During the days when the People's Assembly is in session, dozens of citizens wait near its headquarters to meet various MPs. Their concerns range from minor personal matters to broad social issues. It is known that MPs have one designated day a week with their constituents: Saturday. To learn more about these meetings, some time ago we put the following questions to them: “Have you met with your constituents, and how many times? How have you held these meetings, and how are they intended to be held? Is there any plan to institutionalize being an MP as a profession?” And their answers were: Hasan Halili (electoral district No. 25 - Fier): - Of the 29 villages in my district, I have held meetings in 25 of them; I have also met with all three local commune councils, with its intellectuals in the municipality and in the district. It is essential to institutionalize meetings with constituents. This requires that the MP hold no other position, with the exception of ministers; an office in the center of the commune and a vehicle are also needed. So far, nothing has been done about these things. We do not even have at least one office in the center or the district. Rushen Golemi (district 47 - Laç - Krujë): - I have met them, but not in an organized way, only sporadically—when they have had concerns, I have gone to some villages. We do not have an office for the committees, let alone for MPs. I cannot go to my constituents, who are spread across 27 villages in two different districts. Ibrahim Vasjari (district 95 - Vlorë): - I have held two partial meetings with my constituents. We have lacked some essential conditions, such as an office in the district and a secretary, which would make regular meetings possible and allow us to gather the concerns of constituents. We have now arranged to open an office for receiving the public. It is for all the MPs of Vlorë and will be operational soon, thus ensuring that we remain continually engaged with people's problems and concerns, many of which can be resolved immediately in cooperation with the local authorities. The allocation of cars to various groups of MPs has also provided a certain solution to support the work of an MP. Pëllumb Malaj (district 52 - Librazhd). - I was elected in an extremely difficult district, spread across 54 villages from Peshkopia to Elbasan and Tirana. I have walked through nearly most of them, because cars cannot reach them. The people are very poor and oppressed by the dictatorship, but hungry for democracy. Meetings with them, and frank, sincere conversations about democracy as the path to the future, were a decisive factor in overcoming the notion that democracy could not win in this district. I have gone to the Librazhd district 30 times and held regular meetings with the people (there are villages I have visited 2-3 times). I have also held frequent meetings with the administrative apparatus in the district and municipality to make it fully effective, coordinate it, and ensure it functions as quickly as possible in solving problems. For an MP's work to be as effective as possible, I think it is essential to set up an office alongside the district councils, with an appropriate secretary who will collect during the week the concerns submitted to the MP; then, on the day the public is received (Saturday), the MP will not only be able to learn about them but can also take direct action to resolve them. For our work to be institutionalized as a profession, at least the following must be provided: an office for each group of MPs according to their committees; the provision of the necessary literature to familiarize them with international legislation; a vehicle to make meetings possible in our districts; meetings to be made possible with ...

The President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Zhelju Zhelev, arrived in Tirana yesterday aboard a special aircraft. He was accompanied by his wife, senior Bulgarian officials, and a group of journalists. At Rinas Airport, the President of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Sali Berisha, and his wife, as well as other prominent figures in Albanian political life, were there to welcome Mr. Zhelev. The diplomatic corps accredited in Tirana was also present in honor of the Bulgarian president. At the meeting on this occasion, President Berisha offered words of courtesy to his counterpart and, among other things, said: “We have met before, but today's meeting is warmer. I am convinced that this visit will mark a new stage in the friendly relations between our two countries and our two peoples, and will serve peace in our region.” For his part, Mr. Zhelev, thanking his hosts for the warm welcome, said: “I too believe that this visit will mark new steps in bilateral relations.” This step begins with the signing of the new agreement, which will annul the one from 1947. Many events have taken place since that year, so the signing of such an agreement is essential; it will have a positive effect on expanding relations between our two countries and our two peoples. On this occasion, at the airport, [the wording is unclear] and the national anthems of both countries were performed. The program for President Zhelev's three-day visit to our country includes a series of ... official meetings with our government officials and with businesspeople and intellectuals, visits to museums and cultural centers, and a visit to the city of Berat. (Continued on page 4)

