- Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind - The PS leadership beneath the avalanche it provoked Ever since the Nanogate affair was made public in Albania and around the world, Fatos Nano and his most loyal associates in the PS leadership chose the counterattack as their weapon of defense. They interpreted the legitimate, well-founded and necessary blow against the chairman of the PS and against corruption as a whole—struck on the pages of «ZP», at rallies and in complaints to international forums—as a premeditated political campaign, an expression of revanchism and hysteria by those they call ballisto-fascists, directed against Nano personally, the PS and the opposition as a whole, and so on and so forth. Thus, quite unlike us, with a completely clear aim, they [text appears corrupted] would have been a great victory for corruption and the mafia, emboldening them and inflaming their criminal ambition to seize new ground, become institutionalized and attain full power as an illegal government above the lawful government. Therefore, the frontal fight against corruption must be waged and won under the banner “Now or never,” at every level, but with most of the firepower directed at the upper echelons, at Nano and his PS comrades, and everywhere else. The PD has taken on this mission with dedication and commitment and will see it through to the end. Naturally, this ongoing resolve burns and scorches the great Nano and his many mini-Nanos. To save not only their honor and reputation, but everything else, they have fallen back on Enver Hoxha and Ramiz Alia. “He who lives by the sword dies by the sword,” as the people say. Fatos Nano is a victim of his pathological careerism, of the investments made in him by his patrons or professors, and of fatalism. Thus, he is condemned to suffer in the solitude of his cell, to see from afar or up close the few faces whose careers and privileges are inextricably tied to his chair, and to strain his eyes over the sooty columns of «ZP». They had placed great hopes in the rallies in the squares and invested heavily in their success, hoping to turn them into a massive, violent political confrontation with the security forces, the Government and the PD. But instead of the people filling the squares at the Nano-style rallies, only a few handfuls of nostalgics and Enverists gathered; not even their own children and grandchildren obey them, believe them or follow them. The youth dealt them the most crushing blows, with their indifference, mockery and open revolt, alarming and frightening them with the inevitable, swift process of the PS’s closure and shrinkage. Thus, the extremist leaders in the PS leadership sowed the wind but reaped the storm; the avalanche they had provoked to crush their democratic opponents buried them instead. And once again they will learn no lessons from these setbacks: they will go on lamenting, complaining and protesting that they are innocent victims, that they are angels defending the interests of the underprivileged. But to their misfortune, neither the people nor the world have the desire, energy or patience to hear their old and new fairy tales to the end. international measures, as a premeditated political campaign, as an outburst of revanchism and hysteria by those they call Balli-fascists against Nano personally, the SP and the opposition as a whole, etc., etc. Thus, quite unlike us, with a wholly clear aim, they personify the SP in the figure and name of Fatos Nano, making the entire party an accomplice and defender of this corrupt leader, thereby gravely implicating SP members with genuine socialist ideals. For us and for these socialists, the “Nano process” is an entirely personal attack on Fatos Nano, as standard-bearer of red corruption involving Italian aid. It is also the official inauguration of a frontal war against corruption without a color—or, more accurately, with only one color: black. Fatos Nano has the honor of being at the top of the list of red corruption bosses. His exemplary and just punishment will be democracy’s first great victory against the octopus of corruption or evil, a meaningful message to everyone that democratic law recognizes no cults, and that before it we are all equal. Otherwise, his release from prison, his “innocence,” or his pardon merely because he is chairman of the SP, merely because his punishment would be interpreted as an attack on the SP and the opposition at the highest level, above Nano and his comrades in the SP everywhere. The DP has taken on this mission with determination and commitment and will carry it through to the end. Naturally, this determination and unity terrify and burn the great Nano and the many Nanos. To save not only their honor and reputation, but also everything they have gained from their positions and other privileges, they have used all the authority they wield, as well as the treasury of Enverist experience and its propaganda vocabulary against Ballism and fascism. Since Enver Hoxha and Ramiz Alia succeeded for 50 years in frightening Albanians with the bogeymen of Ballism, fascism, imperialism, social-imperialism, revisionism and capitalism, why should this Nano lot not succeed for at least one year, long enough to regain power? But, unfortunately for Fatos Nano and the other Fatoses, the era of Enver Hoxha and Ramiz Alia has ended once and for all. Democracy has given every Albanian every opportunity to judge with their own eyes and mind, and to speak openly in their own voice. Ramiz Alia handed the baton to Fatos Nano apparently to burn him, so that the great storm—which was supposed to sweep away the little Fatos like rubbish—would destroy him— not succeed for at least 1 him—

