— Impressions and reflections from the Congress of Democratic Youth — After a long demonstration, a prayer for democracy that created a different life for the Albanian world, the Democratic Youth gathered for its first Congress on 22 December 1992, around 11:00, at the Palace of Congresses in Tirana. After Mr. Genc Blerimi announced the arrival in the congress hall of the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, the Speaker of the People’s Assembly, Pjetër Arbnori, the Prime Minister, Aleksandër Meksi, the chairman of the DP, Mr. Eduart Selami, and others, enthusiastic applause broke out. The Congress was opened by Ms. Klea Micea, who then gave the floor to Mr. Arben Lika, chairman of the DP Youth Forum. After apologizing to the delegates for the difficult sleeping and food arrangements at the outset, Mr. Lika recalled important moments in the democratic movement in Albania, namely the student movement and the involvement of Albanian youth in this revolution. This mass involvement of young people determined the direction taken by the Democratic Revolution in every instance. He then turned to the organizational structures of the DP Youth Forum. AND YET, ONE NIGHT PASSED Being among those young people, those people who challenged communist death and the Bolshevik-Slavic imperial twilight, I could not get the weaknesses in the organization of accommodation and food for the delegates out of my mind. Had the organizers really not expected that the delegates, who had been announced in advance, would arrive on 21 December? YOUNG POLITICIANS OR YOUNG DEMOCRATS? In his greeting, Mr. Eduart Selami stressed: “You are the young democrats.” In truth, this description is more in keeping with the spirit of our youth. During a break in the session, a delegate from Tirana told me: “I don’t like the expression ‘We are the young politicians.’ ‘We young politicians will build Albania,’ and so on. We truly support democratic politics, but my friends want a little more culture, a few more books, a little more opportunity to study abroad, a slightly higher standard of living and better pay to overcome the drama facing the younger generation—and less politics.” In his greeting, Mr. Pjetër Arbnori praised the perseverance of Albanian youth through to the complete victory of Democracy. Meanwhile, Mr. Michael Kosmala, head of the «Hanns Seidel» Foundation, which had sponsored the Youth Congress, offered the Albanian young people a friendly greeting and also spoke about the foundation’s economic objectives in Albania. A POWERFUL SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY After a short break, (continued on page 4)

— Address by the chairman of the DP, Mr. Eduard Selami, at the first Congress of the FRPD — It is a great privilege for me to give the first greeting at this magnificent spectacle of Albanian democratic youth. It is a great privilege because it was you who began democracy in Albania. It is a great privilege because I greet you on behalf of the DP, a party that you in fact created and whose ideals, together, we are now striving to fulfill. We are here because not only the beginning of democracy, but every step taken over these two years, has been impossible without the active participation of the young democrats and Albanian democratic youth. Honored participants! I share the views expressed by the chairman of the FRPD, Mr. Arben Lika. I agree that the picture of these two years is an optimistic one, and to describe it I will recall the words spoken by the President of Italy in the Albanian parliament a few days ago: “What has happened in Albania is a miracle.” I understand that the main part of this miracle belongs to the youth—to you. On the other hand, I believe that much remains to be done, and the miracle must continue, indeed at a faster pace. It is our shared responsibility to examine once again the need to move faster along the path of reform, especially with regard to privatization, establishing social justice, exposing the corrupt and the entire history of the bloc leadership and the communists who destroyed this country. Only two years have passed, and the DP Youth Forum and the DP are new organizations with a historic role ahead of them. It is impossible to build a serious movement or take another step towards democracy without the youth and the young democrats. Those who dismissed the demands of the young democrats as radical, I believe, are entirely mistaken; they bring to mind those very moderates who, when you demanded pluralism two years ago, called it excessive radicalism, and when you demanded the dictator’s overthrow, called it an extreme measure that would lead the country into civil war. Time has shown that no demand put forward by the youth is radical. On the contrary, each is a legitimate demand that all of us must implement as soon as possible. The FRPD needs an organization. Unfortunately, organizationally, things have not gone as they should have, and responsibility is shared: it belongs to the DP, but also to a part of the Youth Forum, especially the former leadership, which failed to make the FR’s structures functional, to make the FR a school for young politicians, a place where political solutions are prepared and democracy is supported. But it should be noted that there has been a change in this regard, and I would like to congratulate the Forum’s new leadership; I would also like to congratulate its new chairman, Mr. Arben Lika, who has begun work very seriously on restructuring and redefining the FRPD. It is the duty of the DP and the democratic government to support the FR and Albanian democratic youth more strongly than they have so far. It is our duty to encourage you as soon as possible to join all the international organizations to which we belong. I also want to emphasize the idea of including the Forum chairman as a co-opted member in the governing councils of the branches, and, as is understood, at the highest levels too, in order to bring young people into every structure of Albanian political life. This is not simply our wish; it is a reality proven by time, not only because Albania is the youngest country in Europe, but also because the changes are so profound that they require dynamism, purity and the humanism of conviction. Therefore, young people must have a greater place in Albanian political life. We need more initiative, more courage and more room to work together, so that we can lay a strong foundation for politics and democracy in Albania. Every initiative, every truly political step, and even the DP’s own success will depend on the degree of youth participation in this difficult but historic process of transition. In closing, I wish success to this magnificent spectacle of democratic youth, in the hope that this process will open the way for genuine youth activity in Albanian political life, for the good of democracy and for the good of Albania. Long live you, long live Albania! Success!

