Meeting of the PDSH chairman with citizens of Korçë Last week, the chairman of the PDSH, Mr. Eduard Selami, held a meeting with citizens of Korçë, members and supporters of the PD, as well as voters from his electoral district. Mr. Selami thanked the many enthusiastic attendees for their participation and for the unstinting help and support that Korça and patriotic Korçans have always given democracy at decisive moments. Democracy is freedom, it is space to create the possibility of becoming wealthy, but... The recent events, Selami explained, have been overshadowed by a phenomenon that everyone condemns, such as the exposure of communist corruption. If we look more broadly and over a longer period of time, the sphere of Albanian political life, both domestic and international, The PD will keep its word has been characterized by positive changes. It is difficult, while living through events, to assess achievements and failures; therefore, although we wish to move forward as quickly as possible, it is good to remind one another that our right to move faster must at the same time be characterized by realism in seeing what has been accomplished. Progress has been made in legislation, privatization projects have begun, and efforts have started with the IMF, the World Bank and foreign investors; they are still at a stage where it is not clear how far they have advanced or how much economic progress has been made. Albania was receiving economic assistance and was completely paralyzed; in this respect, it was a time bomb that we had to confront. It was overcome, but unemployment is one of the greatest challenges facing the Albanian economy. Private initiative must be properly understood. Democracy, Mr. Selami continued, is freedom; potentially, it is space to create opportunities to become wealthy, but whether or not you become wealthy does not simply depend on whether you are free, but on how… (Continued on page 4)

In recent days, uncertainty has arisen among social groups receiving assistance, with people fearing that once the assistance period ends they will be cast out onto the street without any financial means of subsistence. In connection with these malicious rumors, our journalist obtained the following statement from the Minister of Labor and Social Support, Mr. Dashamir Shehi. Under the new law, the standard of living for people receiving assistance will not fall below the current level of assistance. P.S. — Soon we will conduct a more extensive interview with Minister Shehi about these issues. RD CORRESPONDENT

On 17 May, the Prime Minister of Albania, Mr. Aleksander Meksi, will make a working visit to Greece, where he will also sign several cooperation agreements, among which are a treaty of friendship and an agreement to build two highways linking Greece with Albania, etc. We learned from the Secretary General of the Greek Ministry of National Economy that, so far, this ministry has approved 80 applications for investment in Albania.

Dear gentlemen of the great newspaper “Aleanca”. When Ylli Rakipi of the newspaper “Republika” mentioned on television the words “newspapers with small circulations,” he did not list their titles. You made the list for a specific purpose, placing the newspaper “Republika” at the top. We wish to make it clear that, whether you like it or not, the newspaper “Republika” is one of the most widely read newspapers in Albania and has a higher circulation than your newspaper “Aleanca,” even though you are of other views. THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE NEWSPAPER “REPUBLIKA”

These days, people from across the political and non-political spectrum have learned of the financial scandal and corruption involving socialist leader Fatos Nano and company. The newspapers, officials, opposition parties... all spoke out, and it was undoubtedly expected that youth forums, especially student ones, would also make a statement. In private conversation, people said that the Eurosocialist Youth Forum, more than anyone else in Albania representing democratic socialism, would declare itself as befits student youth, against corruption. It was said that Pandeli Majko, the deputy decorated with the title “Torchbearer of Democracy” and chairman of the FR ES, had spoken out against the recent positions of the PS conservatives led by Nano. It was said that I.Meta, F.Metallari and dozens of other young Eurosocialists would demand that the truth about the corruption of PS chairman Fatos Nano be uncovered. Much was said, but what actually happened? The conservative clique of F.Nano, B.Zeneli, N.Dokle and G.Ruçi put pressure on the PS leadership, of which the Eurosocialist I.Zela is also a member, and at the same time assigned their trusted associates K.Islami and M.Lakrorî to control the FRESSH departments, something confirmed at the latest gathering of socialist students. The PS leadership put pressure on its parliamentary group, especially on the honest intellectuals L.Perpali, M.Loci, D.Agolli and Xh.Lloshi, and particularly on the students P.Majko and I.Meta, to compromise them through F.Nano’s statements and compromise. TV reported that at the latest gathering of Eurosocialists, Majko and company expressed support for preserving and cultivating the principles of democratic socialism. How can one explain the audacity of these 20–25-year-old wreckers? The Eurosocialist Forum was hastily formed before 22 March under the auspices of M.Lakrorit, M.Ulqinit and K.Islamit, to compensate for the PS’s failings and their conservatism. The innocent young people who believed in democratic socialism were promised a great deal, while Nano and his entourage used them without restraint as “cannon fodder” to secure their own power. The facts show that the Eurosocialists were actively present in the 22 March campaign, which gave the PS 30 seats in parliament. Yet this contribution was cruelly scorned. On… (Continued on page 4) Salami are occupied with a phenomenon known to everyone as the uncovering of communist corruption. If we look more broadly and across life, both domestic and international, one is living through events, to assess achievements and failures; therefore, wishing to do so as soon our right to continue, Mr. Selami went on, is freedom; potentially, it is space for creating opportunities to enrich it. But whether one becomes enriched or not does not simply depend on whether it is free, but on how [cut off] (Continued on page 4) Virtuoso accordionist

