- The first among leading figures in world politics to wish the new Albanian democracy victory in March ’91. - Jimmy Carter, defender of democracy and of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and one of the greatest defenders of the rights of Albanians in the former Yugoslavia. NATIONAL LIBRARY TIRANA March ’91. At the Democratic Party headquarters, a telegram arrived, wishing the DP all the best for its victory in the 31 March elections. At the bottom was the signature Jimmy Carter. It would be the first letter from a prominent world figure in support of Albanian democracy and, as such, a great encouragement for this new democracy. Two years later, one year after democracy’s victory, Jimmy Carter himself, former President of the USA, arrived in Albania, adding another name to the list of distinguished figures who have visited Albania in the era of democracy. Invited by President Berisha, the former American president, now head of the Foundation bearing his name, will make a visit to Albania lasting several days. Carter entered the White House in November 1976, having previously been governor of Georgia. His rival in the election was the Republican J. Ford. During the period when Carter steered American politics, he became known as a powerful figure in foreign policy. His successes are associated with a renewal of American foreign policy. Carter is the man who worked for peace in the Middle East, becoming the initiator of talks between Egypt and Israel that ended in the Camp David Accords. Although Carter lost the 1980 election to Reagan, he has continued to be a champion of peace and democracy around the world. The Carter Foundation is now well known for its efforts to defend democracy and Fundamental Human Rights across the globe. In this context, Jimmy Carter has also become known as a friend of the Albanians and a defender of their rights. The conference on Kosovo held by his Foundation in Atlanta is the clearest indication of this. His visit at this dangerous moment in the war in the Balkans was also highly significant. The violation of the human rights of Albanians in the former Yugoslavia will also be among the main topics discussed between the former American president and Albanian political figures. Carter is also known for his faith in God. For the former American president, the role of religion in a modern, democratic society is very important. That is why, during his visit to Albania, Carter has devoted considerable attention to meetings with representatives of different faiths. During his visit to Albania, Clinton’s Democratic predecessor will meet all the leading figures in Albanian politics, American and Albanian-American businesspeople, religious representatives, and others. Mr. Carter will also include in his program a visit to the American embassy, a visit to the Krujë Museum, a meeting with representatives of the Association of Friends of Israel, who concluded the democratic cultural agreement, at the European Baptist Federation, etc. Let us once again welcome Mr. Carter and wish him a pleasant stay in friendly Albanian territory. E PALOKA

Today the People’s Assembly resumes work in the III session of the XIII legislature Today the People’s Assembly resumes its work in the III session of the XIII legislature. SUCCESSFUL WORK AND CLEAR MINDS! This afternoon the People’s Assembly resumes its work, this time in the III session of the XIII Legislature. Now, political thought, joining with juridical and legislative thought, will, after a short pause, once again return within the columns of the building that is the highest and most essential symbol of the representation of a nation’s authority and powers, subsequently crystallized in the various legal acts so indispensable and vital to the comprehensive development of democracy’s destiny in Albania. So, on this occasion, we wish it: SUCCESSFUL WORK! And successful work begins with a high degree of concern, seriousness, commitment, a spirit of understanding and constructive debate, placing the nation’s interests above everything, thoughtful and competent consideration, effective organization of work, discipline and foresight. For most of the time and among most of the Assembly’s members, these things we have mentioned have not been absent. But, unfortunately, in the Assembly chamber, as outside it, the opposites of the above-mentioned qualities have also been on display. The «fever» of this has been suffered overwhelmingly by the socialist opposition in particular. We hope that, after its excessively long summer recess, it will return with a clearer mind and in a more constructive spirit. We hope it has understood that, between the cause and the pretext, it is more honest and manly to deal with the cause. We hope that what happened—to its own detriment first and foremost—will not be repeated. So, own detriment first and foremost—will not be repeated. And so, in the face of this bitter experience, we are obliged, with goodwill, to wish it: A CLEAR MIND! The current stage of developments in economic reform now awaits the necessary legislative framework from the Assembly. Such laws include those on foreign investment, the privatization and conversion of enterprises into shareholding companies, the promotion and development of priority investments in infrastructure and superstructure, as well as many other laws. A truly successful and worthwhile task would also be completing the legislative framework for the functioning of the rule of law and, above all, the adoption of the CONSTITUTION by the deputies through consensus. Meanwhile, we would remind the deputies not to forget the electorate either: meetings, support, encouragement of its initiative, and identification and resolution of its many problems. And as Albania’s prestige increasingly gains new stature in world opinion, both because of the qualitative, secure and rapid development of its domestic reality and because of its constructive positions as a factor for peace in the world and the region, we wish the Assembly, through its influence, to strengthen this image, bearing in mind, as always, alongside our national interests, the interests of our Kosovar brothers and all other Albanians beyond the state borders of Albania. Once again: SUCCESSFUL WORK AND CLEAR MINDS!

