In one of Egypt’s famous pyramids, as we saw on Albanian TV last night, there was a line that was not read: one that dealt with “burdock,” nothing striking; illusions were particularly recommended, and the wretch had honored its placement there in the hope that his spirit would be revived and that with that very line he would return to his world alive (as a pharaoh, so to speak). I do not know what the Albanian president Berisha thought at that moment when he saw that line; but any Albanian poet would be shaken immediately upon thinking that in his country there are so many dead pharaoh-like spirits, the self-proclaimed heirs of Berisha, who seek by every means to darken the lives of the living, returning among them as a specter of blood or a saving specter. Beyond all diplomatic ethics, and a matter of amateurish politics, their attacks have been directed at President Sali Berisha. Perhaps even the most naïve can understand this at once, even when it is said directly; when a journalist or a particular person is accused or attacked; when journalists who have coffee with the president are attacked; when “new” 50-year-old “news” appears in the press, surfacing at the head of the demagogues who have their lairs in Tirana’s cafés and basements, and very rarely in the ministries of the infant “democratic” state. I call it a hybrid because, in most instances of the new state, that hypocritical and opportunistic element has stealthily penetrated; with the office chair comes seven sets of clothes, to be changed according to the political climate. Never has the specter of power-seeking been more deceitful for Albanian plans. Some have become intermediaries for the government. Many people, even eternal sycophants, have by magic found themselves at the door of “important” positions, and many others have been given the opportunity: “Could I too become a minister, deputy, or even president?” The revolutionary vigilance of these people is on alert. The aim, therefore, is the total denigration of the President. This is one of the paradoxes of our time that makes part of the Albanian press seem Quixotic in relation to the entire European press: Simply absurd, or what? With murderous haste and delight, first “KJ” and later “ZP,” along with some of their derivatives, attacked Berisha’s visit to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, thinking they had found Archimedes’ lever with which to topple a world that, for them, consists only of power chairs. These articles displayed extreme, malicious amateurism. The Arab world was insulted, forgetting that it is one of the ancient centers of world civilization (and such a policy drives the world mad). In an outburst of servility, they tried to please Europe (Europe is not so foolish as to be taken in by sweets); Muslims were attacked (all that was missing were brigades of vigilantes to tear off headscarves); it was said that the president had been booed in Egypt (although traffic in the city of 14 million was paralyzed when he passed), and so on, and so on. If these things had been said by political fools, they might be forgiven, but I do not think that is the case. All these arguments, and others, are part of a particular strategy. But they are paradoxical. To loudly proclaim an open policy while depriving yourself of the right to relations with all regions of the world—that is exactly the same as before 1990! Which diplomacy in the world insults an ancient and sacred world and civilization, one of the planet’s richest regions, from which our good fortune and sustenance have come? To attack Islam in the name of Christianity is a new fundamentalism, highly anachronistic and ridiculous, even when measured against our 19th-century national ideology. To put religion, directly or indirectly, at the forefront of the politics of the secular Albanian state is anti-national; it further divides Albania. The above-mentioned press is not infrequently playing a disgusting game with the figure of 70 or 80 percent, supposedly the proportion of Muslims in Albania. For an unpatriotic politician, that may not matter. Nevertheless, gentlemen, you should not forget that you are repeating the same old arguments as yesterday—not about the nation, but about the state. Do not forget that the Albanian nation is not just political Albania, but also its other half beyond the borders. Enough of the Communist “forgetfulness”! If religious events seem far away, look toward Kosovo and its demographic statistics; you will find little comfort there. At least show as much reason as our predecessors in the 19th century did about the concept of nation. Our foreign policy cannot in any way be built on contempt for or isolation from the different regions of the world. Any constitutional principle: which point in the programme of democracy is violated by the visit of the Albanian delegation to Saudi Arabia and Egypt? Naturally, none. The Conference of Islamic Countries is not Muslim fundamentalism, just as the Vatican is not the Italian Mafia. But this fanfare, which they keep sounding—

