In Bonn, in a warm and friendly atmosphere, the President of the Republic of Albania, Sali Berisha, was received by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Vaiczeker. We note that this meeting took place without the presence of journalists and lasted about 18 minutes. After the meeting, we learned that German President Vaiczeker expressed his satisfaction with the steps Albania has taken along the difficult road to democracy. The President of the Federal Republic of Germany also assured President Berisha that he would work to intensify future aid to Albania and bilateral relations in various fields. It is also reported that the delicate situation in the Balkan region was discussed at this meeting. President Berisha invited the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Vaiczeker, to visit Albania, and he gladly accepted the invitation. Continuing his successful visit to Germany, President Sali Berisha was received by Mr. Gensher. The meeting was very cordial and friendly. At the beginning of the conversation, Mr. Gensher requested extensive and detailed information about the political and economic situation in Albania. Mr. Gensher then told President Berisha that his recent visit to Albania would remain unforgettable. For his part, President Berisha gave him a comprehensive summary of Albania’s political and economic situation. After hearing this summary, Mr. Gensher expressed his full support for the economic and political reform that has begun in Albania.

In our transition, the question is posed as follows: Is the PS’s claim to participate in central government realistic, or are we dealing here with an exploitation that has cost our nation dearly on the road to stabilization and to creating a healthy climate for foreign and diaspora aid and investment? The PS’s position, whether it supports the current government or opposes it, as it is in fact doing, should depend on the actual substance of the aforementioned claim by the PS—or, more precisely, by its leadership. Here, instead of handing out insults freely, it makes sense to examine the problem as it is, from the soundest perspectives. The socialism of humanity was without prose, but it was said there: if you have contributed to the struggle or show yourself loyal to the party, you can wield power. Power has all the good things: a fixed salary; comfortable living conditions, prestige and connections, with benefits of many kinds. This miracle happens only in feudal socialism, where from nothing you can become everything on the basis of a small contribution or out of loyalty. This does not happen under any other social order. It is known that everywhere in the world, those who hold power come from among the property owners, who see power as a chance to demonstrate their abilities, because all the other good things are— [The source text is interrupted here.]—blacklisted, and all kinds of pretexts were carefully amassed against them in order to get rid of them using arguments and on the basis of the “line of the masses.” The ever-growing demand for material goods and other goods, both spoken and unspoken, drove the bureaucrat to benefit from the many people in need in this world in order to meet some pressing, vital demand, such as housing, employment and, beyond that, a comfortable corner, certification, scholarships, medical care, a justified transfer, an acceptable judicial decision, services abroad, etc. This honest source of goods, this illegal surplus value, is a million times more honest than the legal surplus value of the capitalist owner. Capitalist profit has only one source: labor productivity and the corresponding contract signed by the worker in their own hand; whereas the bureaucrat’s profit comes from the dark recesses of life, outside production. Thus the bureaucrat of socialism gradually became the embodiment of human anti-values. Not through his own fault, but because of feudal socialism, which distorted the honest sources of ever-increasing recognition. The perverse laws of this socialism warped people. Our democracy need not fear the possibility of a return to socialism; but it can and rightly should fear those who served the dictatorship, especially in its upper echelons, because these people—[?]—find it difficult to reform quickly, whereas those disregarded by socialism, who make up the overwhelming majority of the PD, even if they may bear stains from the past, find it much easier to renew themselves. If we view renewal as a school curriculum that we must all master, then we understand that we cannot all master this curriculum equally or at the same time. And then the replies we have heard on the subject—that former Communists are equal in returning—lose their concrete meaning. Former Communists and everyone else are equal only in their right to renew themselves, but not in the concrete results achieved in a given period. A day will come when we can all recover from socialism’s ills; but for now there will be small differences. The cycle of reasoning has closed: the PS does not suffer from a desire to restore socialism or perpetuate socialist habits. At present, it suffers more than other parties from socialism’s stains, according to the rule: the higher the rank a former Communist held under socialism, the more he suffers from these stains; conversely, the lower the former Communist’s rank, the easier his return. One thing must be excluded from this general rule: the small groups of individuals we called the “golden reserve,” who can serve all parties. ... for happen in any social system. It is well come from among property owners, who see power as an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities, since all other benefits are provided by the property they own. Thus, when a property-owning officeholder loses power, he returns to his property without any misgivings. But where can a socialist officeholder return if he loses power? With the loss of power, he loses everything. That is why we say that a socialist officeholder’s struggle to defend his position is at least a hundred times fiercer than that of a property-owning officeholder. To defend their bureaucratic positions, the socialists in power use every means and method, drawing not on leadership or professional skills (socialism had no test for such things), but on the ability to demonstrate loyalty and a readiness to submit. This encompasses everything: from servility toward superiors to psychologically terrorizing subordinates, following the feudal logic: «I am the master here, so everyone must bow their heads; if you want to eat. Innovative thinking gets crushed by this logic: don’t cause us trouble, don’t show off your ideas, leave us in peace to do our work; the world won’t come to an end if things aren’t put right by your hands, etc. The advocates of discipline and order, as well as people who were upright and sensitive to injustice and oppression, were on the lis- ... were constantly increasing. The perverse laws of this socialism perverted those who served the dictatorship, especially those at its highest levels, because these people acquired dangerous anti-values that will take time to fade. This is the source of the developed world’s distrust of socialist parties that emerged from the ranks of former communist parties. It is also the source of the Democratic Party’s distrust. Of course, one may say that this is not principled, since there are former communists within the Democratic Party and other parties as well. But this sort of smoothing-over in the name of establishing a principle is dangerous. When we say that, for now, the Socialist Party deserves distrust, we are proceeding from the logical fact that the overwhelming majority of this party consists of, as they are called, supporters of socialism. We also proceed from another logical fact: that a very small number of the former communists whom Albania suffered under because of socialism’s irresponsibility can fully reveal themselves in a democracy. These are, so to speak, the golden reserve of former communists, and we should give them a chance, in confidence, if only because they were not distorted by socialism’s crooked rules. Thus, everyone has the right to renew themselves, but not everyone can renew themselves in the same way and at the same time. Those who were distorted by years of bureaucracy have a very ... ... the bitter roots of socialism have poisoned us all to one degree or another. These differing degrees of poisoning should serve as good fortune for those who were poisoned a little and bad fortune for those who were poisoned a great deal. The way for both sides to find salvation is to begin building the new house together. In the name of this high ambition, let us relegate our other ambitions to second or third place. For the PS, this means giving up its claim to power during the period we are living through. That is what becomes a true athlete when they have the courage to look within themselves and discover some desire that needs to be corrected in the next few training sessions. But our parties are all like inexperienced athletes: they want victory at all costs, regardless of their weaknesses. The masters of sport have been able to see through this deception by the parties about victory, because they know what colossal, systematic effort a deserved victory requires. The greatest victory of our season is the coordination of all parties to ensure pe-

