— FROM PRESIDENT BERISHA’S MEETING WITH MR. GALBRAITH — The President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, received Peter Galbraith, a representative of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The meeting included an extensive discussion of the crisis in the region and Albania’s relations with the United States. President Berisha stressed that the policy of the Albanian state and of Albanian political forces is to prevent conflict. In fact, Albania is adopting a constructive stance everywhere. We fully support the position of President Rugova and of the Albanian political forces in Macedonia, which took part in the government. We consider the establishment of dialogue between President Rugova and Prime Minister Panic a positive step, and welcome the success of the working groups set up to resolve urgent problems. This success would reduce tension, normalize life for Albanians to some extent, and create conditions for achieving Kosovo’s political status. President Berisha expressed Albania’s view that a demilitarized zone under the control of the United Nations would be another step toward preventing conflict. At the meeting, Mr. Berisha also outlined Albania’s need for substantial food, financial, and technical assistance.

— Nano now seeks to deceive even the members of his own party. — “Socialist unity,” merely a consequence of communist democracy in the SP — — Nano now seeks to deceive even the members of his own party. — “Socialist unity,” merely a consequence of communist democracy in the SP — The Socialist International’s “neglect” of the SP, Nano’s rejection during his statehood mission around Europe, and the negative assessments of various international institutions and organizations concerning the DP, but above all the IMF’s confirmation that the only alternative the world will support for resolving the crisis in Albania is the alternative being implemented by the democratic government, are the heaviest blows the SP has received from the democratic world in recent times. The simplest reasoning would convince even the most naive socialists, at the very least, that “something is wrong with today’s SP,” that something must change. But the SP leaders “do not understand” this; what is more, following old tactics, they gathered the “grassroots organizations,” where, according to directives from above, they “explained” to party members the unpleasant situation in which the SP finds itself. Having failed to deceive the public at home and abroad, today the “leaders” of the SP have no choice but to deceive their own members as well. “Europe will accept us, don’t worry, it’s only a matter of time,” they have said at recent meetings with SP rank-and-file members. But why do they have to deceive their own members too? Why not tell them the truth—the truth that many politicians have told the SP leaders to their faces? The reasons are simple: the truth is bitter for many of the SP’s leaders and deputies. The world has made it abundantly clear that as long as the Albanian Socialist Party continues to include elements who served the former dictatorial regime, who await … … vave të tij “the SP will convince the world otherwise when it takes power. This government won’t last through the winter.” These are the words that have been said to the so[cialist]s at recent meetings. Indeed, these meetings have also included directives on how every SP member should work to bring about the government’s “overthrow.” Thus, using Ramizist methods, Nano seeks to convince his members that regardless of who leads the SP and regardless of the destructive policy it pursues, all they need to do is take power and the world will change its position!! The truth is that within the SP and among its deputies there are intellectuals capable of recognizing their party’s policy and its negative role at home and abroad. They see that the standing and positions of some SP leaders and parliamentarians are discredited, yet they continue to show “unity” with them, compromising themselves for the sake of this false unity. It is no secret now that divisions within the SP are deepening and dissatisfaction with its leaders has grown. To increase loyalty to his party, Nano uses various methods to bring in young people and intellectuals. Some joined in the hope that the SP would change course. Others were enticed by positions and a parliamentary career. In this way, Nano sought to create an amalgam party in which the irrational Enverist would work alongside the intellectual. Convinced that the “strength” of his party lies with its fervent Enverists, Nano tried to create a movement, a façade of intellectuals that would conceal the SP’s Enverist clamour. But just how tenuous, fragile, and insignificant this movement is … has been shown by the quiet departure of some former leaders from the SP, and is being shown by the actions taken in the areas where the SP won on July 26. Almost all those municipalities and communes are headed by former Enver volunteers. But even at the centre, what prevails is a militant communist spirit. Those who want revenge and hope for the overthrow of the democratic government are dominant—people whose only known form of democracy is the dictatorship of the proletariat. How long will intellectuals continue to trample on their reputations for the sake of a “political career” or some other motive, especially when intellectuals are the first to understand better than anyone that, in the situation the country is in, work—not a dishonest struggle for positions—is the only solution needed today. EDI PALOKA ...finally with the members at the grassroots of the SP. But why do they need to deceive their own members, too? Why don’t they the SP leaders to their faces? The reason is simple: the truth is bitter for many of the SP leaders and MPs. as the PSSH and are merely waiting to take their revenge, and as long as the SP’s policy is directed according to the Stalinist methods and convictions that prevail in that party today, the SP will receive no recognition. Of course, such facts cannot be stated while the very elements in question are directing the SP’s policy; that is, they cannot tell their members, “The world won’t accept us unless we get rid of ourselves.” They would rather bring up from the depths of their souls the words “damned capitalists,” for which they would surely find support among the Enverists who make up the majority of the SP. (At a meeting concerning the facts mentioned above, one of these latter-day “socialists” told the author of this article: “We don’t need the world”; all that remained was for him to add the adjective “capitalist.”) Nevertheless, Nano does not give up. According to the direc-