In the clarification issued by the “Demokracia” printing house regarding its boycott by six newspapers, in my capacity, as already stated, as president of the governing board of the newspapers “Rilindja Demokratike”, “Republika”, “Alternativa SD”, “Drita”, “Bashkimi”, “Zeri i Rinise”, and “Sindikalisti”, I must clarify two points. First, in the interests of truth, it should be said that the governing board of the consortium’s seven newspapers met and discussed, together with the printing house’s representative, Mr. Petro Dhimitri, his concerns about a number of issues. Mr. Dhimitri even gave his explanations before the board. It should be said that these also met with the open opposition of some representatives of the aforementioned newspapers. Regarding these concerns, a fax was also sent to the International Media Fund in the name of the governing board. I also conveyed them at a meeting in Washington with representatives of the International Media Fund. Second, also on the day the “Demokracia” printing house was inaugurated, the International Media Fund generously granted the request submitted by the seven editorial offices to provide us with a six-month supply of paper as a gift. I believe the disagreements that have arisen are a consequence of the fact that no contract has been finalized between the editorial offices and the printing house clearly defining each party’s position and their mutual rights and obligations. President of the Governing Board BASHKIM TRENOVA

(Continued from the previous issue) After the upheaval suffered by the camp of hell following the death of the arch-criminal in 1953, it was thought that the quiet, modeled according to that architecture, would come to an end, or at least be brought down a little. But, to the misfortune of the people, the one issuing the orders designed the eternal punishment of his own people, and right here he decided to build another circle, or the eighth circle of hell, which, amid the cries of spirits and the shadows of skeletons, began on 25 May and lasted until 3 June 1956. Without this circle, the architect had designed it to last ten days; one might suppose that he had given much thought to what he had finally announced to the people. The people had received it with deep groans and prolonged weeping, which there seemed constantly to turn into [unclear] and smiles; this had to do with his glory and, in particular, with the good things this circle of hell would bring to humanity. At the entrance to hell, the spirits, weakened by suffering but also curious to see what was around them, leaned out above… (Continued on page 4)

Croatian President Franjo Thugjman and his Albanian counterpart Sali Berisha signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation between the two countries on Monday evening in Zagreb. Tirana and Zagreb wish to “accelerate their development and intensify their relations,” Mr. Berisha said regarding the meeting he had with Thuxhman. Addressing the press, he emphasized, among other things: “If the aggression in Bosnia does not stop, there is a risk that other conflicts will break out in the Balkans, and even beyond.” “A Greater Serbia cannot be a stabilizing factor; on the contrary, it risks creating a conflict that would involve all the peoples living in this region,” he emphasized. “Without a resolution of the problem of Kosovo, whose population is 95 percent Albanian and which lives under Serbia’s complete occupation, there can be no stability in the Balkans,” the Albanian president said again, appealing to the international community to take even more forceful measures to resolve this problem. The two sides signed cooperation agreements on investment and in the transport sector. Berisha arrived on Monday morning and left the Croatian capital in the evening. ATSH

In its issue dated 11 May, the newspaper “Aleanca” describes Mr. Bardhi, the buyer of the ferry serving the Ferie-Koman route, as “President Berisha’s sister’s son.” Based on reliable and verified official information, the editorial staff of “RD” clarifies that no such relationship exists. Calling Haxhi Bardhi Mr. Berisha’s sister’s son is a new fantasy and slander that best exposes the character of those who run the newspaper in question. None of Sali Berisha’s nephews has bought a ferry or any other vehicle from the state. Regarding the auction procedure, to be even minimally serious, the authors would do well to inquire with the Privatization Agency. RD CORRESPONDENT

Tomorrow you will read: Documents about large subsidies from the PPSH to Marxist-Leninist puppets around the world. While the Albanian people were living in the worst possible conditions, E. Hoxha and Ramiz Alia were giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to Marxist-Leninist adventurers.