On 11 November 1992, the Second Conference of the PD Patos Branch successfully held its proceedings. The conference was honored by the presence of Mr. Tomorr Dosti, Secretary General of the PD; Mr. Mitro Çela, the area’s member of parliament; and Mr. Afrim Haci, Deputy Head of the PD Organization Department. The opening address was delivered by Mr. Çenko Brahimi, secretary of the PD Patos branch. The report entitled “The Activities of the PD Branch in Achieving Political and Economic Objectives for Deepening the Democratic Revolution” was delivered by the branch chairman, Mr. Iliaz Vrioni. The questions put forward by the audience were answered by Messrs. Iliaz Vrioni, Çenko Brahimi, Mitro Çela, and others. Discussion followed. Elections were then held for the branch chairman and members of the Branch Steering Council. Mr. Iliaz Vrioni was reelected Chairman of the PD Patos Branch. Mr. Tomorr Dosti, Secretary General of the PDSH, addressed the conference and expressed the hope that people deserving of the position, in recognition of their contribution to building democracy in our country, would be elected to lead the PD in Patos. RD correspondent in Patos

For the victims of communist terror in Tirana from 28 October to 17 November 1944 On Monday afternoon, a commemorative meeting was held in the hall of the Opera and Ballet Theatre in the capital in honor of the innocent victims of communist terror during the days of Tirana’s liberation in the autumn of ’44. Family members of the martyred, their relatives, members of the Association of the Politically Convicted and Persecuted, witnesses to those horrific days, representatives of political parties, members of parliament and other guests took part in this commemorative gathering. Also present was the Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Pjetër Arbnori. The opening address was delivered by Mr. Osman Kazazi. Those present honored the victims of communist terror with a minute of silence. The main report was delivered by Mr. Edan Ballabani. The commemorative meeting was then greeted by Mr. Pjetër Arbnori. Amid tears and human sorrow, Bahri Liku, on behalf of the persecuted families; Hysen Salla, a witness to those years; and Xhemal Alimemeti, an eyewitness oku- [sic], shared their memories. Later, in memory of the martyred victims, candles were lit and commemorative tributes were paid near the Historical Museum. DULEJMAN KARAJ

