THE DP IS CAPABLE OF ANALYZING ITSELF AND CORRECTING ITSELF Although it is a new party, with almost 3 years of existence and major shortages of material and financial resources, experience, and the expertise of cadres specialized in political, party and administrative work, facing the 52-year-old SP, the DP has triumphed with the weapons of massive popular support, seriousness, transparency, consistency and commitment to implementing its program and keeping its promises. These qualities were expressed clearly at an even higher level in the spirit and substance of the latest meeting of the DP National Council. The DP is aware that, during its time in power, it has not been able to avoid shortcomings, weaknesses and mistakes of an objective and subjective nature. We can consider most of them unavoidable given the conditions under which it took power on 22 March 1992. In this extremely difficult and complicated phase of transition, amid extreme poverty, it is possible for someone both to make observations and to make corrections. Without denying or underestimating the role of alerts from its allies in power, from BSPSH, from the association of former prisoners and political internees, from the opposition, etc., the DP has shown sharpness and an ability to identify some of its shortcomings and mistakes itself, in good time, and to correct them, without even considering hiding or covering them up at home or abroad. Only a political force that truly knows its potential, has broad popular support, and regards seriousness, transparency and constructiveness as fundamental principles can do this. Quite unlike the DP, the current leadership of the SP, a victim of incompetence or a willing adherent to Enverist practice, has not critically analyzed itself and has not confessed to collective or individual mistakes by particular leaders. It consciously squandered the opportunities it was given with the arrest of Fatos Nano and with Kastriot Isl[a?]mi’s extremist, aggressive statements, punishable by law; it also acted immaturely with the opportunity the DP itself gave it at the latest meeting of its National Council. Instead of benefiting from the DP’s courage to uncover and correct its own shortcomings, Socialist propaganda, first and foremost «ZP», continues its old tune, writing against the DP as it did in 1991 or 1992. Instead of welcoming this and reflecting it in its own theory and practice, the SP leadership has apparently given «ZP» the directive to attack every positive development in the DP with all its guns. It is understandable: such absurdities can only be expected from our communist-socialists. In this case too, the DP is the one that gains the most. By failing to uncover and correct its own shortcomings and mistakes, the SP sinks even deeper into the 52-year-old Enverist swamp and is irreparably harmed by euphoria, complacency, hypocrisy, demagoguery, adventurism and quixotism, and by its electorate’s mass abandonment, which in no way of an objective and subjective nature. Most of them can be considered unavoidable given the conditions in which it took power on March 22, 1992. In this extremely difficult and complex phase of transition, amid extreme poverty, it is also possible for someone to succumb to the temptation of large sums of money and extravagant gifts. This risk can neither be categorically denied nor generalized and alleged everywhere. Wherever it finds fertile ground, a potential danger quickly becomes a real phenomenon, with a great capacity to spread and infect. Therefore, from the very first days after taking power, the PD identified corruption as democracy’s most dangerous enemy. It was addressed accordingly at the meeting of the National Council, in Mr. Eduard Selami’s report, in Mr. Sali Berisha’s speech, and in all the discussions. It is very important to emphasize that the PD is deepening, strengthening and perfecting not only its ability

At the meeting of the joint Albanian-Italian group, held on Monday at our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the economic cooperation between the two countries was reviewed and the work carried out by this group over the past two months was analyzed. The group in question holds its meetings regularly within the framework of the Joint Albanian-Italian Commission for Development Cooperation. According to Viktor Kasimati, director of the Directorate of Economic Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the latest meeting both sides noted with satisfaction that it had become possible to begin financing several important projects for our economy within 1993. Approval of funding by the Steering Committee of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is expected for projects involving construction, agro-zootechnical support in two districts of the country, grain silos in the district of Durrës, a sanitation development project and a housing project for the development of remote mountain areas. Aid-credit projects are progressing well, including the Durrës-Tirana railway, the Tirana water-supply network, the Bovill[a] water supply, the integrated telecommunications project, etc. At the meeting, both sides expressed their commitment to implementing these projects as soon as possible, as they relate to the phase of our country’s economic recovery.

On Tuesday morning, the People’s Assembly approved, in principle and article by article, the draft law «On the Construction Police», the discussion of which began a week earlier. There was considerable debate, mainly concerning Articles 3 and 4, which deal with this body’s subordination, duties and powers. The Construction Police is established as an executive, armed body specializing in monitoring compliance with the law in the fields of design, construction and production of building materials, and urban planning. The powers of this police force are such that it can inspect construction sites, design studios, warehouses, relevant documentation, etc. It is also authorized to demolish unlawful constructions at any stage of the work.

