The road from the entrance to the Student City to “Democracy” Square will bear the name of the Martyr of Democracy Arben Broci The ceremony organized for the occasion is attended by President Berisha, DP chairman Selami, Speaker of the People’s Assembly Arbnor, Prime Minister Meksi, DP Secretary-General Shehu, MPs Hajdari and Marku, December students, students and other guests. The road at the entrance to the Student City, up to “Democracy” Square, will bear the name of the Martyr of Democracy Arben Broci Those attending the ceremony organized for the occasion include President Berisha, DP chairman Selami, Speaker of the People’s Assembly Arbnor, Prime Minister Meksi, DP Secretary-General Shehu, MPs Hajdari and Marku, December students, students and other guests On December 8, the fourth anniversary of the December ’90 Student Revolution and the National Day of Albanian Youth, a ceremony was held in the morning at “Student” City to name the road near the city’s cinema club after the Martyr of Democracy, “Arben Broci.” President of the Republic Sali Berisha cut the ribbon at the inauguration. Among other things, he said: “December 8 is one of those days that change history. December 8 is the day of the students and of democratic ideals, which spread throughout Albania with unprecedented speed. December 8 will always remind Albanians of the struggle and efforts of Albanian youth, Albanian students, workers and peasants, and Albanian intellectuals to free themselves from one of the cruellest dictatorships Europe has known. December 8 will be honored together with the historic events of those great days that brought democracy to Albania.” The Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Mr. Pjeter Arbnori, recalling his memories of to Albania, said: “[It has been] transformed into a factor of peace and stability. Naturally, we are still far from achieving all that we aspire to. “But democracy is not an easy thing to dream of. Democracy is harder to build, but it is undoubtedly the best among all other forms of government. And we are all aware that, despite the great difficulties we are experiencing, the achievements of democracy are great and undeniable. They are such that they make the process irreversible—a process that began in December and will lead Albania to the year 2000.” [The speaker said he was there] not only as one of the founders of the DP, but as one of those students, a man of few words and hard work, who made up his mind and set off immediately from this city. “Once again, [I pay tribute] to all those who fought, strove, clashed and made their contribution to what the majority of Albanians had long been waiting for. The fall of communism in the East, and especially the events in Romania, which we did not simply watch on television but lived through, had made it clear to every Albanian that communism had come to an end in Albania too, despite R. Alia declaring in November ’90 that communism would never come to Albania again. The events in Shkodra and Kavaja, the silent demonstrations of January 28 in Tirana, and the toppling of Stalin’s busts showed that among Albanians revolt had overcome fear; fear was what had kept the dictatorship alive for 50 years. Thus, the students’ revolt was the long-awaited explosion. But what ideals brought the students out into the streets? “Without any doubt, the overthrow of the dictatorship, of communism. For us, the dictatorship was not abstract; it had names, just as our opponents had names. If we were to call only the demands the students presented to R. Alia the ideals of December, we would be mistaken, because those demands were shaped by the circumstances. For example, in those days we could not demand the overthrow of Alia or E. Hoxha. But the slogans ‘Down with the Dictatorship,’ ‘Down with Communism,’ and ‘Freedom-Democracy’ primarily meant overthrowing those who kept the dictatorship and communism standing. The most prominent ideal of December was expressed in the famous call of a student: ‘We want Albania like all of Europe.’ But this call, first and foremost, also meant: ‘We want Albania without the corpses of communism.’ No one could have imagined then that a democratic Albania could be built without destroying communism. In those days, people demanded political pluralism, freedom of speech and of the press, and all the rights Albanians had been deprived of for 50 years. These were the ideals of December, ideals that would later be included in the DP’s program. For it is an undeniable fact that, besides the students, December also involved other people—the people of the Democratic Party. “Some present December simply as a moment in a generational struggle. There may have been some participants in the movement who saw change only as the removal from the Political Bureau of the so-called ‘conservatives.’ When the situation evolved and people did not hesitate to call the dictatorship by its name, they withdrew and turned back. In my opinion, they did not clearly understand what was happening. They saw R. Alia as the initiator of democracy in Albania; even today there are those who call Alia the initiator of democracy. These are the people who seek to turn December into a legend and surround it with mystery. December was not a generational struggle but a struggle of ideas and their opposites. The fact that young people played the leading role was not related to a generational struggle, but to their idealism, their physical and mental disposition, and the opportunities young people have to bring about change. “But there is something else as well: the young people also had the moral right to rise up, because they were free from …” Arben Broci Street peaceful settlement [?] throughout Albania. Albanian intellectuals to free themselves from one of the fiercest dictatorships Europe has known. December 8 will be commemorated together with its martyrs, who were at the forefront of the struggle against dictatorship. December 8 is also a great message about preserving democracy, preserving the ideals of December—the pure ideals of freedom and human rights, a market economy, and the rule of law. Once again, by honoring Arben Broci and all the martyrs of democracy, we have honored freedom, our ideals, the ideals of our children, and their hopes.” Then the Mayor of Tirana, Mr. Sali Kelmendi, took the floor and said: “The Tirana Municipal Council was the first to name this place ‘Democracy Square.’ Here, in the center of the Student City, four years ago, the revolt of Albanian students turned into a powerful democratic movement that overthrew one of the fiercest communist dictatorships. Today, in memory of this event and to commemorate the work of the martyrs of democracy, the Tirana City Council decided to name this square ‘Democracy’; the road as far as ‘Elbasan Street’ is named ‘Arben Broci Street.’ It was December 8, 1990, when the first student youth movement against the red dictatorship began from this square. The act to overthrow the communist totalitarian regime was formulated in this square. From this street surged a wave of popular hatred for that bloodthirsty regime. Everything began here four years ago, and today we gather to honor this street, to honor our work, Arben Broci, and the other martyrs who envisioned the future and transformed this place into a free, democratic Albania. Broci and Albanian student youth. Peace gave birth to democracy and democracy. The plaque bearing the inscription ‘Arben Broci Street’ was covered with wreaths by student Arben Hajdari and FRPD Chairman Afrim Krasniqi. The ceremony was then accompanied by a special speech, a speech, and a song [?] The historic events of those great days the People’s Assembly, Mr. Pjeter Arbnori, recalling the events of December 1990, said among other things: “In Shkodër, which was an anti-communist and democratic center, the entire leadership of the PD came: Mr. Sali Berisha, Azem Hajdari, and others, while Arben Broci, Kolec Ndou, Edmond Bushati, and others were the ones assigned to the task. Arben Broci,” Arbnori said, “was one of the branch’s founders, a young man with a democratic spirit and a great capacity for work.” He conveyed the respect of his fellow democratic colleagues from Shkodër for Arben Broci’s work and achievements. The leader of the December students, Hajdari, shared his impressions of Arben and of the beginnings of the student movement. The December students Spiro Curra, Afrim Krasniqi, Myftar Gjana, Gjin Progni, and others also shared their recollections. The award of the title Martyr of Democracy to Arben Broci was also praised in a speech by the Chairman of the PDSh, Mr. Eduard Selami. Mr. Selami also stressed: “December 8 conveys the message that we still have a great deal of work to do and that our obligations to democracy continue to grow.” President Sali Berisha, for his part, took the floor at this moving gathering and said: “Today, our profound gratitude goes to all the citizens of Tirana who became an unbreakable shield for the students that day. They filled the squares and streets of the city and shook the foundations of the communist dictatorship like an earthquake. Those days marked Albania’s history; they were days of transformation, days that determined a different future for the country and the nation. They are the days when the history of one-party rule came to an end and the history of pluralism in Albania began. President Berisha continued: Naturally, those days and the period that followed brought powerful democratic developments, together with his comrades in Shkodër. Meanwhile, Shkodër was subjected to genuine police terror. Arben Broci and many, many other students were the founders of PD branches throughout the districts. PD was born, essentially, from the ideals of Albanian youth. Today, after four years, I believe that rarely in history has a political force been able to demonstrate achievements as great as those this force has shown in such a short period. Albania of prisons and concentration camps, of political prisoners, is today a free Albania. One of our very first calls was: ‘Free our brothers.’ And we insisted and acted very rightly. Albania of the newspaper Zeri i Popullit, which praised crime and dictatorship, has today become an Albania of hundreds of newspapers. Albania of imposed atheism has become an Albania of religious freedom. Albania of total centralization is today an Albania of free enterprise. Those who want to change Albania’s colors are gravely mistaken. Those who want to deny Albania’s achievements are once again gravely mistaken. Despite all its difficulties, Albania is on a fast track of reforms. Albania of just two years ago, whose budget was 60% dependent on humanitarian aid, is today achieving one of the most admirable rates of economic growth, and it is ... for the overthrow of dictatorship and the building of a democratic Albania, Arben Broci and all the others who fell, who in the 1990s did not spare their lives and blood for this democratic Albania. Thank you!”