The Speaker of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Pjetër Arbnori, received Mr. Douglas Hogg, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom, at the headquarters of the People’s Assembly. (ATSH)

— Greeting by Mr. Arbnori at the first Congress of the FRPD — Brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of Albania! It has been two years since our youth poured freely into the streets and lecture halls, squares and stadiums. During this time, statues of dictators and governments were toppled, not to mention bureaucrats, soulless and unhesitating, “As the rhythm is today, so will the homeland be tomorrow.” “The greatest victory is our new fellow human being,” the slogans on the buildings protected by these tanks said hypocritically. The youth gave a new meaning...

— President Berisha received the British delegation — During the visit by the British delegation to the Presidency, the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, said: “I would like to express my great pleasure at the achievements and changes brought about by the Maastricht Treaty over these 16 months, and also at the success of Edinburgh. The predominance of European reason over national reason in the European Community is an extremely important moment, not only for our countries in the region, which, after travelling for 50 years along the wrong path, have now started afresh in many areas, with the integration of our country into Europe as their main objective. Given our difficulties, we believe that be to us. I am pleased that you have come together with the EC observer group, which is arriving here on a mission intended to contribute to stability in the region. This act of cooperation and mutual understanding expresses our unwavering determination to take all necessary measures that contribute to peace and stability in the region. I assure you that I will ask the government to take all measures to guarantee and facilitate their work in carrying out the task for which they have come. I would like on this occasion to ask that these observers also be sent to the other side of the border, that is, to the border between Kosovo and Albania, which is full of weapons and dangers. President Berisha then expressed Albania’s commitment to the principles of the CSCE and the EU, particularly the inviolability of borders. Ideas about a Greater Albania are products of the political imagination of Milošević’s clique and its friends. They have no roots in Albanian political reality. The meeting also discussed Macedonia, and Mr. Berisha expressed the Albanian side’s well-known position in support of respecting that republic’s independence and integrity, as well as its friendly and cooperative stance toward it.

A Memorandum of Understanding on the European Community Monitoring Mission was signed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On behalf of the Albanian government, it was signed by Foreign Minister Alfred Serreqi, and on behalf of the Presidency of the European Community—which is chaired by England until January 1993—by Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This memorandum marks a further step in Albania’s relations with the European Community in the field of security. It provides for monitoring the Albanian border with Yugoslavia and aims to prevent conflicts from spreading from Bosnia-Herzegovina to other countries. (ATSH)

— Greetings from Mr. Arbnori at the 1st FRPD Congress — been two years since our youth began to move freely through the streets and auditoriums, squares and stadiums. During this time, the busts of dictators and governments were toppled—not to mention the small-minded bureaucracies that judged our wonderful youth over a few broken windows. Let them remember that it was better to break a few windows than people’s heads. Our youth should be proud that they proved so mature and level-headed, making a genuine democratic revolution without bloodshed and without violence. But when the dictatorship tried to crush the uprising with violence, killing Arben Broci and his comrades on April 2 in Shkodër, this level-headed youth erupted like a volcano and sent smoke billowing up to the clouds over the infamous PPSH committee. Who taught our youth to stand up to the dictatorship? Who taught them to demand pluralism and democracy? It was the freedom-loving spirit of the Albanian people, passed down from generation to generation, which could no longer be held back. You have all seen how yesterday 16- and 17-year-old girls charged at tanks and armored vehicles as though they were made of cardboard, and set them on fire without hesitation, «As the youth are today, so will the homeland be tomorrow.» «Our greatest victory is our young person,» proclaimed the slogans on the buildings protecting those tanks, with hypocritical piety. The youth gave these words a new, truly democratic meaning. Thanks to this heroic movement, the day came when the democratic youth of Albania, without asking anyone’s permission, gathered in the Palace of Congresses, in the den of communism’s snakes. Glory to our youth, who opened the road to freedom for the Albanian people! But you, young men and women, must never forget that we had parents and grandparents who nurtured you with sound values, who taught you to love the world, civilization and freedom, who told you in hushed voices that beyond the Iron Curtain there was sun, light and fresh air. You December students should know that your courage and bravery were also strengthened by the memory of other generations of young people who perished before you, writing a poem on the damp walls of Burrel prison, singing a forbidden melody in Gjirokastër Castle, dreaming of knowledge in the canals of (Continued on page 4)