Environmental education and raising public awareness about the conservation and protection of the environment, as well as a serious assessment demanded by the reality of the environmental situation in the world today, were at the center of a seminar organized on 28 September in Tirana by the German «Friedrich Ebert» Foundation, in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Committee and the Ministry of Education. The «Friedrich Ebert» Foundation, active in around 77 countries worldwide and founded in 1925, began its activities in Albania in 1991 and has since held a number of seminars on politics, the economy, the press, etc. Today’s seminar was the first on this subject to be held in Albania. Germany’s experience in environmental protection, one of the most developed in the world, was presented at the seminar by Dr. Elmar Rompczyk, environmental policy coordinator at the Foundation in Bonn, founder of «Environmental Policy, Builders of Social, Economic and Political [Life]». Taking into account Albania’s particular circumstances as a post-dictatorial country, Dr. Rompczyk devoted much of his presentation to the environmental policy that should be pursued in Albania, focusing specifically on negative phenomena such as indiscriminate deforestation, as well as measures to be taken against erosion and problems of air, water and soil pollution, etc. The seminar also discussed issues such as the importance of environmental education in schools and raising awareness among young people about this concern of global significance, etc.

DURRËS. On Monday afternoon, in the hall of the «Aleksandër Moisiu» Theater in Durrës, the «Durrësi» association and the district education directorate, in cooperation with the Palace of Culture, organized a ceremony to honor 12 teachers persecuted by the communist dictatorship. Their family members, along with many teachers and students, attended the celebration, as did Kolec Topalli, Secretary-General of the Presidency, and local government officials. After opening remarks by Halil Myzyderizi, chair of the «Durrësi» association, Ali Sula, a doctor and member of the association’s governing board, highlighted the importance the name and role of the teacher has had, and continues to have, for Albanians. In his speech, the district education director Shpëtim Myshk[e]ka described the dictatorship’s cynicism toward the figure of the teacher, while researcher Danish Beb[e]ziqi gave a brief overview of the work of the 12 teachers who were honored. Afterwards, Jusuf Puka (posthumously) and Hysen Çela were awarded the title «Teacher of the People», while the other 10 teachers received the title «Meritorious Teacher». To greet those present, the «Aleksandër Moisiu» theater’s variety troupe and actors presented an artistic program.

SHKODËR, The government has allocated the necessary funds in recent days to bring the Ndërlysë hydroelectric plant in the municipality of Dukagjin back into operation, which ha...

mistakes, the SP sank even deeper into the 52-year-old Enverist swamp, irreparably harming itself through euphoria, self-satisfaction, hypocrisy, demagoguery, adventurism and quixotism, and through its electorate’s mass abandonment of it. That electorate can under no circumstances agree to coexist for long with leaders who lack the ability and strength to identify and adopt the right position on facts or phenomena that should be the subject of criticism, correction or support. Let the SP continue along its old path, at the end of which failure, shame and exposure await it. The DP will continue along its own path, the path of December 1990—a path that has removed from government all parties that have followed it with determination, maturity and foresight, looking both near and far, at others and at themselves, at successes as well as failures and mistakes. Although the SP chairman made accusations based on facts that could not be refuted, the socialist leaders created and vigorously defended the Nano cult. In his defense, they organized a feverish, elegiac, demagogic and destructive campaign, which had precisely the opposite effect to the one its strategists had intended. By seeking to defend Nano without justification or morality, the socialist leaders were also abandoned by many members with pure socialist ideals. In this way, they further damaged their party’s image and reputation. Ultimately, the party that benefited from this campaign was the DP. The SP leadership is showing ver-

SHKODER, The government has allocated the funds needed to bring the Ndërlysa hydroelectric power station in the commune of Dukagjin back into operation, Sokol Ramadani, director of the Shkodër electric utility, told the ATSH correspondent. The heavy rainfall that fell in Dukagjin on September 4 this year also caused extensive damage to the Ndërlysa hydroelectric power station, which supplies electricity to the communes of Shkodër, Shalë and Pult, the most remote mountainous areas of the Shkodër district. The canal supplying water to this regional hydroelectric plant, which is the only source of electricity for Dukagjin, is clogged with rocks and gravel along 50 percent of its length, while a 60-meter section has been completely severed.

