-The facts showing the corruption of the social-communists who run local government in this district are evident everywhere- Yes, that is exactly how it is. By payment order No. 247669 dated 15 April 1993, processed through the bank on 26 May 1993, the Bulqize Heating and Public Services Enterprise is financing the Socialist Party of Bulqize with a sum of 30 thousand new lek. Do not be surprised by this action! The social-communist Agim Vargu, as director of this enterprise, is thus repaying his debt to the mother Party. Under the one-party system he was director of the mine. As such, he was the first to carry Enver’s bust on his shoulders during the rallies of Hysni Milloshi’s association. And he continued his activities as an Enverist, supporting the illegal miners’ strike in Bulqize up to the shameful 23 December of last year, when destructive forces wrecked the district council building. (That day he was at the head of the strike supporters’ group, at a meeting with the area’s MP, Mr Safet Zhulali. After that, he went onto social assistance.) But Agim, who had been “born” to be a director, had to become one again. The mine may indeed have put him on assistance, but the district council presidium, where the socialists dominate, immediately implements the decision of the mother Party (PS). So do not be surprised if the payment order in question, which prompted this article, states: “We credit the Socialist Party of Bulqize with temporary assistance to meet financial difficulties until 5 May,” even though the payment order was processed by the Bulqize bank branch on 26 May. But be surprised by the question of what financial difficulties the PS of Bulqize has. A coincidence of timing convinces us that the Bulqize Heating and Public Services Enterprise is not extending credit to the PS to help it overcome financial difficulties, but to strengthen it. And what is this coincidence? Precisely during this period, the Socialist Party of Bulqize has gone into business, setting up a club next to its headquarters. And this is happening right under the nose of the district chairman, the committed social-communist Meleq Beqiri, who on the one hand complains to the government that there are no offices for the district council administration, while on the other hand, in the council headquarters itself, on the first floor of which the PS also stands “unshaken,” he allows the latter to open a club—even though another one has been operating for years inside the district council headquarters. That one alone was not enough, since clients of the red-nomenklatura cadre chief, now on assistance, were going there. Her salary too could be included under the slogan: “To meet financial difficulties.” But the first coincidence is more convincing: the socialists’ club. It is possible that it was precisely in this club that the corruption surrounding the allocation of a fund of 9.6 million lek was hatched by the district council chairman (although this is not within his authority) to the Cleaning and Greening Enterprise, to buy a “Zuk” hearse which was not bought as such, but as a business vehicle that also accompanied Nano on his trips to Peshkopi and Bulqize. This new budgetary enterprise needed only the “Zuk”—(the district chairman’s own scheme to put his close comrade in ideals and revolution in charge of it)—while the boulevards and lanes of Bulqize have turned into wastelands?! And that is not all: it may also have been in the social-communist club of Bulqize that the transfer of the funds for the town’s water supply system was signed off. The government had allocated them to the Water Supply and Housing Enterprise as far back as 1 March 1993, but the chairman, incompetent to take such action, arbitrarily transferred them to the Cleaning turned into wastelands?! of the area, Party (PS) and, although he is a mining engineer by profession, appointed Agim director of the Heating and Public Services Enterprise at the beginning of the year. And not only him: it also appointed Kujtim Alliu, a mining engineer by profession (former secretary of the regional youth committee), director of the Cleaning and Greening Enterprise. We could go on listing many others: former bureau secretaries, card-index office chiefs, and members of the Labour Party bureau who are now section chiefs in the district council administration. The new social-communists running local government in Bulqize have also “imported” people on assistance from the district of Dibra, such as Luan Sinani (former assistant to the First Secretary of the Labour Party), now an engineer at the Bulqize Forestry Operations Enterprise, and others like him, who live in Peshkopi but are directors in Bulqize. Do you know what Luan Sinani asked the finance chief of the Forestry Operations Enterprise on the first day they met? He asked what funds were available for buying large vehicles, because he would find the sources from which to buy them. In other words, from his very first day at work, he showed great interest in buying a vehicle with state money, just as many managerial cadres (representatives of the PS) in Bulqize enterprises make a business of using public funds. Should people like Agim Vargu be allowed to run enterprises in Bulqize? Can they give up the habit of corruption cultivated in them