not know where to turn; they find themselves in a situation that seems to them to have no way out. Abandoned, unmotivated by the small amount of money every two-year period provides, and with emigration as their only way forward, they raise their fingers almost in despair, trying to identify the culprit. THE FEELING OF GUILT This situation must have a culprit. But the blame cannot be laid on reform. All former socialist countries have accepted and are implementing it. Economic reform is being discussed today in every corner of the world. In neighboring Italy, state-owned industrial giants such as ENI, ENEL, IRI, etc., are being transformed into

— Meeting of Mr. Tomorr Dosti with the lion-hearted Albanian intelligentsia, the intellectuals of Kukës — On Friday, 9.10.1992, a meeting was held in the cinema hall of the city of Kukovë between the city’s intellectuals and the general secretary of the DP, Mr. Tomorr Dosti. The meeting was opened by Mr. Namik Dardha, chairman of the DP branch in Kukës. Mr. Tomorr Dosti then took the floor. Thanking those present, he stressed that the DP had lost in the three elections held in Kukovë. This fact obliges us to reflect on our work, our organization and our propaganda. The DP is a party of the future; therefore, intellectuals must bring to it the dimensions of development and coherence. Democratic processes in Albania must first and foremost be viewed from a human perspective. We must value a person not as a mechanical contraption, but for their dignity and personality. For me, only the spirit of the age is the driving force of human movement. Hegel says: “The driving force of society and human development is the spirit.” And I believe this great conclusion, because it is precisely the human spirit that makes the democratic Revolution. On this basis, we want to build a society in which every individual is equal before the law, regardless of ideas and views, regardless of position and wealth. In this process, Mr. Dosti said, the Albanian intelligentsia has played and continues to play an important role, since it was intellectuals who led this great movement. Precisely because these intellectuals have been at the forefront of the revolution, we cannot in fact call our movement populist. Populism can be a spontaneous, momentary movement, with demagogues and charlatans coming to the fore simply to gain something. But a party cannot be called populist when more than 80 percent of its members are intellectuals, as is the case with you; nor can the candidacy in India or Gaullism in France, etc., be called populism. It is said that there are no intellectuals in the DP; it is said that an intellectual is “a lonely person” with a diploma, and that something must therefore be corrected. An intellectual is also someone with an intellectual spirit and a broad intellectual culture, and this must be borne in mind. In this context, Mr. Dosti continued, the appeal we make to intellectuals is open and courteous. We understand that an intellectual is initially somewhat more hesitant, because they do not take rash steps; they want to be sure they will not make a mistake. But the time we have lived through should be a powerful motivation for intellectuals to put aside their doubts and become broadly involved in the developments of the democratic revolution; otherwise, intellectuals will bear a great moral responsibility. The DP is an open party, a party of the electorate, so intellectuals should join it, organize it and lead it. We do not demand that injustices be addressed by an intellectual becoming a member of the DP; rather, we ask that they do so because they understand it as an obligation to their nation and their people. We, Mr. Dosti continued, must continue the struggle against communism and its ideological exhaustion, on the psychological plane and at the level of its structures, which are still active today. ... The Socialists accuse us of revanchism, but this is not a defining feature of the DP or of democracy as a whole, because we know that revanchism and vengeance destroy a society. We will answer 45 years of communist revenge with love and forgiveness. For 47 years I was in prison and endured internment. And I am the first to have suffered and to offer public forgiveness, because I will answer in history for the person who did this to me. We forgive for our children, for the children of Albania, so that they do not inherit hatred toward other people, toward their fellow human beings. Hatred belonged only to the communist system, whereas democracy is an institution of freedom, Mr. Tomorr Dosti concluded. Then Mr. Afrim Haci briefed those present on the organization of the activity and the DP branch conference. MUJË BUÇPAPAJ Noble people of Kukës, of in political life. The people of Kukës should consider themselves comrades, as friends, as brothers. Later, speaking about the role of the intellectual in social life, [the text continues:] with a capacity of 220 cubic meters for several schools in the city of Fier. Meanwhile, the students of these same two schools have collected financial and material aid for two other schools in the city of Shkodër. The Coordinator of the Austrian Ministry of Education and the Arts, Mr. Mark Kuot, confirmed that the value of this aid amounts to nearly 700,000 schillings and that the Austrian Ministry of Education will add to this amount, bringing it to 2 million schillings, which will be used to renovate the aforementioned two schools in Shkodër,