—Excerpt from the paper delivered by Edi Paloka at the roundtable organized by FRPD in remembrance of December 8, 1990— Today we remember the days that, for Albanians and especially for the young, became the days when ideals were more tangible than ever: the days of December ’90. We all lived through those days; only four years have passed. We may have lived through them in different ways and places, and may have felt them differently, but we all did live through them. December ’90 is not a legend. It is true that those days changed the lives of all Albanians, and in this respect December belongs to all Albanians; but December is not a legend—it was made by people, some of whom are here today. I emphasize this because I see all sorts of analysts emerging today, drawing conclusions about the December movement and those who were its protagonists. The problem is that many of these “analysts” have heard about December only as a legend, and today they make deductions about the ideals and aims of those who were its protagonists, even though the protagonists are here and have not at all forgotten what happened just four years ago. Everything began with the shortage of grain at Q. Studenti, someone wrote, trying to portray the students’ uprising as nothing more than a revolt based on a trivial cause. It is true that the shortage of grain was a cause of the revolt, but it was only one cause. Hekuran Isai did not barricade himself amid the protest at Q. Studenti merely because a few rebels were protesting the shortage of grain. The following day, December 9, showed that the students were … [The article continues with the following passage:] corpses of communism.” “These … Albanians without the corpses of communism,” the article notes at its end: been deprived of for 50 years. from … not only as one of the PD’s founders, but as one of those students, sparing of words and hardworking, who made the decision and immediately set out from this city to take Albania into the 2000s. Once again, in honor of all those who fought, struggled, clashed, and contributed—not merely in a revolt based on trivial causes. It is true that the revolt was sparked by the lack of electricity, but that was only one cause. Hekuran Isai did not climb up to Student City in the middle of the night just for a few rebels protesting the power cuts. all of Europe.” But this call, too, primarily implied “one purpose; it was merely the Constitution should be drafted by this Parliament and approved by another Parliament that what would have become of Albania with a Constitution if their alternatives had been followed. But apparently they realized their “mistake,” or someone explained to them that they would not seem very credible if they followed name within a day, they changed the parties too, but in fact this is only a tactical change, without changing the goal. The leaders of the PS agreed to sit down in (Continued on page 2) communism,” “En-Democrats” primarily meant bringing down those who had kept the dictatorship and communism in power. The most striking ideal of December was summed up to be like purpose; it was merely by another Parliament that seem very credible if they followed down in (Continued on page 2)

