OBLIGATIONS TOWARD THE NATION AN ALL-ALBANIAN DUTY - The leaders of the PS are far from the role of a constructive opposition - No matter how small a nation may be, without any doubt it must have the space that history has assigned to it. In the context of other peoples, it is the duty of each and every one, an all-Albanian obligation, that it must never be curtailed. On this path, and especially in the phase of major turning points and epochal changes, it is very important to pay attention to that Albanian mentality which, everywhere and always, has been anti-national, both in defending the national interest and in its responsibilities toward it. For several reasons, and especially out of the need to understand our more recent history as quickly and as correctly as possible, the Albanian national movements of the 1990s must certainly be studied as objectively and realistically as possible, but, of course, without ever denying those factors that, directly or indirectly, contributed in their time, positively or negatively, to the formation and advancement of Albanian political processes. Because of the concrete results it achieved in the struggle against the occupier, the Titoist regime and its historiography have made efforts to incriminate as much as possible the contributions of the Albanian nationalist forces, both politically and militarily. Although belatedly, time and developments are showing that such assessments were outside objectivity and far from any fair judgment. In the circumstances in which we live, neither the national obligations of state and political institutions nor those of organized forces that claim to represent the people can be kept silent. Recent history has shown that the greatest obstacles to a sound national policy do not come only from outside, but also from the wrong, unclear, wavering, and selfish positions of internal factors. The role of the Socialist Party should also be viewed from this angle, as it is failing to act as a constructive opposition on issues affecting the national interest. When the nation faces historical trials, endless tactics and narrow party calculations are not allowed. The leaders of the PS, far from the role of a constructive opposition, are creating confusion and obstacles at a moment when clarity, unity, and a high all-Albanian sense of responsibility are required. Obligations toward the nation are not the property of one party, nor the privilege of one group, but an all-Albanian duty. They are tied to freedom, to rights, to survival, and to the dignity of Albanians wherever they live. Whoever evades this obligation, by relativizing it or using it for narrow interests, runs counter to the very spirit of the times and to the overall national interest.

Visit of Minister Edmond Spaho to Austria These days, Albanian minister Edmond Spaho is on an official visit in Vienna and in Austria generally. As reported by the Austrian news agency APA, he is staying in Austria accompanied by the director general of the Albanian National Commercial Bank, Albert Musaj. Yesterday he visited the Federal Ministry of Trade, where he met with his counterpart, Dr. Viktor Klima. During this meeting, the Albanian Minister of Trade, Edmond Spaho, presented a questionnaire for foreign investors and invited them to invest in Albania. He also pointed out the importance of transit traffic, especially for the newly born state of Macedonia, the use of Albanian port capacities, and cooperation in tourism. The Austrian minister, Viktor Klima, said on this occasion that Austria is ready to support Albania in the field of tourism. The head of Austria’s federal government, Dr. Franz Vranitzky, has decided to pay a visit to Albania, but the exact date of this visit has not yet been set. At the Federal Ministry of Economy, Minister Spaho spoke about the modernization of roads in Albania with Dr. Hartmann, head of the department for investments in Eastern Europe at this ministry. In the evening, the Albanian minister had dinner with the Austrian Chamber of Economy, where Albania was at the center of attention. Today the Albanian minister will meet with the president of the Austrian Chamber of Economy, Dr. Richard Schenz, as well as with the president of the Association of Austrian Industrialists, Herbert Krejci. According to a report, representatives of the Austrian firm "Petroko Petroleum" are interested in the modernization of the Ballsh refinery. Among the 16 Austrian entrepreneurs working with Albania is also the well-known Austrian finished-goods trading company "Kastner and Öhler". Representatives of this company will talk today with the Albanian minister about the conditions for importing finished goods into Albania, said the "Koha" correspondent from Vienna. VALENTINA HOXHA

5,694 people have been employed in the private sector TIRANA, 18 SEPTEMBER. (RFE) - 5,694 people in Tirana, Shkodër, Elbasan and Vlorë have found jobs in private-sector enterprises, the representative of the Employment Program, Dr. Vllazan Misaj, told APS. He added that a total of 15-10 thousand people are working in these four cities. This program also includes training for private-sector staff. New offices are being opened that will provide advice for small businesses. Dr. Vllazan Misaj added that the average salary received by employees in private firms reaches 150-170 dollars per month. AFP

One electoral district in Dibër is demanding its deputy Puni in hallo has used the idea of the remote-controlled deputy and does not come himself. There are only 395 inhabitants in the village of Shumbat, the center of the Selishtë commune. The area of this commune includes around 10 villages, covers 4,000 hectares of land, and its population numbers around 4,400 inhabitants. The villages of this commune learned on 31 July that they were voting for a deputy who would represent their electoral district. From the day the vote was announced until the day after the result, the inhabitants of this electoral district had their minds fixed on a deputy by the name of Avni Kondi. However, their wait came to an end, and the curiosity of most of them was explained by the head of the electoral area in question, who stressed that only the 395 inhabitants of the Selishtë commune would be represented by Avni Kondi. The election of this deputy worried the inhabitants of the other villages of this commune, because, according to them, he never appeared among the voters of this area. They had hoped in vain that their deputy would meet them in person and listen to their troubles. Therefore, 699 citizens and villagers of the Dibër district have signed a protest and sent it to the editorial office of our newspaper, where they ask that the reasons why the elected deputy is not among them be published. The protest says that the citizen Avni Kondi lives in Tirana and is represented by remote control. According to the signatories, he did not come either during the campaign or after the elections. The residents state that they need a representative who knows at first hand the difficult economic and social situation of their area. A. KRASNIQI

The social communists are sabotaging the construction of the water-supply system - Delegates of the General Council of the PD from Burrel: sacrifice in the forest and the former chieftain mentality, in continuity up to today - On one of the pages of our newspaper, on 16.9.1993, I read the statement by the groups of Professor Fatos Nano’s new movement, which, in the name of the social communists of Albania, announced the absurd decision that they would give up the construction of the water-supply system for the town of Burrel. This astonishing absurd decision is linked to low political aims and to the old legacy of chieftain-style rule that still hinders the normal development of the area. The drinking water problem in Burrel is longstanding. The inhabitants of the town and the surrounding villages have felt this lack for many years, while the projects have remained hostage to delays, sabotage, and political calculations. It is incomprehensible that a vital issue for citizens should be used as an instrument of party pressure. According to the author, the sacrifices made in the forest, the efforts and labor of ordinary people are being devalued by irresponsible attitudes that keep the area hostage. Instead of support for the construction of the water-supply system, divisions and obstacles are being encouraged. The author calls for the project not to be stopped and for the interests of the inhabitants of Burrel to be placed above political calculations. ATSH

NATIONAL LIBRARY TIRANA NATIONAL LIBRARY TIRANA Letter to the editor To the President of the Republic Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mr. SALI BERISHA

To the Minister of Defence, Mr. SAFET ZHULALI Mr. Minister, Because of the dangers and the weight of the times, because of the grave situation in Kosovo and the threats facing the Albanian people from Serbia, we are addressing you with this open letter to ask that the state institutions of Albania take a clear and active stance in defence of the national interests. Today verbal solidarity is not enough. What is needed are decisions, preparation, responsibility, and a state vision that matches the dramatic developments in Kosovo. The army and the defence structures cannot remain outside a national debate that touches the very fate of Albanians. We call on the Ministry of Defence to take into account all legal and state possibilities in order to increase readiness, to follow developments closely, and to be equal to the task. Respectfully, Various voices of public opinion