47 years ago, in the village of Gurzë in the district of Laç, the red dictatorship, in order to subjugate the highlanders of this area who were anti-communists, staged the killing of Rexhë Deli, Hero of the People, former commander of the local command in the district of Krujë. After this killing, carried out by the State Security, two days later, on 28 August 1946, 10 completely innocent men were executed without trial in the centre of Gurzë. Among them, four were from the Miri family. The red dictatorship continued its persecution and terror against this village for years, executing 22 men and imprisoning and politically convicting more than 60 others. Of the 22 men executed from this village, eleven belonged to the Miri family. To honour these victims of (Continued on page 3)

Visit to Malaysia by Deputy Prime Minister Kopliku at the head of a delegation The Albanian government delegation, headed by the Republic’s Deputy Prime Minister, Bashkim Kopliku, who is on a working visit to Malaysia at the invitation of the Malaysian government, was received for working meetings by the Prime Minister, Mr. Dato Seri Dr. Mahatir Mohamad, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Abdul Ghaffarben Baba, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Datok-Abdullah, bin Haxhi Ahmet Badani, as well as very senior figures of the country. Mr. Arum Starova was received for a working meeting by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tan Sri Dato Amed Kemal Xhaffar. The talks focused on developing relations between our two countries, as well as on measures to be taken to accelerate cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, telecommunications, industry, transport, investment, trade, banking, finance, privatization, medicine, justice, technical and scientific cooperation, education, diplomacy, etc., as well as on establishing the commis-[Continued on page 4]

- Vilson Ahmeti, Agron Saliu and Agim Tartari found guilty and sentenced to 2, 7 and 6 years’ imprisonment. - The damage caused to the state amounts to 79 million and 275 thousand new lekë -

- Vilson Ahmeti, Agron Saliu and Agim Tartari found guilty and sentenced to 2, 7 and 6 years’ imprisonment. - The damage caused to the state amounts to 79 million and 275 thousand new lekë - On 31. 8. 1993, the final verdict was delivered at the Tirana Court for the defendants Vilson Ahmeti, former prime minister, and Agron Saliu and Agim Tartari, respectively director and deputy director of the Albanian Commercial Bank. The panel of judges, consisting of Kreshnik Spahiu as presiding judge, and Uk Cena and Alketa Gjyzari as members, held open hearings on 16, 18, 20, 24, 26 and 30. 8. 93, in the presence of the prosecuting attorney, Ilir Marku, in the criminal case against the aforementioned defendants, in which Agron Saliu and Agim Tartari were accused of the criminal offence of abuse of office committed in collaboration with one another, as provided for by Articles 106 and 13 of the Criminal Code. The defendant Vilson Ahmeti was accused of the criminal offence of abuse of office provided for by Article 106 of the Criminal Code. The defendants caused the Albanian state damage amounting to 79 million and 275 thousand new lekë. This was supported by documentary evidence and witnesses. For some time, the phantom Arsidi has been appearing on the Albanian scene. He emerged in 1991, when former Trade Minister Shane Korbeci sent a letter to former Prime Minister Fatos Nano asking him to appoint Arsidi adviser on international trade for Albania. This action is proven by letter no. 24.86 dated 20. 8. 93. In June ’91, Nikolla Arsidi met with the defendants Saliu and Bank. The meeting took place in Paris at the initiative of our Embassy’s Trade Counsellor, Pluton Shyti. He recommended the French citizen Arsidi as a person with a reputation in banking. Arsidi later met several more times in Albania with the defendants Saliu and Tartari, telling them that he had «ambitious» projects for making investments in Albania and that, to this end, he had also held meetings with several Albanian figures of that time. From the time the French citizen Nikolla Arsidi appeared in our country until the French authorities began criminal investigations against him, his words remained mere promises. Not only that, but he managed to obtain a sum of 1 million and 585500 US dollars from the Albanian Commercial Bank, a sum which, despite the civil lawsuit brought by the Albanian authorities before the French courts, has still not been returned and remains the subject of a legal dispute. It should be emphasized that during the period when these events took place, the operations of the Albanian State Bank were entirely paralyzed because it had a debt of 450 million dollars, 50 per cent of which had resulted from foreign-exchange transactions in its relations with other countries. The technical government of Vilson Ahmeti at that time had only 3 duties: 1. Securing bread and food for the people, 2. Securing re-[Continued on page 2]