Arben Broci Street

Asked to comment on the article published yesterday in the Greek newspaper “Ta Nea” and reprinted today by “Financial Times,” according to which the President of the Republic declared in Budapest that five Albanian citizens of Greek origin, sentenced by Albanian courts, would soon be released, the President’s spokesman confirmed that the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, gave no interview to the newspaper “Ta Nea” at the CSCE Summit. Tirana, 7.12.1994

—The PS leaders sat down at the roundtable only for show. —They say they are ready to reach consensus on drafting and adopting the Constitution, but link every action to early elections— Bombastic declarations, calls for consensus, “Let us give Albania a Constitution as soon as possible”—this is the façade presented by the leaders of the PS and the opposition in general. They even adopt more pompous poses: “With or without the DP, we will give Albania a Constitution,” he declared. What more can the leaders of the PS do to convince Albanians of their commitment to the Constitution and Albania? They did not leave a stone unturned in criticizing the first draft. They declared that their own draft (the best one) was ready, but so far no one has seen it. After November 6, they made a “small technical mistake” by immediately demanding early elections, making it abundantly clear that their fight against the Constitution had only one aim and was simply an electoral battle. They went further, making absurd proposals that the Constitution be prepared by this Parliament and approved by another Parliament, which would have to emerge from early elections. One can imagine where Albania’s adoption of a Constitution would have ended up if they had pursued their alternatives. But apparently they realized their “mistake,” or someone explained that they would not seem very credible if they continued with that tactic; and suddenly, just as we changed the party’s name within a day, they changed their position too. In fact, this is merely a tactical change, with no change in their objective. The leaders of the PS agreed to sit down at the … (Continued on page 2)

Do not toy with this people’s feelings and tolerance Today it has become commonplace for every political force to refer to democratic changes and praise them. But if you do not believe in them, or reality compels you to acknowledge things that are not your own views, a moment may come when, with a statement or quotation, you expose yourself and reveal your overall falseness. When it concerns an individual, apart from that person, it matters little to others. But it is quite different when the falsehood belongs to a political force, all the more so when it is regarded as the main opposition force. In yesterday’s lead article in the newspaper “ZP,” among other things, one finds the following quotation: “Everything seems to have been going backwards since Mr. Sali Berisha came to lead the Albanian leadership, together with the ‘rejuvenated old men’ Spahia, Arbnori, Dosti, Meksi, etc., who at the very least do not represent the politics of the situation.” It could hardly expose itself more clearly. For the PS leadership, everything before Berisha, Meksi, and the others came to power is considered good. The bad things, the things that have gone “backwards,” began when today’s state leadership came to power. But when did that happen? What came before it? What was good, and what is now going backwards? In answering these questions, one cannot help feeling regret when one observes that today’s socialist leadership has the same mindset and outlook as its creators. Before Dr. Berisha and Meksi—two of the initiators of the democratic processes and founders of the DP—and before Spahia and Arbnori—founders of the DP branch in Shkodra—and before Dosti, who represents the long ordeal of suffering, imprisonment and internment under the communist regime, there was the dictatorship of Hoxha and Alia. There is no need to recall its “achievements” and “deeds,” since Albanians have known them firsthand; but it is necessary to denounce every call, platform and effort that seeks to restore, even under a changed name, the painful and tragic past of the communist system. Berisha, Meksi and the others, founders of the first opposition force, the PDSH, came to power after the historic victory of March 22. For the socialist leadership, everything before it was good and everything since has gone backwards. But what has happened since March 22? The individual has been … [text unclear]; the rule of law and the market economy have been established; Albania has regained its friends in the international arena and is aiming for full integration into European structures. Political prisons have closed, bread queues have disappeared, and a people’s smile has returned. That is why history … [text unclear] so much by a political force in such a short period of time. As for your conclusions, everyone has the right to feel nostalgia for the past, even if that past was a dictatorship; but it is not right for others—the majority—to suffer because of this nostalgia, while they consign it to oblivion. Do not toy with the feelings and tolerance of this people. You who lead the PS today, tolerate the nostalgics for the communist past.

At the request of the chairman of the Kukes district, the chairman of the Has district, the MPs from these two districts, and the leadership of the association of lands flooded by the Drin River, a consultation meeting was held to discuss the demands presented by the association and, in general, by the strikers. Regarding the meeting, Agriculture Minister Halili said: “On this occasion too, we held discussions between the parties, especially about the quality of the land to which they will be relocated. I made them a request that I have made before as well: if representatives of their association consider that there is available land acceptable to them anywhere in Albania, then, as the Ministry of Agriculture, we will propose to the Government that Decision 306 be amended in accordance with their demands. “Thus, we have land available to … (Continued on page 2)

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