FROM THE MEETING OF THE GOVERNMENT COMMISSION Based on the analyses carried out by the government commission for stabilizing conditions in the flood-stricken areas and the latest information provided by the districts, 7,300 hectares of land have been flooded. There have been 11 fatalities. A total of 177 homes have been completely destroyed and another 416 partially damaged; 57 institutions and other social facilities have also been damaged. The floods damaged 114 km of roads, as well as the Milot–Lezhë–Shkodër railway line, with damage valued at 31.5 million lekë, and the Milot–Rrëshen line, with damage valued at 36 million lekë. Twenty bridges and 65 transformers have also been damaged; damage to the entire electricity network has resulted in losses of 35 million lekë, not counting the damage to the coming wheat harvest. According to the final data, the commission confirms total economic damage of 900 million new lekë. The worst-affected areas were Lezhë, Mirditë, Lezha and Shkodra. To normalize the situation, the Government has taken a number of measures to coordinate government assistance with that of international organizations and associations. Material and food aid worth 3 million 400 thousand lekë has been provided from government funds. Food supplies have also been secured for two months in these areas, and for 3–5 months in areas that become isolated in winter. Work carried out so far shows that the road and electricity networks have been restored to service in a short time, and work has partially resumed at the Fierza hydroelectric power station. The repair works on the Mat River have been completed. Thanks are due for the assistance provided by state institutions, public enterprises, private companies, individuals from the country and the diaspora, which has so far reached a total of 6 million. Assistance from UNODRO and the governments of Turkey, Greece and Italy has also been important. (ATSH)

On 15 December in Tirana. On 15 December in Tirana: Seminar by the Economic Committee of the Council of Europe The Foreign Affairs Department of the People’s Assembly announces that a delegation of the Economic Committee of the Council of Europe will arrive in Albania on 14 December and hold a seminar in Tirana on 15 December, with the participation of prominent figures from Albania’s political and economic life, in order to learn about the nature of the country’s main current problems, its difficulties, and the principal areas in which investments and aid could be directed. The delegation will communicate these needs and parliamentary priorities to the members of the Council of Europe, to help it redirect the assistance to be provided to Albania, as well as to the Commission of the European Community and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which will make the relevant determinations. (ATSH)

The Ambassador of Greece in Tirana, Mr. Hristos Calikis, met yesterday morning with the Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Mr. Pjetër Arbnori, and handed him an invitation from the Speaker of the Greek Parliament, Mr. Athanasios Calandaris, to visit Greece at the head of an Albanian delegation comprising 10 people. The invitation was gladly accepted. The date of the visit will be set in the near future. (ATSH)

A military delegation headed by the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, Lieutenant General Ilia Vasho, has departed on a working visit to the U.S. European Command in Stuttgart. (ATSH)

— During 1991–92, the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) conducted an assessment study of laboratory projects in the countries of the Balkans and of Eastern and Central Europe. In this context, it approved a regional project intended to assist these countries in the fight to prevent drug abuse. This project is part of a programme run by this office to strengthen the rule of law in this field. The relevant documentation for this project was delivered by the organization, headquartered in Vienna, to the Albanian Ambassador to Austria, Albert Alikaj. (ATSH)

Reflections on the first day of the trial — “Remarkable”: “Olishian” telegrams and Communist unanimity, the Albanian defendants — The rain that fell all night has made the morning air of 9 December in Shkodër crystal-clear, utterly transparent. The dampness, the sharp edge of the cold, and the snow-whitened peaks of Tarabosh and Rozafa envelop the city. So calm is the scene, even amid the tightening “circle” of anxiety over the fate of the truth about 2 April ’91. We see it here in the large crowds of citizens gathered around the district court building. Inside, the small courtroom can barely accommodate the great interest. The curtain is expected to rise for the third time on the trial, which for a year has bound together the truth and the purpose of the spirit of a broad mass of people and public opinion. Almost unnoticed, the defendants enter the courtroom. Hajredin Shyti wears a dark, serious expression. The others try to smile. This time the courtroom is calmer, free of excesses. Meanwhile, the policemen have relaxed their guard among the rows of defendants—but what of their conscience?.. Those present recall the other two trials and the period when, under the rule of the PPSH, public opinion was demanding that the perpetrators and criminals of 2 April be exposed. But how could those who caused that massacre uncover the truth?! Could it have been expected that they would do justice to the truth?! It is true that the trial could have been held by them; it was precisely this that could not be concealed. The immediate reaction of the defendant Shyti to a piece of evidence (a photograph) from the day before the massacre, which lawyer Bezani presented at this hearing, compels us to ask the question. “How can you prove that this photograph is from 1 April?” Mr. Shyti asked the lawyer with complete confidence. And perhaps it is precisely this absolute confidence in the concealment of material evidence that gives them the assurance of perfect actors, even in the face of facts that cry out. Thus, for example, it really was…

