At its latest meeting, the government committed to providing financial assistance to workers whose period of social support has expired. This category of workers will receive 50 percent of the minimum monthly wage, or 500 lekë per month. The number of workers who have completed the one-year period of social support continues to grow, while a considerable number of them have started private activities. For this six-month period, their number is expected to be approximately 25,400 people and months for which they should receive the government’s new assistance. The economic cost of this assistance amounts to 148 million lekë, excluding compensation for price increases. Including compensation, the economic cost reaches 263 million lekë. (ATSH) NATIONAL LIBRARY TIRANA

A WRETCHED GENERATION ENVER HOXHA AND HIS COMRADES BETRAYED OUR IDEALS -The new Enverians continue his path- This subject would provide ample and highly useful material for a novelist or playwright to create a truly tragic work. It concerns a well-known group who fought and sacrificed everything for an ideal they considered just, and whose struggle and blood were in vain. This was because the outcome of their war and sacrifices was contrary to their original hopes and aims. They fought and sacrificed to create a society in which each person’s freedom would be a condition of everyone’s freedom, and where the national question would be resolved on the basis of justice and the freely expressed will of the people. Unfortunately, the opposite came to pass. The country and the nation were taken captive by oppression and trauma, while the household remained prominent and, ironically, the new state that emerged from the war also became an appendage of a foreign state called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. For this reason, the generation that sacrificed and shed blood did not achieve its ideals. Its struggle was exploited by a small group of people who, directed and led from abroad, acted against the interests of our people. We must therefore acknowledge that this generation’s ideals were betrayed. In Albania, people did not fight to create a society of imprisoned, executed, frightened and impoverished people, or a dictatorial, autocratic, monocratic state. Personally, I always remember with sorrow my schoolmates and friends who gave their lives for human and national ideals, such as Xhevdet Doda, Emin Duraku, Qemal Stafa, Nazmi Rushiti, Hajdar Dushi, Shyqyri Ishmi, Tom Kola, Margarita and Kristaq Tutulani, Gjike Kuqali, Neriman Jakupi, Xheladin Hana, Siri Kodra, etc., etc. Nor can I forget my schoolmates and classmates who suffered in prisons, such as Gjon Perzhaku, Ram Kola, etc. I recall these things as a result of the all-out, fierce and frontal attack launched by the regressive forces of our society against our fledgling democratic system, which is barely a year old. The threats we hear of open confrontations, early elections, a return to the past and even an “Albanian Somalia,” along with the alternatives being proposed, bode no good. Certain political forces are openly emerging that aim to overthrow the new democratic state by force and, likewise by force, take over the reins of state power. I am convinced that most members of the PS do not approve of or support this course. But that is not enough. It is their duty to distance themselves from the path of adventurism. Our society is pluralist and democratic. We need a strong opposition that respects the rules and norms of positive relations. When the opposition violates these rules and norms, it ceases to play a constructive role and becomes a destructive opposition. When we speak of positive relations, their authors and actors must not forget that half of our nation lives outside the borders of the Republic of Albania. Given that the overwhelming majority of this population supports the PD and its allies, the numerical balance between government and opposition on a pan-national scale is not the 70 to 25% proclaimed in our press, but is much, much more in favor of the government. Nor should we forget the two main tasks facing our people, which require solutions that our new state is successfully working out, with the full support of democratic countries. These tasks are: 1. Deepening and consolidating democratic processes alongside the country’s economic recovery and revival; and 2. Resolving our national question, including the division of the Republic of Kosovo. Only the shortsighted and ill-wishers can fail to notice—or deliberately conceal—the achievements of our new state and the Albanian democratic forces in these areas. At this moment in the course of our democracy and our nation, I would ask the leadership of the PS to voluntarily abandon its efforts to destabilize the country, for the good of the country and, first and foremost, of the Republic of Kosovo. Today everyone knows that our age-old enemies are doing everything they can to hold Albania and the Albanians back and to create a situation of insecurity and instability. Viewed from this perspective, the actions of every political force must be measured and assessed according to the principle: in whose favor do these actions work, the nation’s or its enemies’? When the result is the same, it does not matter whether the actions are carried out knowingly or unknowingly. BUJAR HOXHA

