DECLARATION OF THE PARLIAMENTARY GROUP OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY To the Democratic Party and to all Albanians! Certain officials of the state security apparatus of the communist regime, prosecutors, investigators, judges and administrative employees who directed and implemented the inhumane policy of persecuting the regime’s opponents and Albanian citizens as a whole, have recently created a serious political situation. They have launched an open campaign against the democratic reforms undertaken by the government, the country’s largest party, and the President of the Republic himself. By bringing this special condemnation of the President of the Republic and the chairman of the Democratic Party into focus, the forces of the left-wing coalition are trying to use it as their main argument to reject by every means the changes taking place in Albania. They are zealously encouraging blind ideological hatred to the point of absurdity, at a time when our country and all Albanians need stability, order and unity more than ever. Albania cannot move forward with the old language of class struggle, with cries of revenge and with false accusations. The Albanian community needs a clear perspective of reforms, a rooting out of the communist mentality from its foundations, and the creation of a just system in which the law is equal for all. We strongly condemn any attempt to destabilize the political life of the country, to call into question the institutions born of the free vote, and to bring back the spirit of the conflicts of the past. We call on all citizens, political forces and state bodies to defend the constitutional order and the transformative reforms that are in the nation’s interest. PS

-NATO support for the Albanian army will continue in the future- FROM THE VISIT OF OUR FOREIGN MINISTER, MR. SERREQI, IN BRUSSELS -NATO support for the Albanian army will continue in the future- During the meeting with the Secretary General of NATO, Mr. Wörner, and during the visit to the Belgian Department of Defense, Foreign Minister Edmond Serreqi, for his part, promised that the Albanian government would continue to support and promote democratic reforms and strengthen cooperation with Euro-Atlantic structures. The head of Albanian diplomacy said that our country highly values NATO’s support for the Albanian army and the assistance it has provided in the process of restructuring it. He stressed that this cooperation is important for the country’s security as well as for Albania’s integration into Western institutions. For his part, Mr. Wörner praised the steps taken by Albania on the path of reforms and expressed confidence that our country will move forward in strengthening the democratic order and the rule of law. BRUSSELS

WHO IS MINING ALBANIA AND DEMOCRACY?! Concerned and vigilant Albanians are convinced that today’s political crisis in Albania is by no means accidental. On the contrary, it has been carefully staged by certain forces, which for some time have been sounding the alarm, declaring that the country is heading toward catastrophe, that dictatorship is being restored, and so on and so forth. These voices began to be heard with the formation of the coalition government, which started work on implementing the law on genocide and on arresting the “big fish,” the main responsible figures for the abuses and crimes of the past. From the outset it became clear that this government was by no means welcomed by the leaders of the Socialist Party and its allies. At first signals were given that they would respect the Albanian people’s vote for governing the country with the right-wing coalition, but very quickly all of this proved to be a farce. It is not hard to understand why. The left-wing coalition has understood that it is losing ground beneath its feet, and so it is trying to create a climate of crisis and insecurity, in the hope that this will give it new political opportunities. The real aim of this strategy is to block reforms, slow down democratic processes, and ultimately call into question the country’s very Western orientation. Today all this is becoming even more fully visible: staged protests, alarmist statements, politicized press and attempts to portray Albania as a country on the verge of disintegration. Yet citizens know very well who benefits from this climate. They also know that there can be no turning back and that any sabotage of reforms will receive the response it deserves from the vote and from the law. (To be continued on page 4)

IS THE SP THE EUROPEAN LEFT?! The head of diplomacy and the equal-distance alignment with the European and social-democratic left. But it was and remains their insistence on giving the pluralist system in Albania a political color as well, just as it continues even today. Is today’s SP acting as a modern force of the left in Europe? Or does it still remain a hostage of the past and of old political methods? If its positions over these months are examined, it becomes clear that the SP has not truly distanced itself from the legacy of the PPSH. Its positions on the law on genocide, on the processes of cleansing the administration, and on the punishment of the crimes of communism show that it continues to defend an old mentality, incompatible with the values of the democratic left. Socialist and social-democratic parties in Europe have built their identity on pluralism, the market economy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. The Albanian SP, instead of clearly separating itself from the past, has often lined up in defense of figures, symbols and practices that represent exactly the opposite. Under these conditions, it is difficult to accept that the SP is a truly European left. Modernization is not done with slogans, but with clear positions, with responsibility and with a real break from totalitarian heritage. (To be continued on page 4)

THE BOYCOTT OF THE PRINTING HOUSE WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE LEGAL DEFINITION OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE PRINTING HOUSE The board of chief editors of the newspapers “RD”, “Albania”, “Shqiptarja”, “Rilindja”, “Bashkimi”, “Zëri i Rinisë”, “Mikrofonia”, “Drita”, “Koha jonë”, “Rimëkëmbja”, “Republika”, “Minerva”, “Shqiptari”, “Bota sot”, “Alternativa”, “Dita”, “Flaka” etc., strongly denounces with great concern that the independent and opposition press is becoming the object of growing pressure from state structures and especially from the leaders of the state printing house. According to the board, since the decision to boycott the printing house, in response to discriminatory conditions and unaffordable fees, various forms of pressure have been exerted aimed at subjugating the newspapers and undermining press freedom. The board demands that relations between the parties be regulated on the basis of the law, without arbitrariness and without favoritism. This boycott, the statement emphasizes, will continue until there is a clear legal definition of the relations between the board and the printing house, as well as guarantees of equal treatment for all publications. (To be continued on page 4)

THE “ZP” DREAM ABOUT AZEM HAJDARI’S “MISSION” IN “KOHA JONE” The dream of “ZP” and of some other newspapers is that Azem Hajdari has lit the flame of demonstrations in Tirana, because otherwise they cannot obey the order to throw mud on the figure of the student leader. This campaign is also joined by some self-proclaimed “analysts” who, without any evidence, invent “missions” and ridiculous scenarios. But public opinion knows well the role of Azem Hajdari in the democratic movement and does not fall prey to slander. He remains a symbol of anti-communist resistance and civic courage. (To be continued on page 4)