- Product of Mr. Ceka’s compromise - In his discussion in parliament last year, Mr. Ceka (assigned to a parliamentary group to examine the renewal of SHIK) publicly declared that SHIK had been renewed. Now, after a year, when some things have become clearer and the logic of events unfolding in democracy’s favor has made it possible to shed a little light on that deep and frightening well that was State Security, we may ask: What prompted Mr. Ceka to make such an untrue statement? Did he really consider State Security renewed, or had other internal factors acted upon the respected member of the PD, factors that weighed heavily on his conscience? What might these factors have been, acting so fiercely upon him that, ultimately, they compelled him to make a statement in parliament? A statement that was worth more than anything else to State Security at the time, by describing it as renewed. Given these facts, can we speak of a compromise between Mr. Ceka and State Security, with its collaborator and co-ideator, Mr. Koçollari? And from here, moving to the heart of the matter: what does Mr. Ceka consider renewed? Renewal that reflects his beliefs and concepts, with the broadest implications for the political and social processes of that period, including the political settlement of December. A settlement that pushed Mr. Ceka out of the ranks of the PD. And in this context, is there a connection between this compromise between Mr. Ceka and State Security, the events of December 1991, and his statement from the president’s office? All this casts its light on democracy in public, which in no case can be a matter of either ignorance or incompetence. To organize that gigantic beast, trained for 50 years against free democratic thought, with the same faces elevated under the dictatorship, as Mr. Ceka has acknowledged, would mean that he was forced into such a compromise—or, worse still, that he defied democracy by declaring, almost tragically, that State Security had been softened, or that the old criminal had finally learned its lesson, when in fact it had merely been redistributed. a) Mr. Ceka, together with Mr. Irakli Koçollari, while “doing the job” of renewing SHIK, kept around 100 armed SHIK officers outside any staffing structure. These people were left at home, without any recognized state function. They received their full salaries. This boundless idleness was accompanied by absolute security, since they were allowed to keep their pistols until 30 June 1992, the day Mr. Bashkim Gazidede took over as head of SHIK. At first glance, the fact is shocking, since this category of security officers was paid without doing a single hour of work; these people had been selected, privileged within the repressive machinery of State Security, which came reorganized as SHIK without losing its structure, composition, connections, channels, operations, beliefs or political loyalties. Secondly, we may rightly suspect that this reserve category of people was kept for some dark, undisclosed purpose, potentially to be used as a contingent for any disturbance, any attempt at destabilization, or dubious operations. This act was a dangerous game played by Ceka against democracy. Why did Mr. Ceka not inform parliament about this matter? Why were these hidden limbs of State Security kept secret? The moving shadow spoke in the language of the gods, while in the background reserve platoons stood waiting for orders from above... The fact that this contingent was so trusted and SHIK had so many obligations toward it is reinforced by the fact that it was never affected by the reform, although the removal of SHIK personnel to the assistance pool had begun because of that reform. Meanwhile, these officers continued to retain their status as a separate reserve (64 in Tirana, with the others in the districts), receiving pay without working, although some of them could have been assigned jobs in SHIK, since there were vacancies in the staffing structure. Nevertheless, Mr. Ceka bypassed this issue; for him, SHIK had been renewed and was forever served by State Security. c) Mr. Ceka, still within the framework of the compromi- (Continued on page 4) his statement from the president’s office? All this is illuminated by a hidden light, but first let us pause to clarify what Mr. Ceka has called renewed in State Security, that monster from the communist inferno. A) Mr. Ceka compromised and deceived the PD and parliament when he called State Security renewed (transformed into SHIK on 1 October 1991), even though not a single security officer was dismissed following his inspection. So Ceka’s message was clear: to create the impression that the former State Security had been renewed while preserving the same murderous shadows, the same servants of the dictatorship, and even individuals declared antidemocratic and criminal. Thus, here Ceka performed a public service for State Security and dealt a blow