I was reading an article in the newspaper “RD” these days in which the author rightly asked: is there bureaucracy in a democracy? The example used in the article yielded a positive answer to this question, while the reader is left bewildered and cannot help asking: will bureaucracy really follow us again like a shadow? These days I was reading an article in the newspaper “RD” in which the author rightly asked: is there bureaucracy in a democracy? The example used in the article yielded a positive answer to this question, while the reader is left bewildered and cannot help asking: will bureaucracy really follow us again like a shadow? In everyday life, people face all kinds of situations. We overthrew an old regime and are building a new one, with new people. How well do they meet the demands of the times? Let us look at this concretely and give some examples. One of the most pressing problems troubling every citizen today concerns the standard of living. Ultimately, the question today is whether our citizens will be able to cope with the high cost of living as reform begins. To ease the hardship somewhat, the state has made the necessary calculations to give everyone their “share,” starting with the destitute who have no income at all and going up to those receiving assistance. These provisions have been enshrined in laws. But ... Do you know that the state has guaranteed by law compensation for bread for you and your children if you have less than 0.5 dynym per person? — No, I don’t. Is that really true? Do you know that pregnant women who were members of an agricultural cooperative are also entitled to compensation? — But the cooperatives have been dissolved! Where are such benefits paid? Do you know that a person with no income at all receives state financial assistance, in addition to compensation for basic-basket products? The room fell silent, and from the way the people looking at me reacted, I realized that none of them knew about these laws or had benefited from them! And so, the state has enacted such beneficial laws which, unfortunately, the people do not know about, while some new bureaucrats continue to send people from office to office, causing them all kinds of trouble and, why not, filling them with resentment toward the government. The question arises: should the government consider itself absolved simply because it has issued decisions? How well does it know ... the situation down at the grassroots? Let us not forget that the bureaucratic apparatus has dragged the ordinary citizen from office to office for years without offering a solution. It is illogical to encounter such attitudes even today. The farmer Kol Jaku, from Rubik, complained to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food that the former owner of the land was demanding that he absolutely remove his home from where he had built it, and that, according to him, the local authorities in Mirditë had left enforcement of the land law to chance. In reply to this letter, the minister, Mr. Rexhep Uka, rightly gave him (Continued on page 4)

— Interview with the director, Mr. GJIN PROGNI — Question — Mr. Director, much has been said, and continues to be said, about Student City, its condition and situation. Some have also speculated a great deal and politicized it considerably. What do you think about this? Answer — It is regrettable that the political struggle in Albania often flares up and clashes harshly at the expense of the students at Student City. Personally, I think that this struggle, as I see it, benefits no one; on the contrary. Question — What is the real condition of Student City, or, more precisely, what changes have been made to improve conditions? Answer — To talk about improving the situation, one must know the condition in which Student City was left. Around 10 million in damage was done in six [unclear], not ... [unclear] of life, and for this method) the former administration directorate must also be held responsible. So, within a short period, investments had to be made in all the rooms, whe- ...to cope with the high cost of living as the reform gets under way? Moreover, the propo- at the center of it were presented as extreme in their assessment of the government. These days in Tazrakh, Mirdita, as usually happens on such occasions, the conversation turned to what hurts everyone: the economic situation. The democratic talk loosened people’s tongues: “This government, the way it is acting, won’t last long,” one of the wedding guests began. “Why do you say that?” someone replied. “What does the people gain from changing governments?” Naturally, the person he was talking to did not answer the questions directly, but began laying out his arguments: “The government sells us wheat for three thousand and some lek, but we don’t have the money to buy it; we don’t have land, we don’t have...” “Wait,” I said to him, “you have a job?” “Yes.” “How much land do you have?” By the figures he gave, he had less than 0.5 dynym per person.

In May, 15 buildings, 3 cafeterias, 2,000 m² of rooms, and over 200 m² of doors were painted. Buildings 28–29, 20–21, and 22–23, which had been in a deplorable condition, were completely renovated, and the road to buildings 22–23 was asphalted. 180 new washbasins were installed, 9,000 new sheets and 6,000 blankets were put into use, along with over 2,000 chairs and 80 cupboards; 14 million lek were spent. So, as the figures show, a relatively large amount of work has been carried out. Question — Mr. Director, based on the figures you gave me, it seems that Student City employees have worked overtime to handle such a workload. Were they also paid extra for this? Answer — No, they received no extra pay for this work. In fact, I can tell you that their wages are very low, often even below the assistance threshold. Question — And you, Mr. Progni, what is your salary? Answer — I receive 13,500 lek a month. And it is all so-

…paradoxical that I have been working for two months and still haven’t received my first salary (a salary equal to that of directors at other student centres, even though they are smaller than this one). The entire Republic of Albania has 26 buildings; Student City alone has 29. And consequently, the others have fewer problems than this city. Question — What other important things do you think have been done at Student City? Answer — The army has been permanently removed from Student City, and a bakery with a capacity of about 8,000 people is being built at the former army command post located there. So, after some time, Student City will get fresh bread from its own bakery. Question — Mr. Progni, what do you consider the most important organizational problems? Answer — A very serious problem is that of the five enterprises. They are separate enterprises whose work depends on one another and which all serve the students, but they come under different ministries. As a result, as an enterprise we suffer from their lack of reliability and incompetence. For example, the water company causes a very serious problem from time to time, but it does not come under the directorate I represent. The same applies to electricity. Question — We have heard that you have had problems that led to court proceedings concerning the foreign nationals housed at Student City, specifically in buildings 13 and 18. Could you explain the situation? Answer — Student City has regulations and a statute that do not allow people who are neither students nor lecturers to live there. Specifically, many people housed in building 18 (building 18 is the residence for lecturers) are not lecturers; they have various occupations, work in ministries and other jobs, etc., and quite often leave lecturers without accommodation. These people should, of course, vacate the building, and it seems absurd to me that the matter has gone as far as court. I think that in a democracy laws must be respected, and it is not at all right for them to continue staying there when the influx of students this year has been great and the Ministry of Education continues to send more students. Interview by: I. DIZDARI