From the People’s Assembly After a busy week of work, the People’s Assembly began its work for the coming week in a plenary session on Monday afternoon. First, Mr. Arbnori presented the work program for the period 16–19 November, which provides for discussion of the following draft laws: 1. “On Commercial Companies.” The one on Foreign Affairs, since the latter is in Italy, has been postponed to 26 November 1992. The date for approval by the Minister of Education has not yet been set, since he too is abroad on official business, in Bulgaria. The Prime Minister is expected to set a date for the question session requested by the PS parliamentary group. After the work program was presented, several members of parliament made comments and raised concerns about various issues. Thus, MP Alimehillm requested that information be provided on what the special committees have done so far, such as the one dealing with the Agricultural Bank issue, Italian aid, etc. Imami welcomed his group’s request for an interpellation with the Prime Minister on the government’s position regarding property. Among other things, MP Fehmi Abdiu suggested that work be done to complete the rules of pro- ... First, Mr. Arbnori presented the work programme the following draft laws: 1. «On Commercial Companies». 2. «On certain amendments to Law No. 7516, dated 7.10.1991», «On Trade Unions». 3. «On certain amendments to the law “On the Status of the Deputy”». 4. The law returned by the President, «On Prefectures». 5. The President’s decree, «On compulsory third-party liability insurance for holders of motor vehicles». 6. The draft resolution approving in principle the draft cooperation treaty between Albania and Bulgaria. 7. Items on the agenda and approval of the Republic’s Prosecutor General. The motion concerning the Minister of Labour- (Continued on page 4) ... (Continued from page 4)

— Interview with Rexhep Uka, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Food, given to the Albanian Telegraphic Agency TIRANA. — Asked by ATSH about the views of the relevant European circles on the current situation in Albanian agriculture, Mr. Uka said: “In many organizations, many authorities and political figures, as well as in documents, projects and studies produced on agriculture, Albania’s agricultural reform has been judged to have progressed better than that of all the Eastern countries. This is also a reason for Albanian agriculture to receive substantial assistance. The G-24 meeting, which begins in Tirana on 5 December, is the most important conference on agriculture ever held in Albania. For some time, world opinion, countries and various institutions have been made aware of the need to help Albania in the field of agriculture. It is now known that the Albanian Government has declared agriculture a priority, a key sector, because it concerns the largest part of the population and is directly linked to the task of feeding the people. The entire sector [text unclear] that agriculture is the people’s lifeblood. Thus, the shared memories have been erased [text unclear]. It is the first sector to have begun privatization. It is precisely this G-24 meeting, held with various donors and chaired by the European Community and the World Bank, that will present the short- and medium-term strategy for developing Albanian agriculture. This will be based on a special study submitted by the EC and World Bank mission, together with specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance, who have collected the data. The various projects under this strategy will be presented to the donors and parties; in a separate sector, the first three will contribute their share.”

- Interview given to journalist Mero Baze by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkey, Mr. Metin Ornekol - - Mr. Nevzat Ayaz, Minister of National Defence of Turkey, will arrive in Tirana tomorrow at the head of a senior military delegation. - Mr. Nevzat Ayaz, Minister of National Defence of Turkey, will arrive in Tirana tomorrow at the head of a senior military delegation, together with his military adviser and senior Turkish army officers, invited by Albania’s Minister of Defence, Mr. Safet Zhulali. In his interview with the Albanian Telegraphic Agency, Turkey’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Tirana, Mr. Metin Ornekol, was asked about the objectives of this visit. He stressed that the visit by Turkey’s Minister of National Defence would give concrete form to the agreements outlined in July during Mr. Zhulali’s visit to Turkey, in the fields of military and technical cooperation and armaments. Mr. Nevzat Ayaz will sign the agreements that are to be implemented immediately after his visit. The military agreement aims for us to work together, with our cooperation being improved and raised to a higher level. In the technical field, technical cooperation between the two armies will be arranged; cooperation in education concerns the training of Albanian military personnel in Turkey. The fact that four Albanian officers are already receiving training in Turkey will be formalized, and this agreement will be expanded further. In practical terms, delegations will also be exchanged to take part in joint exercises by the two armies, thereby sharing experience and undoubtedly benefiting from the experience of the Turkish army. Above all, however, the visit of Turkey’s Minister of National Defence to Albania, in the present circumstances, is a valuable contribution from the standpoint of security, peace and stability, and a welcome initiative to avert conflicts in the region through cooperation. The idea is to secure peace for all countries. - Albania, emerging from a dictatorial state that had oriented its defence along an ineffective path, is ... (Continued on page 5)

Why is municipal authority being ignored? - The offices of the «Ali Kelmendi» Palace of Culture are being usurped by a foreign company - Since 1947, the building of the «Ali Kelmendi» Palace of Culture has been administered by the former B. Professionale. Today, however, the building belongs to the Municipality, and the employees of this palace are paid by the state. Yet the trade union confederation seems to know nothing about this and is using the palace as if it were its father’s property. As if that were not enough, in recent days it has decided to rent it out to make a profit. The SWISAIR agency has settled in there, making itself right at home; it is modifying the offices and installing equipment. On behalf of the city Municipality, Mr. Shaqir Rexheval has spoken several times with representatives of this agency, asking it to stop the works. But apparently, to no avail. Legally, it is inexplicable that someone should come and set up in the offices of the municipal authorities without the approval of the competent body. And yet this is happening today in the centre of the capital! ARTUR KAÇOBRRI

We clarify that Mr. Ibrahim Vasjari was elected chairman of the PD branch in Vlora by a majority of votes, not Roland Tafili, as was incorrectly reported.