President of the Republic Sali Berisha received Albania’s friend, Lord Julian Amery, and Marshal Benet. Lord Amery expressed his pleasure at coming to Albania in its democratic era and thanked the President wholeheartedly for the memorial erected in honor of the Englishmen who fell for Albania’s freedom. He also expressed his willingness to help develop friendship with Great Britain. For his part, the President welcomed him and said: “It is a pleasure for us to receive you in Albania, together with your friend Marshal Benet.” He then informed him about Albania’s efforts to develop the reform and its successes, and about Albania’s determination to pursue a policy of safeguarding peace and stability in the Balkans. PRESS AND INFORMATION OFFICE AT THE PRESIDENCY

By Michael Gunton Party discipline. Although they may not admit it, Albanian politicians are enjoying themselves. Quite naturally, they are basking in their newly found freedom of speech and in the opportunities that have come their way, and they are making the most of them. They are also, almost without exception, trying to do what they believe is best for Albania and the Albanian people. And the first signs are that they are on the right track and making identifiable progress. But newly found freedom inevitably leads to excess and to the desire for everyone to express themselves as individuals at every possible opportunity. But this is precisely the time when discipline is essential. Without it, disaster follows. Discipline within a political party is vital to its success. The strength of Communist parties throughout the world has always been strict discipline, forcefully imposed—often harshly, and always without sympathy or understanding. Democratic parties must have the same discipline if they are to succeed. But in a democracy this discipline must be self-imposed. It must be upheld out of loyalty to the party and its leaders, and for the good of the country. Every party must have laws and rules which members accept automatically because they accept membership in, and support for, the party. All members of parliament must accept that their first duty is to their party, especially if it is in government. They joined the party because they felt that it was best for the country. They must never—and I repeat, never—put it at risk through ill-considered and selfish individual decisions. They must always ask themselves: do I really want to put democracy at risk and risk a return to where we were? In Britain, one of the world’s oldest democracies, members of Parliament today answer first and foremost to the needs and interests of the Party. Every Member of Parliament knows that every few years they will face an election. Then they will need and expect the support of the Party that first got them into Parliament. They will need its organization, the opportunities it provides for support, and perhaps financial assistance. A member of parliament, in any country, is rarely elected solely on the strength of their personality. They win because voters first choose party members in accordance with the country’s broad political divisions. The need for discipline is strongest when the Party is in government. A changed view, forcefully expressed in public and exposed by an opposing voter in the Chamber of Deputies, is an act of treachery and is wholly unacceptable. A revolt by Party members in response to what they believe to be their conscience, or the presence of a small group, may force the party to be voted out through defeat in the debating chamber, with consequences none of them wants. To win a seat in parliament by virtue of being a party member and then to express an opposing view—or perhaps resign and accept the selfish luxury of calling oneself independent—is to betray the trust placed in you by voters, as well as the trust of your party leaders and colleagues. This deserves the strongest condemnation. Loyalty is one of the most important qualities in human life—particularly in politics. Members of political parties who hold views different from those of their colleagues have the right to express those views at private party meetings and to try to bring about a change. But if they are outvoted, they must vote with the Party in Parliament. There is no other way. No government, no political party, can tolerate individual actions that put its future at risk or make its position untenable.

The President of the Republic, Mr Sali Berisha, received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain to the Republic of Albania, Mr Patrik Feueruehder, accompanied by the British chargé d’affaires in Tirana, Mr Xhon Dun-kan. The main subject of the talks was the danger of the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina spreading to Kosovo and further into the Balkans. President Berisha informed Ambassador Feueruehder that Albania adheres to the principle of the self-determination of peoples on national questions, in accordance with international norms and instruments. He expressed the wish that the CSCE observer mission begin its work in Albania as soon as possible. Among other things, the Ambassador underlined the importance of the international community’s new measures against Serbia and Montenegro, the deployment of the CSCE observation mission in Prishtina, and the European Community’s firm determination not to allow ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. During the meeting, he thanked Albania for hosting in Tirana a memorial dedicated to the English soldiers who fell in Albania during the Anti-Fascist War. (ATSH)

On Tuesday morning, the Minister of Defence, Safet Zhulali, accompanied by the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, Lieutenant General Ilia Vasho, the commander of the Naval Combat Fleet, First Rank Captain Fitim Halili, and a senior retired officer, visited the Royal British destroyer HMS Gloucester. The Albanian Minister of Defence and those accompanying him were received aboard the ship by the destroyer’s commander, First Rank Captain Dankën Ferguson, and other English servicemen. Also on Tuesday, the English Ambassador, Patrik Feueruedhër, went to the orphanage’s workshop in Durrës, where, on behalf of the British government, he donated a generator to the institution. Sailors and military specialists from the British destroyer carried out various jobs, including painting and repairs, creating clean and pleasant surroundings for the children at the orphanage. A friendly volleyball match was also held between the destroyer’s team and the Naval Combat Fleet. (ATSH)

— Meeting of Mr Rexhep Uka and Mr Zhan Nikola Marshall with representatives of the diplomatic corps in Tirana — Raising international public awareness of the consequences of the major floods that occurred in our country was the purpose of the meeting held by the chairman of the special commission for rehabilitating the areas affected by them, Mr Rexhep Uka, and Mr Zhan Nikola Marshall, UN Resident Coordinator, with representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Albania. — Natural disasters Zhan Nikola Marshall with representatives of the diplomatic corps in Tirana — Among other things, Mr Uka said that 6–7 districts of the country had been struck. As if the traditional poverty of all these years were not enough, these areas received a “gift” from nature: a deluge that caused the Mat and Drin rivers to overflow. As a result, around 7,000 families, comprising about 35,000 people, were affected. (Continued on page 4)

