The visit of the President of Italy to Albania, Mr. Skalfaro, was swift and short in duration, but its resonance and reach were exceptionally broad in time and geography, in terms of thoughts, ideas and problems. Mr. Skalfaro came to Albania during one of the most difficult periods in its history; at a time when the Albanian people, thirsting for freedom and democracy, after incomparable sacrifices and suffering, are trying to break completely with the old world of communist dictatorship; are struggling against hunger and the poverty inherited from it in order to build a life worthy of human beings. The President of Italy came as a friend to a friend; as a prominent figure and statesman who, regardless of the present position of our country and people, values equality and solidarity; values the history and centuries-old ties between our two shores of the Adriatic. Sensitive to our country's approval, he respects its dignity and pride. As a sincere friend, with an open heart—a characteristic of the great Italian people—he came to extend a helping hand. Throughout the entire period since the overthrow, we have felt this generosity towards us. Its scale is immense and extends to almost every sphere, including the most vital areas of human activity. There is no need to give figures: we have published them in our press. What is felt and touches every Albanian family, in every corner of Albania, needs no comment. The Italian state and government, religious and charitable associations, ordinary people from towns and villages across Italy, numerous firms and industrialists have stood by us and continue to do so. Italy, from the other side of the Adriatic, has extended its hand in pure friendship and support, and we will rely on friends such as these. For Albania, the bleak period of communist self-destruction and isolation is over. In its struggle against the ruinous legacy of dictatorship—with the concepts, traditions and worldviews it left behind—Albania, as a European country, a small flame in the hearth of the great European continent, a small family within its vast family of millions, is resolutely following the path its people have dreamed of; the path they chose with their free will and vote, towards the joys of life in their own family and beyond, across the continent and further afield. Our friends understand us well: President Skalfaro is one of Albania and the Albanian people's closest and most respected friends. His visit to Albania itself speaks to this, as does the warm, spontaneous welcome from the citizens who greeted him, and the sincere and realistic welcome from the entire political establishment pursued by the democratic forces in power, both concerning the resolution of domestic problems and their stance on issues within the framework of international relations. Mr. Skalfaro, as a statesman and distinguished politician, recognized Albania's fragile democracy and expressed Italy's full solidarity and support. The tone of his greetings was clear and confident. They conveyed one great message: democracy …In the representation of our country, he knows with an open heart—a characteristic of the great Italian people—that he since the overthrow of the brutal communist dictatorship, we have felt the fraternal assistance of the Italian people. This is help our people will never forget, just as they have not forgotten, through the centuries, the help this people gave our ancestors by opening the gates of their hearts and their country after Skënderbeu’s death: “You know your friends in hard times,” says an Albanian proverb. In times like these, as several centuries ago, the Italian people have shown—and continue to show—their generosity. …a European country; a small extension family in its family of hundreds of millions; is moving resolutely along the path its people have chosen; for the first time after nearly half a century of feudal-fascist communist dictatorship: The thirst for freedom and democracy is great; our resources are insufficient to quench it immediately. Nevertheless, it is clear that much has been done; so much has been done in the spirit and thought of the Albanian that it could not have been imagined under other circumstances; Much has been done; although there is still a long way to go before the Albanian values their own life; strives to live as a human being; to… traces of their crimes in the “corridors” of their memories and, with the help of interrogation questions, have assembled a “credible” case, have gone on the offensive; not only to be acquitted, but also to stain democracy. Since they are convinced that they have hidden the facts with exceptional skill; and since they have staged scenarios like this many times; they laugh inside themselves as they watch the courtroom grow indignant over trifles; trifles that only move them further away from the “boundaries” of the crime and lead them onto the terrain of their police game, which forms the first, insignificant circle of the pyramid of crime. These shadows, who washed the corridors of the security service with blood in peaceful times, now appear on screen as white doves who, every morning upon waking, prayed to God: “Help us, O God, not to commit any sin today against Your sinners!” Those Albanian public opinion as astonished that the justice system suspects them of being people who violated the sanctity of the law: As criminals, they attain the serenity of an innocent person. As anti-democrats, they astonish us with their faith in justice; as heartless people, they profess concern for human life. These professional killers, who know very well where “the powder keg lies,” pretend so convincingly to be naïve and kindly that they leave us wondering whether they might be victims of a carefully prepared scenario intended to teach rebellious Shkodër a good lesson—and whether these men really know nothing about it! Only those of us who knew the “behind-the-scenes” machinations feel sick at their “childlike” expressions and are outraged to the depths of our dignity as we watch them dare to accuse democracy of having, like a schizophrenic, killed itself: O God! These people, who would seize you off the street without any charge; throw you like a dog into a dark cell and force you to figure out for yourself what crime you were supposed to have committed and who the witnesses accusing you were supposed to be; now howl when you present them with any fact that falls outside the picture painted in their minds by unrepentant sinners: This is how they mock their victims: They play cat and mouse with justice; they ridicule the honesty of witnesses and conceal the crime: Everything Communism is trying to do in Albania today is to hide the traces of the crime and cross the river without getting wet. The Shkodër court will test its (Communism’s) ability as an ordinary criminal, who, after stabbing you in the back, accuses you of staining it with blood: They know very well the kitchen where… (Continued on page 2)

