On Friday, 5 November, the second conference of the Democratic Party of Albania branch in Bulqizë held its proceedings. The conference began calmly under the direction of Mr. Skënder Hoxha, deputy chairman of the PD branch in the district, who presented an analysis of the situation and approved the working committees. Afterwards, Mr. Agim Xhoxhi, on behalf of the district branch leadership, delivered the report. In analyzing the activity of the party branch, he pointed out that the democrats had worked continuously and with a heavy burden to implement the objectives set by the party and its structures. The problems were constantly followed on the ground and efforts were made to solve them. The democrats, Mr. Xhoxhi said, under the leadership of the PD and its presidency, in coalition with the other parties, have every opportunity to achieve the objectives and tasks set before them. Both the current government and local government are working to improve people’s lives. Interventions and investments have been made, just as work has been done on property reform and to encourage private business. Even better, Mr. Xhoxhi said, the situation will look in the future if we succeed in renewing the party branch with new democratic forces. Afterwards, Mr. Kastriot Islami, on behalf of the candidacy evaluation commission, presented the report of this commission. He announced that 11 candidacies had been submitted for chairman of the party branch as well as 32 candidacies for the new leadership of the PD branch. At the conference, a special commission was also created to deal with the implementation of the instructions given by the chairman of the PD, Mr. Sali Berisha, who at that moment was carrying out electoral activities in the northeastern areas of the country. As the proceedings continued, many delegates spoke about the activity of the party branch and the problems troubling the democrats and the people of the district, and made proposals for further improving the work. PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, PROF. DR. SALI BERISHA, VISITS THE INSTITUTE OF MEXENESVE QE BERISHA, VISITS THE INSTITUTE OF MEXENESVE QE BERISHA, VISITS THE INSTITUTE OF MEXENESVE QE BERISHA[?]

...THE FORCES OF THE PD ARE AN UNDENIABLE TESTIMONY TO ITS UNITY THE GREAT PITY IS THAT THE FACT REMAINS THAT THE PD HAS CARRIED OUT ITS DUTIES AS A POLITICAL FORCE, ASSUMING ALL THE BURDENS THAT ARE LINKED TO POWER AND GOVERNANCE. KEY TO ACHIEVING ALL THIS HAS BEEN AND REMAINS THE UNITY OF THE PARTY. BASED ON ALL THE POSSIBILITIES SECURED BY THE WORK OF THE PD, IN THE NEW CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WERE CREATED, AS THE MAIN FACTOR FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONGRESS TASKS, AS A FACTOR FOR MAINTAINING CALM AND CONTROL OVER THE GENERAL SITUATION, OUR BRANCH HAS ORGANIZED AND TAKEN PART IN MANY ACTIVITIES. [...]

“Are the secretary and Ali... connected with the Kuço family?” “...Are the secretary and Ali... connected with the Kuço family?” Thanks to contacts with teachers, students and various citizens from the Mati area, we have managed to gather interesting information about the matter of Hoxha’s “visit” to the home of M. Skëndo, as well as about the ties that existed between certain people who played a role in this complicated story. According to the testimonies collected, Hoxha had stayed at M. Skëndo’s home just two days before his arrest. This visit, according to many sources, was not accidental. The secretary of V. Ali, one of the people mentioned in this story, is suspected of having been in contact with the Kuço family. At least that emerges from several accounts gathered in the field. A resident of the area, who asked to remain anonymous, said he had heard that the “secretary” had been seen several times going to that family. From partial documents and from the memory of the residents, it appears that the arrest of M. Skëndo may have been preceded by a network of meetings, signals and intermediaries. Some of them also mention people who had previously been linked to local structures. Investigating these connections may help clarify the circumstances of the arrest. After the statements were taken, the materials were sent to the relevant authorities for further verification. Will the full truth come out? That remains to be seen.

SHPETIM LUCI[?] On 7 November, the next issue of “ZP” came out, and it continued to be characterized by a low style, offensive language and slander against the government and the democratic forces. The author of the article, avoiding arguments, uses unfounded accusations and calls political opponents “criminals”, while defending discredited figures from the communist past. In its article, the newspaper tries to rehabilitate names that public opinion has already condemned for their role in suppressing freedoms and abusing power. By attacking reforms and democratic changes, it tries to stir up nostalgia for the old system and to hinder the country’s progress. Albanian citizens have understood that this kind of propaganda serves neither the truth nor the national interest. They want a free, honest and responsible press, not pamphlets that incite hatred and cover up yesterday’s corruption.

“Neither Ali’s, nor na[n]k will bend the democracy of crime n[?]” (Continues on page 4) Even the former opposition (and now also the nostalgics of communism) are trying by various means to discredit the democratic government and create panic in public opinion. But these attacks are like burst balloons: they make noise for a few moments and then fade away without leaving any trace. In this spirit, the article denounces Alesi’s efforts and those of his supporters to manipulate the truth, distort the facts and create the idea that the country is heading toward chaos. On the contrary, according to the author, Albania is consolidating its democratic institutions and strengthening the rule of law. The Albanian people, the article says, will not allow the return of the old spirit, nor of the figures linked to the dictatorship. Democracy will survive and will prevail over every attempt to frighten or sabotage it.