by the mother Party? Certainly not. Meanwhile, on the other hand, still at the district headquarters, the PS allows the latter to open another club, at a time when another one has been open was not enough, since customers from all parties went there, whereas PS (PP) members have always been accustomed to keeping apart. So they opened their own club, where they can more freely weave their red corruption schemes. It was precisely in this club that chief thief Nano was entertained after his so-called rally in Bulqizë, accompanied by the district council chairman and his entourage. Thus, although enterprises in Bulqizë have sent and continue to send workers onto welfare assistance, the enterprises run by socialists finance their party so it can engage in favoritism. Does this not speak plainly of corruption? The people need accountability; the local PS officials in Bulqizë give them clubs to get drunk in! There is another coincidence with the above-mentioned transfer order. It was precisely during this period that the PS branch in Bulqizë also employed a former- of the social-communist club of Bulqizë. The transfer of the fund for the town’s water-supply system, allocated by the government on 1 March 1993 to the water-supply and housing enterprise, may also have been signed; however, the chairman, incompetent to carry out this action, arbitrarily transfers it to the construction enterprise run by a socialist (his comrade), and the latter transfers it to a private firm. Thus, corruption in Bulqizë is plain to see. The social-communists who left Bulqizë in such a miserable state and who still run local government in this new district can never heal this serious wound. Bulqizë is once again in a lamentable state. The democratic state provides funds to build a water-supply system, the socialist district chairman transfers them wherever he pleases, while the families of New Town Bulqizë have had no drinking water at all for more than two years. In view of all this, we invite the state audit authorities to establish themselves urgently in Bulqizë, so that the Nanos here can be brought to justice as soon as possible. DANE BULQIZA

On 6 June 1993, the Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Mr Pjeter Arbnori, and the parliamentary delegation he heads held a warm, fraternal meeting with representatives of the Democratic League of Kosovo living in Finland. At the meeting, Mr Arbnori spoke about the situation in Albania and the domestic and foreign policies pursued by the Albanian state; Albania’s position on the issue of Albanians living in their own territories in the former Yugoslavia; the favorable conditions created for Albanian and foreign investors; the strengthening of Albania’s relations with international organizations, etc. The compatriots asked many questions about the development of national consciousness, the political parties’ position on the Kosovo issue, the passport problem, the possibility of young people who have taken the path of emigration returning to Albania, etc. Representatives of the Helsinki Albanian Community put forward as their main request the supply of books in Albanian for teaching children the mother tongue, as well as the establishment of their cultural association, which would provide a basis for strengthening ties among Albanians and keeping our traditions and culture alive. Yesterday, the Albanian parliamentary delegation headed by Mr Pjeter Arbnori returned to the homeland. Press and Information Office of the People’s Assembly Tirana, 7 June 1993

-Our country’s participation represents one of the most important activities in this field- The annual meeting of the Steering Committee for Human Rights, the main body for intergovernmental cooperation in this field, opened in Strasbourg. Albania’s participation in this meeting represents one of the most important activities within the framework of its integration policy in the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights. For five consecutive days, the Council of Europe’s activities in the field of human rights will be discussed extensively. The main issues will include the international protection of human rights; the activities of the subcommissions; reform of the Convention’s monitoring system; protection of national minorities; the European Convention against Torture and the possibility of non-member states acceding to it; the project “Human Rights and True Democracy”; the intergovernmental program for 1993–94; sects and new religious movements; cooperation with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, etc. (ATSH)

-It will serve as a bridge to Europe for cooperation in various fields- Hundreds of city residents attended the inauguration ceremony of the Korçe branch of the House of Europe, along with MPs and representatives of local government, political parties, religious communities, etc. The opening speech was delivered by Dionis Kotmilo, chairman of the city municipal council, who thanked the organizers, friends, and guests and said that this house would be a bridge to Europe for technical-scientific, economic, educational, health, and cultural cooperation. Those present were then greeted by Mr Nikolas Konstaf, Deputy General Secretary of the House of Europe, headquartered in Brussels. He highlighted some of the areas of cooperation that the Korçe branch would have with the House of Europe. (ATSH)