In the Wednesday, September 29, 1993 issue of the newspaper «Alternativa SD», there is a short article containing major inaccuracies. The article, “I am very happy to come to your country,” stems from a tired mind and reasoning clouded by selfishness; otherwise, all those slanders directed at our ambassador to Malaysia, Mr. Ferit Hoti, cannot be justified. The writer, Mr. P. Korça, should be told that the style of writing he displays is flat and worthless. Mr. Ferit Hoti is an intellectual with a broad education, and he is not—as is said of the author—a PPSH hanger-on who stuck around when communism was on its last legs, nor a PPSH spy from the time when communism was on its last legs. Mr. Hoti speaks four foreign languages, three of them fluently. He has just returned from a six-month specialization course in France. He is an intellectual with broad interests, not only in science but also in social and political affairs. Mr. Hoti has distinguished himself, particularly in the democratic revolution, having been among the founders of this great democratic upheaval, of this social and political transformation in favor of reason and moral progress. So he is by no means naive, nor ignorant of the democratic movement. But how can there still be malicious people in Albania, someone who invents absurdities, claiming that Malaysia chose an ambassador with English. Here Mr. Korça is harshly revealing himself as an ambassador in the conduct of a foreign country. Political blindness, the professionals in national affairs and a foreign ambassador, practical international affairs and a foreign ambassador—Mr. Korça’s fabrications do not stop with the country’s ambassador. Korça’s fabrications do not stop with the ambassador in Malaysia. They veer toward feverish identification with someone in Malaysia. They move toward the feverish identification of someone who is an honor to a state of calm. The writer should know that this is nothing but disinformation—this worthless and such…

From the PD-Patos meeting On Saturday morning, the PD-Patos branch held its meeting in the ALBPETROL conference room. In addition to branch officials, the meeting was attended by the PDSH organizing chief, Mr. Engjëll Hysenbegasi; the deputy minister of Mineral and Energy Resources, Mr. Bujar Nepravlata; and guests from allied political forces, trade unions, and others. The agenda covered the PD’s activities and the implementation of the Reform, which were also addressed in the report by the branch chairman, Mr. Ilaz Vrloni. Among other things, he noted that 23 new members had joined, 11 of them with higher education. The first phase of administrative reform has been assessed, Mr. Vrloni stressed, but there is still work to be done. The government must act more seriously and, among other things, assess the consolidation of sectors whose activities are currently dispersed, such as agriculture and tourism. Cooperation with Albpetrol and the relevant ministry has not been at the required level. Minister Abdyl Xhafa also bears responsibility for this, Mr. Vrloni stressed. He went on to say that in the area of corruption and anti-corruption, the latter must begin. Meanwhile, no one has sat down to discuss seriously the fundamental issues, such as the fight against corruption and the other weaknesses of the reform, including its own shortcomings. It was also stressed that oil is a national resource, but under a market economy efforts must be made to address the increase and hemorrhaging of intellectuals and specialists. Among other things, they noted the achievement of investing 450 million lekë in housing, as well as securing bus transport for oil workers, etc. The meeting then continued with questions and discussion, addressing the rehabilitation of political persecuted persons, the coalition with democratic forces, the national question, the fight against communism, corruption and speculation for personal gain—ultimately carried out to attack democrats and smear democracy, to distract attention and cover up red corruption, and so on. Deputy Minister Bujar Nepravlata also spoke at the meeting. At the request of ALBPETROL employees, he read out and commented on the State Audit Commission’s report on oil, which had only recently been issued, after about six months; until now, neither the corporation’s managers nor its other employees had known about it(!?) Mr. Nepravishta then assessed the achievements and difficulties in the oil sector, the achievements of the Democratic Government, and the situation in our region. “We are in a new phase of the Reform,” he stressed, “when we must move from emergency measures to the phase of bringing investment into Albania.” In this context, the oil sector has been allocated 25 million dollars by the World Bank. At the end, Mr. Engjëll Hysenbegasi addressed the meeting and expressed the PD’s appreciation. “The PD’s primary task today,” he said, “is to improve its structures and institutions, while outside the PD the priority must always be better relations with the executive and legislative branches. We must also set stricter requirements, first of all for ourselves, regarding the quality of work, corruption and administrative-financial violations, as well as competence, professionalism, etc.” Hysenbegasi concluded by announcing that the PD would soon launch its campaign to select the new national assembly of the PDSH. «RD» correspondent

SARANDE. A few days ago, the Greek police authorities in Corfu confirmed the drowning of an Albanian refugee. After identification, he was found to be Mejdi Hajrredin Bruci, born in 1974, from the village of Lukaj in the district of Dibra. According to sources at the criminal police of the Sarandë district police station, the man in question drowned at sea near the shores of Corfu on the night of August 19, while a group of refugees was being illegally transported to Greece. The owner of the speedboat, a man from Sarandë, wanted to [unidentified/unclear].