KLINTON AND JELCIN PROCLAIM A NEW ERA OF COOPERATION U.S. President Bill Klinton and Russian President Jelcin opened a new era in relations between the two countries at their two-day meeting in Vancouver, Canada, on 3 and 4 April. With this meeting, they proclaimed a new era of cooperation between them. At the conclusion of the two days of talks, U.S. President Klinton welcomed the new democratic partnership between the United States and Russia, which would make a historic contribution in the coming century. Last night, the two presidents held the second round of talks. Klinton attended a church service before going to his meeting with Jelcin. Jelcin, for his part, met with the premier of British Columbia, Majkell Hakord. The meeting was followed by a press conference at which Klinton emphasized that he supported the reform activists and Jelcin personally. Jelcin, for his part, stressed his country’s strong interest in open competition. He said Russia was ready for open and sincere competition, referring to the three kinds of restrictions that had continued since the Cold War period. The Russian president stressed that the high-level meeting in Canada marked the transition from (Continued on page 4)

-From Mr. Zhualai’s meeting with Mr. Bisiqi- The Minister of Defence, Mr. Safet Zhuali, received the Minister of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Munib Bisiq, who heads a military delegation that is visiting our country these days. “We are following events in the region very closely,” said Mr. Zhuali, “also because what is happening today in Bosnia could happen tomorrow in Kosovo, extending the conflict southward. Under these circumstances, we call for peacekeeping troops to be deployed in Kosovo and for Kosovo to be demilitarized, without allowing ethnic cleansing in any way. Furthermore, our Minister of Defence said that Albania, with its good-neighbor policy and its realistic policy of resolving problems through dialogue and peacefully, believes that neighboring countries should not participate directly in resolving the problems of the former Yugoslavia. President Izetbegoviq’s proposal will be considered, and our country will help with the refugee problem to the extent of its concrete capabilities. Although the war has not yet ended, Albania is already ready for economic cooperation.” For his part, Bisiq, thanked them for the warm hospitality and said, “I am glad that Albania is well informed about the events and the genocide in Bosnia.” He expressed a desire for cooperative ties between our two countries. (ATSH) 1990 1993

On 31 March 1993, “RD” published a grave fact: the criminal murder of a 30-year-old young man by Dushan Mugosha, the representative of the PKJ at the PKSH. The incident is recounted by Xhelal Staravecka, a notorious criminal from the period of the National Liberation War, who was present at the crime. “ZP” responded to this testimony with an article bearing the large headline “The National Liberation War and its heroes are being violated.” RD is forming an alliance with the chief bandit Xhelal Staravecka. As can be seen, the attested fact has been of no use whatsoever to “ZP” in condemning the criminal Mugosha. Not a single bad word is said about him. ZP focuses on Staravecka in order to accuse RD of forming an alliance with him, etc. A historian or journalist in such cases would act differently: they would try to establish whether the fact presented is true or not. Staravecka’s testimony contains all the necessary details to prove that the crime is true. He names the other people who took part in that crime and asks them to state whether or not he is telling the truth. The crime did, therefore, take place, and it should be condemned. “ZP” not only fails to condemn it, but focuses on Xhelal Staravecka and “RD,” as if the latter were defending him. On the contrary, “RD” neither focuses on nor defends Xh. Staravecka. To it, he is a notorious criminal; indeed, Staravecka himself openly admits as much in his own writings. “ZP” writes that Xhelal Staravecka was a collaborator of “Balli Kombetar,” the “Regency Government,” and the “Gestapo.” But that is only half the truth. Xhelal Staravecka was one of the first communists, a partisan detachment commander and later also a battalion commander in the 1st Assault Brigade. Unfortunately for ZP, the crimes he testifies to belong to this period of his activity. So, as can be seen, it was the PKSH, not RD, that formed an alliance with the criminal Xhelal Staravecka. His crimes weigh on the PKSH, not on RD at all. Denouncing Mugosha’s verified crimes does not at all mean that the National Liberation War is being violated, as ZP maliciously writes—unless ZP recognizes figures such as Dushan Mugosha, criminals, as heroes of the PKSH.

On Monday afternoon at 5 p.m., at the start of the session, Mr. Pjeter Arbnori informed the deputies that the draft law on compensation for agricultural land had also been added to the agenda of the Assembly’s proceedings. The session then continued with questions to the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Mr. Rexhep Uka. The session had been requested by the parliamentary groups of the PD, PS and PSD.