Nano’s latest reflection, or the outcome of his “micro-rallies” in the districts. At first glance, today’s situation is tense. It is not the result of clashes between development alternatives, whether political or economic. It is the result of the necessary change in mentalities, which is proving not to be so easy. Political activity is weak; nothing new is being put into action. But this hardly escapes the attention of Democratic analysts. Nano calls for peace and dialogue in government, shortly after calling for the complete resignation of the “Meksi” government. This logic is somewhat strange! The Socialists and their zealous spokesperson have so far seen nothing but darkness in the current, complicated political situation, with issues arising day by day for resolution: the old structures, still not eliminated; traditional bureaucracy, still coexisting with the new democratic state; and, especially, the repeated incompatibility between the policies of the grassroots and those of the center, also a result of the lack of autonomy in governance. Their banner has never shown the true direction for the country’s renewal. At least, not as far as has been accomplished to date. The current political government has thus had to face not only the familiar difficulties of transition and comprehensive, multi-faceted recovery, but also the highly destructive objectives that have coexisted throughout the Socialist opposition’s politics. Nano’s Socialists have seen nothing but darkness in all the policies pursued to date, losing awareness of a series of achievements that should neither be minimized nor eclipsed. The well-known democratic forces have recognized and continue to recognize the steps taken in economic reform. They certainly have objectives concerning all the particular problems and parameters of the reform, but this has not led them to see and value only the mistakes made in the great undertaking of the country’s recovery. Even though, at first glance, it seems that the exercise of power and implementation of economic reform are subject to a specific program, in truth it must be said that other political and economic alternatives have not been sidelined on cardinal issues of development. Another matter is how evident they have been. But the multitude of numerous problems and At first glance, today’s situation appears tense. It is not the result of a clash not to be all that easy. The political discourse is weak; nothing new is being said by today’s opposition, although it makes many claims. There is a general coldness toward politics, especially toward the politics pursued by Fatos Nano, and he has surely noticed this at the “micro-rallies” called in several districts of the country. Despite the amplification that “Zeri i Popullit” has given and continues to give these infantile rallies, they have in no way managed to become mass gatherings for addressing and solving today’s problems. From this, at last, the leader of the Albanian socialists has drawn a conclusion: he is playing his final card, one that is undoubtedly tied to the survival of his party. “Let us at least sit around a table and discuss without prejudice and without looking at the past,” Nano has said lately—not so much out of conviction as to gain moral capital. He does not hesitate to refer to Berisha as well, on the first day of his presidency, “so that all together we may achieve peace and national reconciliation.” In the other camp, that of the truly democratic forces, which struggle every day with the familiar difficulties of governing the country, it cannot be unknown why Nano is calling for a halt to the political struggle. Nano’s well-known axiom, “that we are ready to share power with the Democratic Party,” is as old as every complexity that must be resolved day by day, the old structures, not yet eliminated, the traditional bureaucracy that still coexists with the new democratic state, and especially the frequent incompatibility between grassroots politics and that of the center, also resulting from the lack of full autonomy for local government or from extreme tendencies observed in particular cases, have further increased the political and social burden. If this is logically understandable in this difficult and complicated period of transition, others who do not hold political power but seek it through various forms and means view the situation as an irreparable collapse. According to them, the eclipse has occurred and the moment of Judgment is expected. The Socialist Party has practically now been proclaimed the true Jesus Christ, but with all the characteristics attributed to the Antichrist. The time of its prophets is the time of false prophets. Everything serves the moral authority that the socialists now need. Even their latest request to govern together with the Democratic Party. What would a coalition government with the socialists bring? More than that, what do Albanian socialists in leadership and European socialism in general represent today? In Italy, the PSI socialists have been embroiled in unheard-of scandals. “Tangentopoli” in Italy has placed left-wing leaders at the center of corruption. That socialism which Nano (Continued on page 4)