FROM THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY Following the democratic changes that have taken place over the past two years, and after discussion of the law on official holidays and the religious observances of the Eastern Christian and Catholic faiths, the need has arisen for a new law establishing official holidays, including those of a religious nature. This was at the center of today’s discussion in the People’s Assembly. After the parliamentary group leaders discussed the draft law «On Official Holidays», the deputies who took the floor debated the designation of dates for official and unofficial holidays, religious holidays, and so on. There was considerable discussion, especially about setting the dates for Republic Day and the country’s Liberation Day, and several deputies at times crossed the bounds of parliamentary etiquette. Among other things, deputy Robert Ndrenika stressed that November 28 encompasses three landmark dates in the history of the Albanian people—1444, 1912 and 1944—and added that November 29 is plagiarism borrowed from the Yugoslavs; November 28 is a great truth, our national holiday, he concluded. After lengthy discussion and debate, the Assembly approved the draft law in principle, voted on all four of its articles, and passed it as a whole. Article 1 of the draft law establishes the official public holidays: January 1 and 2, New Year; May 1, International Workers’ Day; November 20, our national holiday; as well as the first day of Bajrami i Madh, Bajrami i Vogël, Orthodox Easter, Catholic Easter and Christmas. (Continued on page 4)

NATO says Serbs could be rendered ineffective within 24 hours BONN, December 22 — NATO Secretary General Manfred Werner reiterated, according to reports, his assessment regarding military intervention in Bosnia and stressed that he believes Serbian forces could be rendered ineffective within 24 hours. The Berlin daily Berliner Zeitung reports, quoting him, that NATO has been able to obtain much more precise information than previously thought about the size, positions and armaments of Serbian forces from its satellites. EC foreign ministers warn of sanctions against Milošević BRUSSELS, December 21 — The foreign ministers of the European Community stated that a victory by Slobodan Milosheviç in the Serbian presidential election would lead to harsher sanctions against the Yugoslav republic. British Foreign Secretary Douglas Hërd said that time was no longer working in Serbia’s favor. «What we want is a rapid and radical change in Belgrade’s policy. «If there is no rapid and radical change, then we will move to the complete isolation of Serbia and Montenegro. If he stands with them, they do not have much time left to choose, while we are preparing the measures we will take,» he added. US President Xhorxh Bush and British Prime Minister Xhon Mejxher agreed in Washington at the end of the week to press for harsher sanctions to stop the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Panic will call for presidential elections BELGRADE, December 21 — Yugoslav Prime Minister Milan Panic, pointing to irregularities in Sunday’s presidential election in Serbia, will call for elections to be held within the NJUG, one of his aides said, The first official figures from the election commission show Slobodan Milosheviç leading Panic in Sunday’s election and on course for a first-round victory. Teodor Iliç told TANJUG that Panic’s camp had detected irregularities and would lodge an official appeal against the election. Greek defense minister does not believe in intervention ATHENS, December 21 — Greek Defense Minister Ioanis Varvicio-tis stressed that he does not believe external military intervention in the former Yugoslavia or the spread of war in the Balkans is possible. In an interview published Sunday by the Athens daily Eleftherotipia, Varviciotis ruled out any military intervention on the basis of his discussions with NATO colleagues, because «both ground and air intervention would be ineffective». Varviciotis concluded by saying that Greece should not fear war, because the likelihood of it is not great. (ATSH)

The first official figures from the election commission show Slobodan Milosheviç leading Panic in Sunday’s election and on course for a first-round victory. Teodor Iliç told TANJUG that Panic’s camp had detected irregularities and would lodge an official appeal against the election. Greek defense minister does not believe in intervention

— President Berisha received the British delegation —