Tirana As you are aware, in implementation of Council of Ministers Decision No. 199 of 20.5.1992, “On transferring the archival holdings of the PPSH, BGSH, BPSH, BPSH and FDSH to the administration of the General Directorate of State Archives,” our Directorate has requested several times that you take over the administration of the aforementioned archival holdings. As you are aware, in implementation of Council of Ministers Decision No. 199 of 20.5.1992, “On transferring the archival holdings of the PPSH, BGSH, BPSH, BPSH and FDSH our Directorate has requested several times that you take over the administration of the aforementioned archival holdings. Unfortunately, we note that to date you have shown no willingness to implement the aforementioned decision and hand over the holdings of the PPSH Central Archive. Recognizing its responsibility for timely implementation of the aforementioned Council of Ministers decision, this Directorate requests that you urgently take the necessary measures to begin handing over these holdings. Otherwise, it will be obliged to seek the assistance of the competent authorities to implement the decision. DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE STATE ARCHIVES [?]LIAN MALLTEZI

ADDRESSED TO the President of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Sali Berisha; Albanian Radio and Television Some clarifications regarding Mr. Genscher’s “interview” ADDRESSED TO The President of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Sali Berisha Albanian Radio and Television Some clarifications regarding Mr. Genscher’s “interview” I am a lifelong pastor. For the past two years I have lived and worked in Albania as director of the religious and humanitarian mission «OST-WEST». I am also the responsible editor of the German-language newspaper «OST-WEST», with a circulation of 120,000 (one hundred and twenty thousand) copies. The «OST-WEST» mission is well known in Europe; in just the past two years it has donated more than 20 (twenty) million US dollars in aid to Eastern countries. It is also well known in Albania for the aid it has distributed from Konispol to Vermosh. In recent times alone, this aid has amounted to more than 500,000 (five hundred thousand) US dollars and has included food products, medicines and medical equipment, detergents, and even religious literature. The Mission’s plans for the future are even larger: aid for Albania totaling 6 million US dollars is planned, to be disbursed by the end of the first half of 1994. But our activities in Albania and our good relations with the Albanian state are being obstructed by baseless slanders and claims appearing in the newspaper «SHQIP». It is not true that any interview with Mr. Genscher or any statement by him was published in the newspaper «OST-WEST». We do not engage in politics; rather, we try to heal the wounds left open by misguided systems and policies. It is clear that one of these publishers, exploiting his personal acquaintance with me, is trying to make insinuations and raise unfounded claims. What is true is that my father, Gerhard Jan Rötting, is a friend of Mr. Genscher, and nothing more. WITH RESPECT PASTOR XHEVDET REXHAJ

- The district council chairman has disappeared - - Whoever finds him will be well rewarded - As reported in the newspaper «RD», the justice authorities of the Bulqiza District opened a criminal case against the Chairman of the Bulqiza District, Mr. Meleq Berati. On this basis, on 3.8.93 the district prosecutor’s office summoned him and presented him with the indictment, supported by specific documents. The accused swore an oath. At that point, Mr. Meleq asked to leave for half an hour on the pretext that he wanted to find a lawyer to defend him. The gentleman from the justice authorities obtained his signature there and then, declaring that he would not leave. But what happened next? Unlike Nano of Q[?]dris, this “Nano” of Bulqiza walked out and disappeared in an unknown direction. That same day, the Bulqiza District Prosecutor’s Office issued a lawful search notice to all the Republic’s security branches, accompanied by a photograph, as required. As of 9.8.93, he had not been found. But is the district’s “father” alone in this corruption? No. He is trying to evade the investigation in order to save his accomplices. The Socialists of Bulqiza are in crisis. The chairman of the PS in Bulqiza also failed to hold the rally planned against Nano’s arrest, since that Nano had already escaped, including in Bulqiza. BASHKIM SELIMI