President Berisha meets Mr. Soros “It is an honor for me to welcome you, someone known not as a billionaire, that is, because of your wealth, but for the support and assistance you have given democracy in the countries of Eastern Europe,” President Berisha told George Soros at the meeting they held the day before yesterday at midday. “Your foundation in Albania, through the assistance it has provided to democratic institutions, has contributed to the victory and development of democracy in the country. Therefore, in the future we are determined to expand and extend the activities of your foundation. You have my full support for your work.” Mr. Soros expressed his admiration for the great changes Albania has undergone. He expressed his willingness to help Albania in the fields of culture, legislation, the economy, education, public order bodies, local government, etc. “My foundation,” Mr. Soros said, “is pleased and honored to help Albania during this period in building the institutions of democracy.” (ATSH)

During his meeting with Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi, the President of the “Soros” Foundation, George Soros, confirmed the foundation’s readiness to help Albania during this transitional period in such fields as culture, education, health, and postgraduate specialization in other fields. Thanking him for the purpose of his visit and for the assistance provided during this period by the Foundation headed by Mr. Soros, Prime Minister Meksi gave him an overview of the difficult situation Albania is going through this year and of the Government’s program for moving ahead more quickly and effectively. At the same time, he praised the fields in which the “Soros” Foundation is committed to providing assistance and considered the arrival of experts and specialists to help create the Albanian rule-of-law state extremely significant. The meeting also discussed new opportunities for cooperation and assistance that the foundation will offer in the future, once more advanced work has been done to equip the state with the necessary legal code. (ATSH)

a symbol of the noblest human sentiments On Tuesday, the President of the Soros Foundation, Mr. George Soros, arrived for a visit to our country. He first established the “Open Society” Foundation in 1979. Today, foundations of this kind exist in 15 countries of Eastern and Central Europe. The aim of these nonprofit foundations is to provide full and postgraduate studies, support an independent press, and offer financial assistance to distinguished individuals and businesspeople, among others, who have taken part in conferences abroad; to donate books and various kinds of equipment, computers, photocopiers, typewriters, cameras, and 120 tons of paper for the leading newspapers, etc. Afterwards, Mr. Soros answered questions from journalists. Asked whether he intended to create the Faculty of Philosophy from scratch or build it on the existing foundations, Mr. Soros replied that— On Tuesday, Mr. Xhorxh Soros, President of the Soros Foundation, arrived for a visit to our country. Mr. Soros Central Europe. The purpose of these nonprofit foundations is to help countries emerging from totalitarian dictatorships in various ways to establish democracy. A foundation of this kind, «Open Society for Albania», has also been set up in our country by the Hungarian-born billionaire Xhorxh Soros, and has been operating since 1991. The purpose of this nongovernmental organization is to support democratization in Albania through education and culture, by implementing various assistance programs according to the country's needs. To implement these programs—including sending students abroad for full and postgraduate studies; supporting the independent press; providing financial assistance to various people who have taken part in conferences abroad; donating books and various equipment, computers, photocopiers, typewriters and cameras; and donating 120 tons of paper to the main newspapers—the foundation has so far spent more than 400000 dollars. On Tuesday, Mr. Soros held a press conference in the reception hall of the Foundation near the International Center of Culture. After expressing his satisfaction with the Foundation's work to date, Mr. Soros explained that his visit was intended to develop the strategy for the Foundation's work in the coming year. This activity will cover various fields, including the creation and functioning of civil society and the establishment of democratic institutions. Some of these activities will also involve the government, with which the Foundation will cooperate. The main areas of activity are to be culture and education. So far, Mr. Soros said, the Foundation has provided assistance for studies abroad and organized English courses for former persecuted people, «for whom I am pleased that I can fill the gap that has existed up to now». In the coming year, other people will be assisted with postgraduate studies; help will be provided to open departments of philosophy and sociology; the faculties of economics and law will be strengthened; and assistance will be provided to improve education in secondary and primary schools. Another area of work next year will be laws, the functioning of local government, legislation and human rights. Assistance will also be given to the creation of organizations and ... [the text is corrupted and continues:] ... itself. The reprisals against the population were severe. Hundreds of peasants were shot on the spot; others were massacred without regular trials; in the infamous camps. Inhuman treatment and violence in this country may never before have been seen in postwar fate. A true tragedy also struck the families persecuted throughout the dictatorship, leaving them to suffer and depriving their children of alleged, Swamp. There is much evidence that these trials were fabricated to create an opportunity has yet come forward to tell the truth, it is the duty of the justice authorities to expose and establish the truth that Albania's dictatorial leadership was completely subordinate to the Yugoslav communist leadership. This became clear from many events, both in Shkup inhabited by Albanians. (Continued on page 2)

