Nothing softened it, he writes. When the uncovering of the last flashes of the light of truth began — dimmed, fearful, often even along paths that were not entirely straight, because the old state, battered yet still not collapsed, had numbed them, had completely suffocated the people in the independent and free institutions, or had not allowed them to be born. This time too, history repeated its ancient law: the whole of society is locked in struggle with the forces of oppression to uncover the truth. When the uncovering of the last flashes of the light of truth began, names, events and documents emerged from the abyss. The murders of Jusuf Gërvalla and his brother Bardhosh, of Kadri Zeka, of the Albanian minister in Brussels, and of hundreds and hundreds of other Albanians killed in Kosovo and beyond it were revealed. Investigations were opened into political murders and dark files from the past. In Tirana and in Prishtina people spoke about what once could not even be mentioned. Along this path there has been no shortage of uncertainty, wavering or hesitation, but the light of truth is every day more forcefully tearing through the butter curtain that tries to cover up crime. [Continued on page 4]

When the title on the street-corner poster [?] shocks, astonishes, and makes one speak to oneself, one keeps asking: what does this mean? In the city of Korçë, on one of the recent nights, slogans and insulting inscriptions against pluralism were painted on walls. According to initial reports, the incident has shaken public opinion in the city. No one can imagine how, after so many years of dictatorship, people still appear who smear the walls of freedom with the paint of hatred. This is not simply an act of vandalism, but a mentality that fears democracy and open debate. The relevant authorities are investigating the circumstances, while citizens are calling for the perpetrators to be quickly identified. [Continued on page 4]

More than 8 months have passed and, instead of the strained situation calming down, to the detriment of the national whole, it is becoming more and more aggravated. This was caused by the unilateral actions of the Macedonian element and the behavior of the government in Skopje. In 1992, after Macedonia gained independence, elections were organized in the municipality of Kumanovo, which were accompanied by strong political debates and dissatisfaction among the local Albanian population. The elections showed that the political and administrative representation of Albanians remained truncated, while ethnic tensions were not fading. 75.8 percent of voters 53.8 percent of voters 8.3 percent of voters Sectarians (ANËT VAKËT) Conservatives for the election coalition (YZEJ ILIKA) [Continued on page 5]

On Friday, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emilio Colombo, and President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro visited Albania [?]. The delegation held meetings with the highest authorities of the country and discussed bilateral relations, economic aid and regional issues. The visit was described as an important step in strengthening Albanian-Italian ties. [Continued on page 2]

The premises for peace and the Intergovernmental and institutional conference in the Balkans are a difficult process for making their decision acceptable in order to achieve peace. This applies just as much to the governments of the respective countries as it does to their populations. The USA has mar-

MUMAJET SHVERI Eight days "Shqip" OPPORTUNITY of politics and the popular front