Yesterday, Italian parliamentarian Alberto Alessi, appointed to investigate Italy’s economic cooperation, made a series of statements containing slanders against the head of state and the current Albanian government. Regarding these irresponsible and untrue statements by Deputy Alessi, which were published in a newspaper, the President’s spokesperson stated the following: 1. The Arsidi scandal was not uncovered in January 1993 by the Italian embassy, as Mr. Alessi claims. It had been uncovered months earlier by the Albanian authorities and was immediately referred to the justice authorities for investigation. 2. Nikolla Arsidi, a French citizen and, as would later be established, a person implicated in a scandal involving the PPSH Technical Government, had been appointed by that Government in December 1991 to negotiate the external debt. 3. After being elected to this office in April 1992, the President of the Republic, during his official visit to Rome in May 1992, asked Senator Giuliano Amato to renew his mandate as negotiator of Albania’s external debt. President Berisha had no knowledge of the mandate given to Mr. Arsidi by the Technical Government in December 1991 and never recognized or appointed him as negotiator of the external debt; he received him only as a representative of Courtoisie Française. 4. All financial transactions connected with the Arsidi scandal took place before the Democratic Government came to power, that is, during the PPSH Technical Government. 5. Moreover, the unlawful actions and financial irregularities committed by members of the Technical Government and other persons implicated in the Arsidi scandal were reported to the courts by the Democratic Government. 6. As for the PD’s funding when Mr. Berisha was its chairman, we can say that no violation of Albanian law took place and that the PD’s accounts are open to inspection by Albanian auditors and those of any other country. The PD has received no illegal funding. We point out that Mr. Alessi’s reference to a certain Italian diplomat, whose role and activities are now well known not only to Albanians but also to Italians, as well as his reference to Arsidi and the defense he offers to the dictator Hoxha’s widow—persons denounced by the Democratic Government for unlawful misappropriation and other criminal acts on the basis of accurate documents—does not improve Mr. Alessi’s standing at all; if anything, it reveals his possible ties to these circles. His statements are an attempt to divert public attention from the scandal involving Italian humanitarian aid to Albania, that is, the Italian-Albanian Tangentopoli, which is part of Italy’s Tangentopoli and whose actors are [text corrupted]. Despite all this, we wish to assure Mr. Alessi and those behind him, Arsidi and those manipulating him, as well as anyone else, that these insinuations and slanders will not shake the determination of the Albanian democratic state to fight corruption wherever it comes from and whoever is involved. President Berisha, while highly valuing the great assistance that the Italian state and people have given and continue to give Albania, also expresses his desire for the best possible relations and cooperation between the two friendly countries. Press and Information Office of the President Tirana, 12 August 1993

Regarding what was raised in the «ZP» article of 12.08.1993 by its correspondent concerning the documents found in the basements of the former PPSH Central Committee, we clarify that, in order to implement the Government’s decision to transfer the documents of the former PPSH to the administration of the General Directorate of State Archives, the leaders of the PS, which possessed them, repeatedly obstructed the process. This is confirmed by the fact that although the Government decision was issued in May, its implementation did not begin until December. The handover was able to begin only after the persistent insistence of this Directorate, which generated extensive correspondence; we are publishing one of these documents to inform the general public. The discovery of the documents in the basements of the former PPSH Central Committee building has no connection with the building’s current ownership, as claimed in the «ZP» article in order to evade the PS Presidium’s legal responsibility for implementing the aforementioned Government decision. We cannot know in which other basements you may have deliberately hidden documents that now belong to the state and society, so that only you know of them. It is your duty to report and hand them over in their entirety. GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF ARCHIVES

Prompted by the statement of Italian Deputy Alberto Alessi, and by the fact that the trial will take place next week, I declare: 1. I referred the matter in question to the relevant justice authorities here and in France as early as October 1992. 2. I, Ilir Hoti, have no current accounts, not only in Zurich but in any other country either. In my capacity as Governor, I have never had any occasion, and no one has ever asked me, to finance the Democratic Party’s election campaign; consequently, I have committed no violation of the law on party financing. 3. I have given two interpellations in Parliament on these matters, and provided all explanations to the country’s investigative authorities. 4. In the confrontation I had with the accused before the French justice authorities, no such fact emerged. Deputy Alberto Alessi is not telling the truth. ILIR HOTI Tirana, 12 August 1993