YES to consensus, YES to the Constitution also from Kukës, Lezhë, Shkodër, Pukë President of the Republic Sali Berisha in Kukës, Lezhë, Shkodër KUKËS Yesterday the city of Kukës welcomed the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha. At 11:00, President Berisha, accompanied by the Speaker of the People’s Assembly, Pjetër Arbnori; Ministers Musaraj and Uka; the recipient of the Sakharov Prize, Adem Demaçi; the Prefect of Kukës, Selman Agolli; district deputies; and representatives of local government, warmly met with the residents of Kukës and the surrounding villages. The rally organized on this occasion was opened by the mayor, Qemal Parrllaku, who stressed that the people of Kukës were committed to holding the Referendum on the Draft Constitution with tolerance. President Berisha then took the floor. After greeting the people of the Kukës district for their warm and heartfelt welcome, he invited them to vote for the Constitution on 6 November. “In this way,” the President stressed, “we honor ourselves; all together, we honor Albania. Albania today needs your support, your love, your word and your hospitality. Today you are … [NEXT COLUMN] extremists; to unite, they will say yes to the Constitution. The mayor of the commune of Tërthore, Sami Laci, of the Socialist Party, also spoke at the meeting. He expressed his conviction that honest socialists would say yes to the Constitution, yes to freedom, yes to democracy; they would say no to the socialist leaders, no to the Hajdaragas, no to the Ruçes. Hamit Noka, chairman of the PR branch; Bashkim Muca, chairman of the PSD branch; Ismail Dida, chairman of the association of the politically persecuted; Nesim Gjana, chairman of the independent trade union; Aferdita Samarxhiu, chairwoman of the Democratic Women’s Forum; and Rasim Juniku, Rasim Jerholli, a former PP member and a family of martyrs, also gave greetings. He said: “I love the Constitution; I am convinced that in this way I am for Albania, for the family; I say no to national division.” At the end, the Kovaci brothers greeted President Berisha with a song. LEZHË Yesterday at midday, the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, accompanied by the Speaker of the People’s Assembly, President Berisha then took the floor. After greeting the wonderful people of Kukës the President stressed, “we build the future; all together we build and your hospitality. Today you are free people, descendants of those who did not spare even their blood for Albania’s freedom. You are the ones who supported democracy from its very beginnings; you are the ones who will support the Constitution, Albania’s freedom. Your freedom-loving spirit is stronger than a few voices calling on you to say no to the Constitution; it is stronger than your very own Gjallica. The President went on to stress that under the dictatorship the Albanian question was at a standstill, whereas now we are seeking freedom for Albanians wherever they are in their lands, and that we are free, faithful to Albania, to freedom, to the flag. Let us show that we will be faithful to freedom, to the flag, faithful to one another. Let us all together build the giant battles that the people of Lumë fought for independence against the Serb and during the National Liberation War. Concluding, President Berisha expressed his conviction that on 6 November the people of Kukës and all Albania would vote for the Constitution, bound by a pledge of loyalty to the flag. Then the President [was followed by] the Speaker of the People’s Assembly, Pjetër Arbnori, who said that the Constitution would be the guarantee of pluralism, democracy and peace, and therefore invited the people to take part on 6 November. The people of Kukës Prefecture have always been pro-democracy; Kukës has understood that the Constitution belongs not to one party, but to all Albanians; it is for the good of Albania. Adem Demaçi, greeting the crowd at this rally, said: “You feel it more deeply than all the heart of Kosovo, because you have been freed from fear and oppression. With this Constitution you will face civilized Europe.” Addressing the people, the Prefect of Kukës, Selman Agolli, pledged that they would vote for the Constitution on 6 November. “We are proud to be proud of Albania. We have gathered in this, this Albania, for what will belong to all Albanians in Albania and everywhere—in Kosovo, Macedonia, Çamëri and among the Arbëreshë. This is the square of the ‘Great Besa’. Here the men of the land, the men of Albania, led by the leader of freedom, Skënderbeu, pledged themselves to freedom, to fight for freedom, and raised higher than ever before the name of the Albanian and of Albania. United, they turned Albania into a stronghold of European civilization. The example of Skënderbeu …” (Continued on page 2) Assembly, Pjetër Arbnori, the distinguished figure from Kosovo, Adem Demaçi, and others, took part in an enthusiastic rally organized in the city of Lezhë. Opening the rally, the city’s mayor, Agron Dibra, among other things pointed out that the people of Lezhë had supported democratic processes and were following them with a democratic culture. Amid calls of “We want the Constitution,” President Berisha took the floor. After thanking the crowd for its heartfelt, fraternal welcome, he stressed that Lezhë had supported not only democracy, but had always supported history and had been at its forefront. Therefore, he said, you must We are with BERISHA

The chairman of the PDSH, Mr. Eduard Selami, the Secretary General of the PDSH, Tritan Shehu, and the deputy chairman, Ali Spahia, stopped, were greeted and were accompanied from the Baçallek Bridge at the entrance to the city of Shkodër all the way to their destination in Koplik by dozens of cars bearing national flags. At the beginning of his meeting with Malësia e Madhe, the area’s deputy Kacaj described it as the developer of the anti-communist struggle in Europe and the first to hold masses in church ruins, and as having voted for democracy three times. Representatives of the PR, the group of intellectuals who are members of the PDS, the area’s politically persecuted, and religious representatives would then declare their support for the draft Constitution. Tritan Shehu expressed confidence that in three days Albania too would (Continued on page 2)

“On the Referendum ballot paper, the voter shall leave untouched the option in whose favor they are voting, marking the other option” Albanian People! By crossing out “NO,” you vote for the Constitution, for democracy, for freedom, for Albania. BALLOT PAPER Do you accept the Draft Constitution of the Republic of Albania approved by the Parliamentary Constitutional Commission? YES NO PRICE: 5 LEKË

SHKODËR READ ON PAGE 3 Manifesto by 456 intellectuals from various fields, addressed to the Albanian people, urging them to take part in the Referendum and approve the Constitution