The day after tomorrow, at the Palace of Congresses, the Albanian Democratic Youth will hold its First National Congress; the first political gathering of young people since the demonstrations of December ’90. The day after tomorrow, at the Palace of Congresses, the Albanian Democratic Youth will hold its First National Congress; it will be the first political gathering of young people since the demonstrations of December ’90. The country's highest political figures and guests from Europe and the USA will be present among the young people. This youth event is an occasion of particular importance in the progress of democracy in Albania.

When the Shkodër trial resumed on 9 December 1991, 45 people had been designated by the prosecution to be questioned as witnesses in the case. During the seven days of the trial, the prosecution witnesses recounted the events as they had seen them, while the defendants tried to deny them. The battle between truth and lies was fierce. But it is known that truth always wins. Even if the witnesses’ truth is suppressed at the end, one day it will emerge; the people will bring it to light. But the red criminals have hidden the truth not at the bottom of the sea, but in a sea of their victims’ blood. And this sea of blood is deeper than all the seas of the ocean. The sea of blood shed by the crime had been frozen by the icy grip of 55 years of dictatorship. But the rays of light brought into the courtroom each day by the witnesses began to melt the frozen surface of this sea of blood. This shook the defendants and the masterminds behind the 2 April massacre. They counted the witnesses on their fingers. There were 11 still to be questioned: 7–4–2–1. And when they were finished, they waited anxiously. “Forty-five prosecution witnesses have been questioned,” said the prosecutor in the case. For a moment, the defendants and the masterminds hiding at the bottom of the sea of blood stopped too. They wondered what the prosecutor was going to say. “The questioning of the witnesses has been completed,” said the prosecutor. The defendants’ faces brightened; smiles appeared on their lips. The masterminds congratulated one another and each had a glass in Dajt. “That’s that, then. They didn’t get the better of us,” they said. Nothing was uncovered. We got away with it. But at the final hearing on the seventh day of the trial, the witnesses presented new evidence. This evidence widened the breach in the sea of blood beneath which the truth is buried and the criminals who gave the orders for the massacre are hiding. Witness testimony established that there had been a sniper in the old courthouse and that someone had also been seen dead after the gunshot. Those who were at the courthouse that day were to be questioned: Who ordered them to leave the killer inside the courthouse? It was also requested that the former prosecutor general of the time, the head of the investigation, the investigators in the case, Ramiz Alia, and all the students and teachers who were at the scene that day be questioned. It was established that the policemen who claimed they had been outside are in Shkodër and will be questioned. They will also go and obtain the original footage from a foreigner who filmed the whole event. Nafiz Behzani, who represents the victims’ families, spoke for almost two hours with the defendant Dilaver Papare, former chief of police of Shkodër. New documents shedding light on the truth were also submitted to the court panel. Therefore, at the end of the hearing on the seventh day of the trial, the presiding judge, Mr. Qazim Gjoni, announced: “The trial is adjourned until 21.12.92, as we have admitted new evidence. The trial will resume on Monday at 9:00, with the questioning of new witnesses.” The defendants’ faces fell; their smiles froze— (Continued on page 4)

The defendants, who for almost two years have erased the traces of the crime in the “corridors” of their memory and, with the help of the investigation “experts,” have put together a “credible” case. The defendants, who for almost two years have erased the traces of the crime in the “corridors” of their memory and, with the help of the investigation “experts,” have put together a “credible” case, have gone on the attack against the … of Tul-»; These people, who buried innocent people alive and came back laughing to celebrate the victory of the “modern” gravedigger, now appear before Albanian public opinion looking astonished. Oh God! These are the people who would take you from the street for no reason, throw you like a dog into a dark cell, as though you were guilty...

