Interview with Prime Minister Aleksander Meksi, given to journalist Mentor Shehu QUESTION: Mr. Prime Minister, during these three years of its governance, the democratic government has received political and economic support from many democratic countries, such as those in Europe, the USA, and others. Among them, the European Union has also played an important role in carrying out democratic reform. ... carried out by the EU, which have made it possible to develop market economic reform here in our country? ANSWER: Without going into technical details, I would like to emphasize that the European Community (today the European Union) has been Albania’s largest donor to date. Its assistance—which should be emphasized from the outset, is 100 percent free of charge—has been comprehensive and has covered almost all sectors of the economy. Its main purpose has been to support the Government’s economic and political reforms, and it has been in keeping with these reforms. To make this concrete, I would mention the years of its governance, during which it as those in Europe, the USA, and others, among which the European Union the PHARE Program, which is known to everyone and which, for more than three years, has provided significant support of over 100 million dollars for strengthening and structuring the agriculture, health, transport, privatization, and private sectors, ... in payments, which to date amounts to 105 million ECU; moreover, this is the only case in which the EU has granted support for the balance of payments in the form of a grant and not a loan. The EU has also attached great importance to supporting the development of a democratic society and its institutions. Special support has therefore been provided through programs such as the Democracy Program, the Council of Europe Program, and support for various non-governmental organizations, etc. This support is continuing intensively. QUESTION: How can you give us a concrete example of this “continuing intensively”? ANSWER: I noted above that the EU is the main donor, and continuing on this point, I would like to emphasize that it will also be our country’s main partner in the future. This conviction is based on our determination to continue the reforms carried out so far, which are also considered successful by the EU, and, above all, on the will expressed by both sides for this cooperation. Three facts confirm this particularly well: First, Albania is currently supported by all EU programs for the countries of Europe

Yesterday in the People’s Assembly Yesterday morning, the People’s Assembly held a plenary session to consider and approve the draft law “On Certain Amendments to the Law on Documentation and Maintenance of Tax Accounts.” After questions and comments by members of parliament concerning specific issues in this draft law, P. Minga, deputy chairman of the Democratic Party parliamentary group, requested on behalf of the group that, before consideration and approval of the draft law began, specialists from the Ministry of Justice come to Parliament to defend it. Although some members of parliament expressed concern that the draft law had not previously been reviewed by the Legal Affairs and Finance Committees, the chairman of the Democratic Party parliamentary group, Mr. Ali Spahia, proposed a short break, during which the Legal Affairs and Finance Committees would jointly conduct a preliminary review of the draft law in question, in the presence of the relevant specialists. At the afternoon session, after the draft law had been reviewed by these committees, its consideration and approval began, both in principle and article by article, as a whole. Members of parliament who spoke in the discussion of the draft law said that, in the practical application of the law “On Documentation and Maintenance of Tax Accounts,” it had been observed that the fines imposed on the vast majority of entities were so high that they often could not be paid. This situation, the members of parliament discussing the issue pointed out, had led to great difficulty in applying the fines or to their not being applied at all. The high fines had caused the penalized entities to take their cases to court, where the latter substantially reduced these amounts; consequently, the fines imposed were not collected and in many cases cash registers were not put into use at all. Approval of amendments to the existing law “On Documentation and Maintenance of Tax Accounts,” reducing the fines, aims to make the documentation and maintenance of accounts as effective as possible and to ensure that penalized entities pay the fines imposed. After the draft law was approved, Pjeter Arbnori, chairman of the presidium of the People’s Assembly, stated that the standing parliamentary committees should plan the laws they take up for consideration and submit them to the Assembly presidium. Mr. Arbnori also asked the Legal Affairs Committee to work intensively on preparing the Code of Criminal Procedure, since its approval by Parliament is of great importance now that the Civil Code and the Penal Code have been approved. The next session opens today at 10:00. Therefore, based on this, we judged that the right to bring a matter before a judicial proceeding should remain as it was in this law. In other words, we considered it appropriate, through these amendments to the law, to use only the mechanism of reducing the amount of the fine.

“After the approval of the amendments to the Law ‘On Documentation and Maintenance of Tax Accounts,’ we turned to the chairman of the standing parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee, member of parliament HALIT SHAMATA. “After the approval of the Accounts,’ we turned to the chairman of the standing parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee, member of parliament HALIT SHAMATA. QUESTION: What are the aims of the amendments made ANSWER: The amendments to this law, which were considered and approved today, aim to adjust the amount of the fine for failure to comply with the law’s requirements concerning the maintenance of documentation, that is, cash registers. The idea is that the fines have been high and perhaps, precisely for that reason, have also been unenforceable. Adjusting the amount of the fine in the law by reducing it several times makes it possible for the fines to be enforced, that is, paid directly, and avoids appeals through the courts. QUESTION: The explanatory memorandum accompanying this draft law, submitted by the Council of Ministers, also envisaged removing the right to appeal these fines through the courts. This was not approved by Parliament. Why did Parliament reject the removal of the right to appeal in these cases? ANSWER: This was removed because such a provision is unacceptable, since restoring the right to seek recourse through the courts is a constitutional norm. It is part of the law on fundamental human rights and freedoms; therefore, the removal of the right to appeal was rejected because it conflicted with constitutional rights. So, on this basis, reducing the amount of the fine.”