Priority: the supply of drinking water IN THE MINISTRIES In the months that have passed, the Ministry of Construction has given priority to the problem of water supply. Emphasis has been placed on the need to secure funding for this problem. Are there concrete results? The funds provided by the World Bank for the city of Durrës alone, for the matter in question, amount to 10 million dollars. This is for the first phase. A loan of 38 billion lire has been provided by the Italian government to improve the water-supply system of the city of Tirana. Furthermore, the German government is providing 10 million DM in aid for the water-supply systems of the cities of Kavajë, Rrogozhinë, Kukës and Krumë. More importantly, work has begun in these cities, in cooperation with foreign firms as well. Under the respective contracts for parallel studies and design, partial works to repair the distribution networks and water metering will also be carried out during the emergency phase. During 1992, this ministry worked intensively to clarify the problems of water supply throughout the country, with the aim of making this work concrete in 1993 and thereafter. The conditions have been created for work to be intensified in 1993 in order to carry out the emergency phase in the cities of Durrës, Kavajë, Kukës, etc. As a concrete outcome of the work done during ’92, 50 million lekë were available to this Ministry for investment in water-supply systems, while around 300 million lekë are planned for 1993, in addition to the loans and funds secured so far. The foremost priority: the law on housing privatization Undoubtedly, one of the main objectives of the Ministry of Construction and Housing is housing—the preparation and adoption of the law on the privatization of state-owned homes, as well as securing the funds needed to complete 13,000 apartments under construction, built partly by economic enterprises (7,000 apartments) and partly by construction enterprises (6,000 apartments). 50 thousand apartments free of charge. The law on the privatization of state-owned homes grants, free of charge, to the citizens living in them around 50,000 apartments; another 15,000 will be transferred into the ownership of the citizens living in them, at a price that takes into account the apartment’s location and the way it was built. — A new policy, a free market — A new policy for dealing with housing, and a free housing market, will be the future of housing in our cities. The state, for its part, through specialized institutions, will once again build homes, also drawing for this purpose on the practices of many of today’s developed countries. As a result of this policy, the Housing Agency was established. It will be financed mainly from the state budget. Various international institutions, such as the World Bank, the IMF, etc., will also provide funding. The collection of money from the privatization of homes, as well as other income secured from domestic and foreign donors, will also make a considerable contribution. The Housing Agency also provides interest-free loans to address the housing problem under our conditions, for those who are without housing. 2,000 families will be housed in July The Housing Agency began its investment activity in housing by receiving a long-term loan of 300 million lekë from the Savings Bank. From this amount, with the second part of this fund being improved, it will be possible to deliver around 2,000 apartments within the first six months of 1993. Furthermore, on the basis of an accurate assessment of the situation of homes under construction, work is under way to secure financial resources from international organizations, with the objective of completing these homes within 1993 and beginning new housing projects to solve the acute housing problem. INSING, the investor Another step indicating the beginning of the housing market in our country is the start of construction of a block of 850 apartments, with INSING as the investor, intended for sale to citizens. Awakening from lethargic sleep In 1992, much attention was devoted to awakening the production enterprises from their lethargy. Around 40 million lekë in funds came from the budget for homes under construction, and were used mainly for those nearing completion. According to information provided by this ministry, in the second half of ’92, 350–400 families were housed. I believe apartments were handed over. The chances are that this number will only increase during the first six months of ’93 and thereafter. Prepared by: DULEJMAN KARAJ