The German government has allocated the Albanian state aid of 10 million DM for the populations of Kavajë and Kukës, to be used exclusively to improve the drinking-water supply in these areas. The loan was opened by the German bank Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau. Following a tender to select the firms that would implement the initial projects, the companies chosen were “RODECO” and Takimed. Meetings between the bank’s specialists and this company had taken place as early as May of this year, while the loan was opened on 13 November 1992. The German specialists from the firm familiarized themselves with the existing conditions and the requirements for the materials needed to carry out this project. All of these—measuring instruments, chlorination equipment, analysis instruments and other specialized equipment—will be brought from Germany. Work will begin with the restructuring of the existing internal network. Installing meters for every consumer will prevent losses and faults, etc. It is expected that, at the end of the project, the city of Kavajë will receive water for six hours a day, instead of the three hours it receives now. A demonstration was also carried out to inspect the condition of the pipes, leaks and faults, and lists of the necessary materials were drawn up. Work is scheduled to begin at the start of October and began in the first six months of 1993; it will be completed within 18 months. All the work will be carried out by employees of the Kavajë company under the direction of German and Albanian specialists.

Rotary Club is an association, Rajenda Sabo, headquartered in [text unclear], founded in 1905 in Chicago (Illinois), USA, by Paul P. Harris, together with several other intellectuals, including Silvester Schele and a banker, engineer Gustav (i Petrailli), etc. They believed that such an organization could help poor people around the world. Their motto is: “Service above self.” Today there are 75,000 R. Cl. in 172 countries, with more than 1 million members. The R. Club of Tirana (Albania) was formed on 9 March 1992, the day it was approved in Illinois. It has 32 members, intellectuals from various professions: doctors, lawyers, economists, artists, businesspeople, engineers, etc. The first initiator of the formation of this club in Albania was the surgeon Gloviani Cara, a great philanthropist and a distinguished friend of Albania. Through his initiative, ten aid shipments have arrived from Italy and other countries within a year. We belong to District 2090, and on 11 May 1992 approval as a member of R1 Club International was brought in person by the president of the… “7 March” for the sports class and “Janës e tjera,” for Tirana’s hospitals: refrigerators (… pieces), 11 typewriters, much food (soups, cocoa, milk, soap, etc.), and food and sheets for the hospitals in Elbasan, etc. Prof. Bill, who is a Doctor honoris causa in Switzerland, a Rotarian and President of “Les enfants du Monde,” continues to provide great assistance today. On 23 May, the R. Cl. of Bern, on the initiative of Prof. Bill, organized a day in Bern to help Albania’s hospitals, and the Swiss people, in a spirit of joy and culture, donated around 15,000 sheets, 2,000 blankets and many towels, which recently arrived in Tirana and were distributed to hospitals according to the plan drawn up by the Bern club itself. They also brought books for the University of Tirana. Another major contribution is being made in Tirana by the Swiss citizen and representative for disaster relief, Richard MaRanta. “7 March” for the sports class and “Janës e tjera,” for Tirana’s hospitals: refrigerators (… pieces), 11 typewriters, much food (soups, cocoa, milk, soap, etc.), and food and sheets for the hospitals in Elbasan, etc. Prof. Bill, who is a Doctor honoris causa in Switzerland, a Rotarian and President of “Les enfants du Monde,” continues to provide great assistance today. On 23 May, the R. Cl. of Bern, on the initiative of Prof. Bill, organized a day in Bern to help Albania’s hospitals, and the Swiss people, in a spirit of joy and culture, donated around 15,000 sheets, 2,000 blankets and many towels, which recently arrived in Tirana and were distributed to hospitals according to the plan drawn up by the Bern club itself. They also brought books for the University of Tirana. Another major contribution is being made in Tirana by the Swiss citizen and representative for disaster relief, Richard MaRanta. (“R” receives two nephews for R, Moser. The Rotary Club of Bern has provided very substantial assistance. For example, aid for the school of

National Library Tirana Year II of publication No. 258 Friday, 11 December 1992 Price: 3 lekë

The First Congress of the FRPD will be held on 22 December 1992. It represents an important event for democratic youth and for young people as a whole. It is felt that this is now the beginning of efforts to organize and bring together a working meeting on such a scale. But what is the FRPD’s current position? Externally, it is a forum whose activities have been welcomed. Despite efforts by some former officials to sabotage and block the forum’s activities, the forum has achieved considerable success. Its participation in meetings of sister forums in Bulgaria and Germany, and in particular the successful participation of FRPD chairman Mr. Lika in the conference of youth forum leaders organized by DEMCI, gave the FRPD observer status in this organization. Soon, once the procedures are completed, the FRPD is expected to become an entity with representative rights in DEMCI. Internally, the FRPD’s work remains difficult to assess. It has a programme, some branches have been approved, but there are also branches formed independently with no links outside their locality. This reflects some of the party’s organized representatives, candidates and several important moments in their work to organize youth. Finally, we can now state that the necessary conditions exist for greater and stronger foreign support. And in the current circumstances, that is not much. LORENC LIGORI