Understanding the situation of small businesses in Albania, their privatization and that of public and private administration structures, and identifying concrete opportunities and areas for French assistance in this sector were at the center of talks with the French delegation for Technical Cooperation and Relations in the Crafts Section, headed by the agency’s president, Mr. Bernard Gotje, who came to our country at the invitation of the Ministry of Trade and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries. During its week-long visit, the French mission held discussions with representatives of the central administration and local government, the Association of Albanian Craftspeople, the Chamber of Commerce, and the SME group, which is working to implement the European Community’s PHARE program for small and medium-sized enterprises. It also met with individual craftspeople in the cities of Tirana and Vlora. At the end of its visit, the French group presented a preliminary program for continuing its assistance. ATSH

No comment AZEM HAJDARI DECLARES —Excerpts from A. Hajdari’s answers at the “KJ” press conference— Preliminary note: We apologize to our readers that on many occasions we have not made the necessary editing of the words of the chairman of the “KJ” Publishing Council, because in those cases we too have been unable to give the sentences an exact meaning; therefore, to be more accurate, we have published them word for word. Question: In general, you, Mr. Hajdari, have not been consistent in your political views, but in one respect you have not changed your position: you have given President Berisha your full support. How do you explain your position as chairman of the Publishing Council of a newspaper that is more opposition-minded and attacks the president? Answer: As a journalist, you have followed political developments in Albania. If there has been anyone who has had no contradictions of any kind in the line—I say again today, as a representative of the ’90 minority, and I will continue as such... It is true that I have consistently supported President Berisha, and at no point during the two years of Albanian democracy have I said otherwise. [It is] based on three important institutions: the President ... I believe in people, in their abilities; I believe in the intellectual ability of every person involved in politics, regardless of—you know that everyone entered Albanian politics from their own profession. Some as doctors, some as archaeologists, some as teachers, while I came from the Faculty of Political Sciences. I entered politics as a student of politics and I continue to study politics today... I am expressing a new political initiative, and by appearing at this press conference today ... The newspaper has criticized [the government] rightly or wrongly. I do not know that the government has put Albania right in one year, so do not expect us to put it right through newspapers in a single day, although I have respect for this newspaper. Question: As chairman of the parliamentary defense committee, regardless of whether the news published in “KJ” is true or not, do you think that publishing such news is contrary to the national interest? Answer: I do not know how the news about the movement of the tanks was reported. But I know this: to misuse what a journalist says in their own way means prejudging a journalist... National interests do not belong to one individual. They belong to every citizen. Question: Do you think you are professionally capable of fulfilling the role of chairman of the Publishing Council? Do you deny that you began your political career at the Faculty of Political Sciences? Answer: ...I have no difficulty at all, given my professional background, with this new duty. With two families, at the age of 25, often living on bread and margarine, I entered the Faculty of Political Sciences, where I graduated with an average grade of 9.6. The same goes for the Faculty of Law... To embark on such a path at the age of 28 means doing everything for this land. Question: How is it possible that one of the members of the Publishing Council, Mr. Jorgo Bilali, has boycotted the council? Answer: It is no secret that we have published only part of the council ... the role of chairman of the Publishing Council? Answer: ... Regarding the regulations on tank movements, A. Hajdari replies: As far as the regulations are concerned, I have come here as a member of the Publishing Council; you can see my position. But if they prolong this discussion, then, as a legitimate representative in parliament, I will submit an expert assessment for it to be examined in parliament. I tell them to withdraw as soon as possible; those responsible must listen to this issue here. If they do not withdraw, they know that not a single thing will move from its place, they can be sure of that. And if I do not speak, then truly, for the rest of my life, I will either restrain them or restrain myself.

For the water-supply systems in the villages of Pojan and Sheqeras in Korçë, where work has just begun and is expected to be completed within a short time. For the water-supply systems in the villages of Pojan and Sheqeras in Korçë, where work has just begun and is expected to be completed within a short time, the government has allocated 20 million lekë. A further 1.6 million lekë has also been allocated for the reconstruction of several existing water-supply systems in villages in this district. ATSH

These days, I have noticed several articles and reports in the press about the privatization of homes. The privatization groups themselves would prepare all the documentation, except for the certificate of family status. But the citizens of Tirana know all too well what it means to obtain such a document even in ordinary times, let alone at a “peak” like this, when everyone will flock to the civil registry offices. Without going on too long, I believe the privatization group would do well to obtain the civil registry documents too, just as it obtains the other documents—and it can and should do so. I say this because the privatization group knows how to deal with civil registry employees better, since they are employees of the same workplace. In other words, both sides work for the municipality. I also support this suggestion on the grounds that it is the state that is selling the homes, so it is only natural that it should itself prepare the documents required to carry out this transaction. Similarly, the privatization commissions have a set schedule for the order of privatization, whereas if the matter is left to the citizens, they will all rush to the civil registry offices, which will be unable to cope with this huge workload.