“‘Ballists’ inside the PD, with the problem of the return of money, are paralyzing new investments and the implementation of credit reform...” “‘For it (the government), what matters is creating capitalism, not the biographies of capitalists. Capital doesn’t need to know what you were or whose son you are. It wants to know whether you’re capable of making money...’ (From the interview given by Gramoz Pashko to the newspaper «Lajmëtar», dated 27.1 and 2.2.1993) “‘Ballists’ inside the PD, with the problem of the return of money, are paralyzing new investments and the implementation of credit reform...” “‘For it (the government), what matters is creating capitalism, not the biographies of capitalists. Capital doesn’t need to know what you were or whose son you are. It wants to know whether you’re capable of making money...’ (From the interview given by Gramoz Pashko to the newspaper «Lajmëtar», dated 27.1 and 2.2.1993) In an interview with the pretentious title «I told President Berisha that he risks suffering from a complex of idolatry» (which the interviewer may have added arbitrarily), Gramoz Pashko; among other things, heaped praise on himself as an «initiator of democracy» and a «distinguished reformer»; publicly advises his brother-in-law; Ruli; on the economic policy he should pursue and; finally; attacks the President for the hundredth time; to whom; it seems; he will never forgive the fact that he left him without a seat. The only new thing Pashko brings to this interview is the two paragraphs quoted above; which are entirely sufficient to justify the title of this article. Apparently; he does not know that for someone to be publicly called a «Ballist», that person must be a member of the Nationalist Party «Balli Kombëtar», or have belonged to the «Balli Kombëtar» organization during World War II. As far as I know; none of the PD parliamentarians or officials possesses any of the above-mentioned attributes. If Pashko takes the liberty of labeling the sons or relatives of anti-communist nationalist figures from the war «Ballists» (in keeping with the well-known style of «ZP»), then he has no right to complain when the biographies of capitalists are brought up. of making money. Nevertheless, it is clear from the interview above that Pashko is not content to be called a communist on account of his parents’ «merits»; he also tries at all costs to earn this «glorious» epithet through his own personal convictions and actions. Let us be clear; today’s communists no longer preach the «dictatorship of the proletariat»; «centralized, planned and proportional development» or other policies of that kind. All they need is to be back at the top; all they need is for «the keys to the economy to be held by the offspring of the caste that killed, butchered and robbed for nearly 50 years in the name of socialism. Pashko; blinded by class hatred; forgets that the return of property is not a problem created by the «Ballists»; it was created by Enver’s insatiable communists and made even more complicated by Pashko himself during the infamous (de)Stability government, when he added to the morality of the red thieves by selling, at laughable prices, shops and other buildings erected on other people’s land. But perhaps these and a few personal «legitimate» miles are involved here. What a pity that Democracy did not allow Pashko to buy, at absurdly low prices, the villa that Enver had stolen from the «Ballists» and given to the Pashko family as a reward for their «distinguished» contribution to the defense of human rights! With cynicism worthy of Machiavelli («The end justifies the means»), the distinguished theorist of macroeconomics recommends that the government build capitalism by entrusting the role of businessman to thieves; smugglers; red criminals; who; undoubtedly; possess capital stolen and plundered from this people, as well as mafia connections with all kinds of European scum such as Hajdin Sejdia. In fairness; it must be said that in this regard he was not content merely to make a «theoretical contribution». It is enough to mention the fact that; during the Pashko-Bufi administration; he ordered the liberalization of prices for goods produced by state enterprises; without first taking an inventory of the goods held in depots and warehouses. The result: a gang of red officials; directors and warehouse managers; members of the caste from which Pashko himself comes; grew fat and amassed wealth by cornering these goods at

The President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Zhelju Zhelev, was born on 3 March 1933 in Vërsellinovo, in the Var nes region. In 1958 he graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy and History at the University of Sofia. For many months he has (Continued on page 4)

an extremely difficult and important area, in 54 villages stretching from Peshkopia as far as Elbasan and Tirana. Almost the greater part of bradë). - Extremely difficult and important areas have also been selected, comprising Tirana. Almost the greater part of (Continued on page 2)