Prosecutor: This is a decision without a legal basis Yesterday at the Court of Cassation, in the presence of dozens of local and foreign journalists, the court case began against five Albanian citizens of Greek ethnicity, accused and convicted by the lower court ... [The source text begins mid-sentence and is incomplete:] ... legal provisions concerning the search of the home had not been explained to them, according to him, nor had their procedural rights been explained from the moment of their detention, particularly those relating to making a defense lawyer available to the client—a lawyer who had been absent during part of the investigative proceedings. Furthermore, since the defendant Bezhani also holds American citizenship, presiding judge Brozia gave the floor to the American lawyer, who said that under Article 14, 3/6 of the International Convention, the defendant should have had a defense lawyer as soon as he was detained. The defendant had remained in detention for five days without a defense lawyer, during which time, according to the American lawyer, his client Bezhani had been pressured. Also, according to the American lawyer, Article 142/2/E of the International Convention stipulates that every defendant has the right to question the witnesses against him, and also has the right to request (Continued on page 2) THE JUDICIAL PANEL THE LAWYERS Photos: ATSH

Four Turkish citizens arrested On Monday, the special forces of the Ministry of the Interior, in cooperation with Tirana Police Station No. 2, managed to seize around 3 kg of drugs in circulation during a “flash” operation. According to statements by the chief of Police Station No. 2, Arben Prejsi, four Turkish citizens were implicated in this drug trafficking, and an arrest measure has been ordered against them; the materials have been sent to the prosecutor’s office. “RD” CORRESPONDENT

It was the evening of February 4 that brought the UB students together on the steps of the much-talked-about amphitheater. In the bitter cold that afternoon, around 4,000 students gathered to express their hatred of the communist government and the PP. The concrete steps buckled under their weight, but the aim was for communism to buckle and collapse. The initiators of this movement were not simply economic factors, but an entire political situation. The PD was in its early days, and a large part of its backbone consisted of students. These students and lecturers, united by the ideal of freedom, could no longer tolerate the Bolsheviks ruling Albania. And the spark was lit at the Agricultural University. Late at night, the amphitheater was left with its steps, while its rulers (the students) went to their rooms. The snow and cold did not dampen their fervor at all. Morning found us more united, more numerous. Classes? No! We want change. This was the fundamental condition for starting school; compromise was useless. Then, on the 5th, as the students and lecturers at our university presented evidence and described the dark biographies of the red leadership, we received news that the students of the University of Tirana had also stopped attending classes to support us. Some were afraid; the police and Sigurimi agents were all around, grim-faced. Sent by the PD, people came to support us; enthusiastic workers, including metallurgical workers, joined our side, and the protest became a volcano. All Albania focused its attention on its student sons and daughters. After hesitating, government representatives found the courage to face us. It was Gjinushi, the Minister of Education, who rushed there, onto the steps of that amphitheater, which still has no official name (the students have christened it the “Amphitheater of Hope”). Truly, that movement was a fire for every heart oppressed and frozen for 50 years in a row. But this time the forced smiles did not work. They returned to the office of their chief, Carcan. The old prime minister, faced with the students’ request to meet—and after being convinced that the experts ...—agreed to meet a representative

PS deputy leader S. Pellumbi had no hesitation when he declared at a press conference that PS’s future allies are PAD and PSD. It is the first time, even after [unclear: khenonit], that such an open declaration has been made regarding the ties between these parties. It seems that such a statement has created some problems for the “allies,” who until now had not been publicly identified, and the leaders of these parties were somewhat taken by surprise by Pellumbi’s statement. Ceka was the first to declare that he was not offended that PS had said they were its allies. When today’s PAD leaders left PD, they declared that they would form a party that would remain faithful to PD’s program, from which, according to them, PD itself had deviated. Well, PD was born as a genuinely anti-communist party and, as such, had no illusions about PS’s position, which was clearly defined, nor about PD’s stance toward PS; meanwhile, PAD’s stance toward PS has been entirely compromising and confirms PAD’s complete shift to the left. P. Zogaj, analyzing his party’s position, tries to soften it and places it to the left of PD but to the right of PS, declaring that there are many differences between the two parties. But Ceka contradicts this with his statement, in which he accepts an alliance with PS. Just one day later, paradoxically, Ceka’s statement in the newspaper “Aleanca Nacional” was completely different from the first one. In fact, Ceka has never been known for consistency in his statements. “PS should form a coalition with PD,” says Ceka, now putting on the suit of a right-winger. From all this confusion among PAD’s leaders, one can only understand that they still do not know where they stand—or, rather, do not want to tell the electorate where they stand. In any case, their position alongside PS is perfectly clear. Like Gjinushi’s PSD, they hope to get some scraps in ’96 by helping PS return to power. It is true that Gjinushi, unlike Ceka, has tried to avoid being implicated by statements in “Gazeta Shqiptare.” It seems that Pellumbi’s statement has created problems for his “allies,” who until now have responded with denials, trying in vain to reject the fact that their politics serve only to bring the communists back to power. Perhaps Pellumbi thought it unnecessary to keep the “secret” of these ties any longer, but he may also have made the statement deliberately, so as to leave the two “allies” no other alternative. “PS’s European Suit”

“PS’s European Suit”

Mati opens its doors to a foreign investor Page 2 Former Polish communists experience crisis after taking power EDI PALOKA Page 2 The credit “K”s.... Page 4