— Meeting of the general secretary of the DP, Mr. Tomorr Dosti, and MP Rushen Golemi with the intellectuals of the Kukës district — On 11.10.1992, at the “Hasan Prishtina” Palace of Culture in the city of Kukës, the general secretary of the Democratic Party, Mr. Tomorr Dosti, and MP Rushen Golemi held a meeting with the intellectuals of this district, ... ... these days, MP Shefqet Hoxha took the floor, followed by Mr. Tomorr Dosti, who said, among other things: I want to thank you for attending—you intellectuals, the mind and spirit of noble Kukës, Kukës with its ancient traditions, both in historical life and in political life. The people of Kukës should be proud of what they have done over the centuries, what they are doing, and what they will do in the future. I have come here to talk with you as comrades, as friends, as brothers... ... speaking about the intelligentsia’s role in democratic processes, he said that it had played a major role. But, to be honest, I must say that not all the intelligentsia was engaged; I have a duty to ask this of you, and you have a moral duty to contribute to the democratic processes. The intellectual must play an all-round role. They must not evade their historical responsibility. This is a time that demands the intellectual’s commitment. It is the interests of the nation ... that call them, because each of us has a part to play in our society. The intellectual’s role has no expiration date. It has always been relevant—yesterday, today and tomorrow. So join the conscience of this nation, take part in its concerns, in putting things right and in its prosperity. The DP, Mr. Dosti continued, regards the merciless struggle against communism as a condition for moving forward. But fighting communism does not mean fighting honest, ordinary Communists. I have shaken hands with such a Communist and consider him a comrade in the struggle for democracy. Revenge and revanchism will not save us from communism. These are two institutions whose time has passed. Revenge is the attribute of people who are not democrats and are savagely ill and unrestrainedly subjectivist. So let us give them up, because we gain nothing from them except a second civil war like the one we have just gone through, one that divides friends and brothers. The democratic processes, Mr. Dosti said, led by the DP, should be considered in two aspects: spiritual and social. I attach importance to the spiritual aspect, because we must view a person from the perspective from which they should be viewed. A person must be free in every sense of the word. A person must stand on a pedestal from which they can see their humanity. The moral foundation of our society must be respect, love and justice. In the social sphere, we in the DP will strive to bring all the parts of our society together as one before the law. A level society, founded on universal values, is destined to endure for all time. Later, Mr. Rushen Golemi also addressed the many participants, who, after thanking the two gentlemen for the warm discussion, asked many questions and received competent answers. SHPËTIM LUKU

These days in Brussels, during the meeting of the Group of 24, where issues concerning the granting of loans and aid to the countries of Eastern Europe were discussed, the Austrian representative announced that his government had decided to add another loan worth 50 million schillings to the long-term loan of 45 million schillings already granted by Austria to Albania within the framework of the aforementioned group. This additional loan is earmarked for our country’s most urgent needs, especially projects in agriculture and industry. The Austrian government’s total loan of 95 million schillings to our country was confirmed in Vienna to Albania’s ambassador, Mr. Albert Alikaj, by Mr. Max Maizi (at today’s meeting of the heads of the Eastern Europe aid fund at the Federal Department for Eastern Europe within the Austrian Federal Chancellor’s Office, Grossendorfer. The agencies of the department for the integration of Eastern Europe within the Austrian Ministry of Economy and Finance also gave positive confirmation to Mr. Genc Ruli regarding the provision of technical assistance to our country, under which Albanian specialists in this field will be trained with Austria’s help. It was also announced that, as part of the humanitarian aid provided by Austrian organizations and associations, the “Austria plus” organization will send medicines, food parcels, etc. The first consignment of this aid will be dispatched in the coming days. In addition, two schools in the Austrian city of Grac will send various school supplies in the coming days, with a volume of 220 cubic meters, to several schools in the city of Fier. Meanwhile, the pupils of these same two schools have collected financial and material aid for two other schools in the city of Shkodër. The coordinator of the Austrian Ministry of Education and Arts, Mr. Mark Kuot, confirmed that the value of this aid amounts to about 700,000 schillings and that the Austrian Ministry of Education will increase the amount to 2 million schillings, which will be used to renovate the two aforementioned schools in Shkodër,

Food aid allocated by the European Community continues to arrive at the seaport of Durrës. The “Hope Two,” carrying 20,000 tons of wheat, is being unloaded at the grain terminal. Work is proceeding at a rapid pace, and 2,500 tons have yet to be unloaded. The ship “Atmod,” carrying 5,000 tons of powdered milk, has also entered the port and is being unloaded, while the ship “Stend Straum,” carrying 1,000 tons of meat—aid from the European Community—has arrived in the outer roadstead. A ship carrying 2,000 tons of iron and 500 tons of rice is expected to arrive at the port in the coming days. (ATSH)

THE FEELING OF GUILT