Thus, in the Malësia e Mbishkodrës region, in Postribë and in the country’s other regions, these uprisings, which received no aid or support[?] from abroad, were organized and carried out mainly by the rural population itself. The reprisals inflicted on the rural population included people being shot on the spot; others were massacred without proper trials, while others were imprisoned and died during investigations, in prison, or in the infamous camps. The inhuman treatment and violence in this country may never have been seen in peacetime in Europe. Many intellectuals, clerics, and young people suffered the same fate. A true tragedy also befell the families who were persecuted throughout the dictatorship, left to suffer, while their children were denied the opportunity to pursue schooling according to their abilities. In the first period after liberation, several “acts of sabotage” were carried out, causing further tragedies, such as the one at the Maliq Swamp. There is considerable evidence that their trials were fabricated to make it possible to eliminate so-called internal enemies who were “working” in connection with foreign agents. Since no security officer, investigator, or judge has so far come forward to tell the truth, it falls to the justice authorities to expose and establish the truth connected with this as soon as possible. Soon after liberation, our people understood that Albania’s dictatorial leadership was completely subservient to the Yugoslav communist leadership. This became evident through many events, both in Skopje and in Kosovo and in the other parts of Yugoslavia inhabited by Albanians. “Continued on page 2” The commemoration of the 45th anniversary of the six deputies, of the massacre of 24 distinguished figures of our country, known and proven as patriots, democrats and intellectuals, compels us to reflect on an accurate understanding of the anti-Albanian policy pursued by the Communist Party, by Enver Hoxha and by all those who, in various leadership positions, followed him faithfully in his anti-national and criminal activity. It is our duty, including that of those of us who lived through that period with fear and anguish, to challenge our judgments while awaiting an honest and impartial investigation in greater depth. The entire period before and after liberation must be reviewed and re-evaluated accurately and objectively, because only in this way can we achieve what we all wish for: reconciliation and national unity. A sincere and open admission of the mistakes and wrongs committed by individuals is in everyone's interest if we are to build a shared community. This will enable all Albanians to work for a democratic state governed by the rule of law, capable of confronting the difficulties of the times. The sentencing of the 24 deputies was not an isolated or unprecedented act at that time, nor one detached from its context, but a massacre, a killing of all its prominent figures, reflecting the era and the positions of the Communist Party. Our people welcomed the liberation of the country joyfully and without bloodshed, believing that with the expulsion of the occupiers, internal conflicts would also come to an end and everyone would work for the country's recovery in a spirit of reconciliation and unity. It soon became clear what this «recovery» meant: the Communist Party, completely tied to the Yugoslav harness, denying every peaceful demand for the rights of ethnic Albania and for reconciliation and unity, began a campaign of persecution, arrests, imprisonment, torture, killings without any kind of regular trial, and violence against families, entire villages and, especially, intellectuals. These persecutions were carried out to create an atmosphere of terror and insecurity, to subjugate and exterminate that part of the Albanian population believed not to embrace the communist dictatorship. The people began to understand that democracy and freedom could not take root in Albania. During this period, entire areas that had been seething under terror harsher than that of the foreign Serbian, Montenegrin and other occupations rose up. Thus, in the Malësia e Mbishkodrës, in Postribë and in other regions of the country, these uprisings, which had received no assistance or support—

Among other things, the deputies expressed concern and called for the issue of Italian aid to be discussed; they also called for the bill on the privatization of agricultural enterprises to be presented as soon as possible. - Monday - This week, the People’s Assembly began its work in a plenary session on Monday, 10.10.1992, at 15:00. Unlike previous occasions, 15:00 was set as the time for the agenda, not for one week but for the two weeks ahead— (Continued on page 4) This program provides for discussion of several bills, such as the one “On the Zootechnical Service,” amendments to the existing law “On Personal Income Tax,” “On Units of Measurement and the Control of Measuring Instruments (Metrology),” “On the Bankruptcy of State Enterprises,” etc. Reports will also be presented on the work done by temporary commissions, such as the one on symbols, the one on the issue of responsibility for MGJ, etc. The work currently being done will be reviewed