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the proclamation of Albania’s independence, the Academy of Sciences of the Republic and the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo organized yesterday, 25 November, in Tirana, a National Scientific Conference on the subject: “Political Issues of Independence in the Years 1928–1914.” The conference was opened by Mr Kristo Frashëri, who emphasized that the proclamation of independence was the result of the free will of the Albanian people in all their territories. Just as 80 years ago at the Assembly of Vlora, representatives from all Albanian territories and from the diaspora are taking part in this Assembly. But whereas the delegates to Vlora came from the four Albanian vilayets, the representatives at this Assembly in fact come from four

— Mr Eduard Selami takes part — The branch chairman, Mr Kujtim Gina, presented a detailed and practical report on the progress of the party’s work in the district during the period between the two conferences. The clarity of Mr Gina’s presentation facilitated the conference’s proceedings. The chairman of the DP, Mr Eduard Selami, also addressed the conference. He said that the internal elections within the DP were nearing completion. They had been successfully conducted and were another important step in the DP’s reorganization and restructuring. Once the framework and conditions are in place, we will have a well-organized party. I congratulate you on the significant achievement: between the two conferences, 2,400 new members have joined. But the functioning of the party structures is also a problem here. The structures at every level and the activists are the foundations of information; this year, the program and the DP have been implemented. At a time when the DP has many important issues in Parliament, the development of cooperation and coordination between the DP and its MPs is especially important. The MP must follow everything closely, including the work of local government officials, whether they belong to the DP or the PS. They should help them, but must not become detached from legality. The MP’s role will grow if the commission also grows and has more contact with the people, their wishes, and the DP. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the area to maintain its confidence in the DP, and difficult for the MP to understand and help resolve the problems of the area. Establishing contacts is a shared duty, but if the MP does not carry out this duty successfully, should the local government officials and representatives of the area ask the MP for a meeting? Responsibility for the local elected representatives lies not only with the DP and its branches, but also with its MPs and parliamentarians. Implementation of the program depends on the people we have and on their sincerity, on others who have campaigned under the DP name in political circles, and on the…? Looking…? If the DP is truly to be ready for every mobilization…? to report…? the whole department…? nor for party-state relations, for a relationship…? whose purpose…? the report…? of the electorate, who ask it for a program…? of the Party. In his speech, Mr Selami also addressed a number of other issues. As for local government

The representative of the DP Presidium was Mr Blerim Cela, who said, among other things, that even today, amid the difficult economic reform, the true democrats are those who fought and continue to fight for democracy, not for privileges. Everyone must understand clearly that we are in a crisis, and everyone must recognize their place in it. No one should expect the systematic deterioration of half a century to be put right by the DP in 6–7 months, something that objectively cannot be achieved. The measures approved by Parliament and the decisions of the Council of Ministers are aimed at supporting reform and rapidly privatizing the economy. This is producing results, and we will see them clearly in the future. Efforts are now being made to strengthen agricultural mechanization and establish joint ventures with foreign capital on agricultural farms, while in the cities work is under way to privatize service enterprises and attract foreign investment. The government is creating opportunities to reform the tax system in order to encourage Albanian traders, and is approving draft laws on the privatization of state-owned homes, land amendments, and compensation for land at its value. We have said that reform will be painful. The pain is no longer just a word; it is real: low incomes, assistance and other difficulties. These will certainly be overcome through dedication, because the future is secure. The DP and the democratic government are supported by the entire civilized world. This is clearly demonstrated by the aid and loans being granted by the European Community, the USA and Arab countries. The Democratic Government’s mandate is four years, so we must have confidence in its program, which is being implemented through the democratic legislation being approved in Parliament. LORENC LIGORI

On Saturday, 21 November, the second conference of the district DP was held. The meeting was opened by Mr Mustafa Martini, one of the founders of the DP branch in Lushat. The report was delivered by the branch secretary, Mr Pjetër Zefi. A prominent place in the report was given to the good work done by this branch in both election campaigns, that of 22 March and that for local government on 26 July. It was emphasized that the district of Lac is the only district in the country where DP candidates won 100 percent in all three election campaigns. The report also noted that not enough work had been done to attract intellectuals to the Democratic Party. In the discussion, Mr Pashk Hisku, who spoke first, praised the good work of the steering council in connection with the village sections and criticized the irregular distribution of the newspaper “Rilindja Demokratike” in the Mamurras commune. Mr Fran Selala emphasized the branch’s achievements in the two election campaigns and then criticized the appointment of several unsuitable officials to local government bodies. In his remarks, Mr Bashkim Balani discussed the work done to bring intellectuals into the DP and noted that their number had doubled since the previous conference. Other speakers also took the floor and raised numerous criticisms, such as delays in the law on enterprises, the delay in the trial of the former communist nomenklatura, services in Shkodër, and the failure to verify the property of the former regime’s elite, etc. At the end of the conference, elections were held for the chairman of the DP branch. Of the six proposed candidates, four…? members…? Voting was held between the two candidates, Mr Hil Kaman and Mr Sami Metalla, and in the end Mr Hil Kamani’s candidacy won. DASHNOR KALOÇI

vilayets, and geographically from the Assembly in their representation. Mr Sami Metalla ultimately withdrew in favor of Mr Hil Kamani’s candidacy. (Continued on page 4)

We inform all members of the National Council, the parliamentary group and the government that, because of the holiday period, the meeting planned for 27 November is postponed to 4 December at 10:00 a.m. at the National Historical Museum in Tirana. The Presidium of the DP of Albania