- Do they know that Europe does not accept corruption? - Fatos Nano, accused of corruption, declares that he is a political convict. Ramiz Alia, for his part, demands to be tried for political crimes while he is accused of misappropriating funds. Thus, two of the leading figures of the communist regime, brought before the courts... Fatos Nano, accused of corruption, declares that he is a political convict. Ramiz Alia, for his part, demands to be tried for political crimes while he is accused of misappropriating funds. Thus, two of the leading figures of the communist regime, brought before the courts, are ready to answer for this «mistake»—says R. Alia—and he is prepared to answer for this «mistake», convinced in his sadistic soul that the hundreds and thousands murdered, imprisoned and interned amount to only a «mistake». But it would take Alia many years just to write down his crimes. It is enough to recall the military coup at the United School; the crime of 2 April and the anti-communist declarations to PASOK, which would be enough for Nano to be condemned as a political criminal, along with the anti-national decisions, in every country in the world. All this time Nano has also been talked about in connection with another offence to his detriment. Europe does not accept the consequence of that «mistake». Of course, Alia was not the ideologue of the class war, but during Alia’s years a [unclear] was killed and the leading figures of the Albanian intelligentsia of the 1990s were dragged bitterly through the mud; they were accepted and dragged through the mud here as well, among other things, to such an extent that for the young people and the [unclear] this was more acceptable than the misuse of the knights. Through the [unclear] he left behind, Fatos Nano is [unclear]. Albanians see that he is a political convict and, as such, a victim of justice. The fact is that justice accuses Nano of the «disappearance» of 8 million dollars, but this does not mean that he lacks a record of political crimes. It is enough to recall the military coup— This has been done in all the countries of the world; it has been withdrawn, and at the front it has declared a broad-front war. Nano feels that he will receive no support from Western democracies (as is in fact happening). The only ones strongly supporting him are PASOK’s allies (obliged by the joint declaration) and the Marxist-Leninist brothers of the former communist parties of the East. Indeed, the former Bulgarian communists complain that they are facing the same phenomenon, reminding Nano of a bitter reality: throughout the East, the corrupt former communist leaders have been placed in the dock. For this reason, too, Nano and Alia prefer a political trial. In any case, they are right to remember that the charges brought against them are only a drop in the ocean of their crimes. Justice cannot remain indifferent to such a fact. Before it stand two criminals who have contested their crimes and who must receive the punishment they deserve, even though, in the end, they are the ones insistently demanding it.

N O T I C E On December 5, at 18:00, a nationwide peaceful rally of democratic forces and political persecuted people will be held in Skanderbeg Square in Tirana. We invite all former prisoners and people persecuted by the dictatorship regime, as well as all Albanian democratic forces, to attend. The Presidium of the National Association of Former Political Persecuted People of Albania. The Chairman KURT KOLA