On Friday afternoon, President Skalfaro, accompanied by President Berisha, visited the base of Operation “Pelikan.” During the visit to the operation’s base were also the Italian Minister of Defence, Mr. Ando, the Albanian Minister of Defence, Mr. Zhulali, and other prominent figures, including Mr. Nerita and Mr. Ando of Kosovo. Speaking about the Kosovo issue, Mr. Ando stressed that no bilateral effort or intervention by a single state could resolve such an issue: “We must speak with the authority and capacity of the international community to intervene.” Continuing, he said: “You should know that you will not be alone, because your support for the region is also ours.” After leaving the base of Operation “Pelikan,” Skalfaro and Berisha went to Durrës. At Durrës Municipality, the mayor presented President Skalfaro with the order of the “House of Honor” for the city of Durrës. At the press conference held in Durrës, attended by numerous local and foreign journalists, Mr. Berisha said, among other things, that the visit was short but very interesting and that it represented a new era in relations between Albania and Italy. He then thanked Mr. Skalfaro for this visit on the eve of Christmas. He spoke of the discussions held, describing them as sincere and fruitful, and of the resolution of important issues between the two countries. Italy, the President pointed out, has helped Albania to overcome … Albania is in the process of reform. He then noted the contribution of Operation “Pelikan,” whose work will long be remembered by those who welcomed it with gratitude; Albanians are a very friendly people. He also emphasized the acceleration of future relations between Albania and Italy. Albania hopes and believes that, within this cooperation, it will draw ever closer to Europe and become fully integrated into the continent to which it belongs by virtue of its spirit, culture and history; in this way, economic difficulties too will be overcome. For this purpose, Mr. Skalfaro’s visit is of particular importance to us. Mr. Skalfaro, in turn, after thanking Mr. Berisha for the warm and humane welcome from the moment of his arrival at the airport and throughout all their meetings, confirmed that Italy’s assistance to Albania is not a form of aid, but an expression of solidarity and of the friendship between our two peoples and countries. The Operation “Pelikan” in your country is also proof of this; it has once again been a living expression of this friendship. After 50 years of a harsh and painful dictatorship, he pointed out, we respect the Albanian people, who have acted with dignity in order now to become a truly democratic people. He also underscored another particular subject of cooperation: the grave situation of the Balkan countries, which are experiencing bitter and painful hardships and great concerns; he also addressed the issue of Kosovo.

A month has passed since that hot season when the local government elections were held, and then, suddenly, this announcement. We will not analyze the reasons that prompted the Central Commission to annul the result at the time. We will not concern ourselves with whether that decision was right or wrong. Here is a fortunate opportunity for a … On Sunday, 6.12.1992, elections for the municipal chairman and Fieri were held in the municipality of KUMAN. Here is how the elections for municipal chairman unfolded. This was the only municipality in the whole country where the elections had not been completed. According to the results of the municipal election commission, the outcome is as follows: a. The Democratic Party won 75.8 percent of the votes; b. The Social Democratic Party, 15.3 percent of the votes; c. The Socialist Party, 8.9 percent of the votes; For the Municipal (Area) Election Commission Secretary (AHMET RAKIPI) Chairman (VEIZ PLAKA) …therefore, for a popular reading of the public pulse. Here is proof that their neighboring roots and gaps in experience reveal the vitality of governance by the DP. Here is evidence of the rise and fall of popular confidence in the new political force leading democracy. Isn’t this a telling result? A wonderful result! After all those deafening fanfares and supposed triumphs on 31 March, performed by the chorus of the aligned socialist workers; after that bad taste, when the former workers heard about the exemplary, traditional mobilization of their electorate; after that huge abstention among the waves, the mosaic and the democratic electorate (which attached greater importance to the trade in referrals, the circles and the picnics of the end-of-summer recruits), the political forces emerged into the arena of confrontation in a single municipality. This is a promising, highly significant victory. The people believe in the struggle being waged by the democratic forces to revive the country, laid waste by the communist storm. The people esteem and value the new political forces, forgive and deeply feel … forces … Looking at these percentage figures, one almost said without thinking: If only there were a few more municipalities to vote! MUHAMET SHERRI “Bylis” Theatre FIER