The academic year began at the Albanian-language University of Tetovë President Berisha described the start of the academic year at the Albanian-language university in Tetovë as a landmark event in the history of Albanian education. He expressed his firm conviction, he said, that this university would make it possible for Albanians living in Macedonia to participate as equal citizens and contribute to the stability, prosperity, and interethnic harmony of this republic. Undoubtedly, this important event is the result of the efforts of Albanians there, as well as of the understanding shown by the Macedonian government and President Gligorov toward this issue; it will have a positive impact on the already friendly relations between Albania and Macedonia, and between Albanians and Macedonians. Press and Information Office of the President

Yesterday in the People's Assembly The Prosecutor General of the Republic, Mr Alush Dragoshi, appeared before members of the People's Assembly yesterday to provide the necessary explanations in response to questions raised by MP Azem Hajdari concerning the Prosecutor's Office's handling of complaints filed against certain allegations made in the press. Of these, in 5 cases it was decided not to initiate criminal proceedings, since the investigations carried out did not establish the elements of a criminal offence. As for the other cases, Mr Dragoshi said that the matter had brought forward many concrete facts about the work of the department he heads in the fight against crime and corruption. Among other things, he said that in its work the Prosecutor's Office has always been guided by the proper application of the law, both in the criminal prosecution process and in conducting trials, free from any political influence. Prosecutor Dragoshi explained that during 1994 a total of 9 complaints were filed against politicians, concerning 11 people; one concerned misappropriation of state property, and 5 concerned insults or libel published in the press. In 5 of these a criminal offence. Regarding the other cases, Mr Dragoshi said that the case against MP Arben Lika is still being tried, while criminal proceedings for abuse of office have been initiated against former Transport Minister Fatos Bitincka, specifically concerning the tender announced by Telekomi Shqiptar. Another criminal case for abuse of office has also been initiated against the chairman of the PSD in Bullqize, Afrim Canga. Prosecutor Dragoshi said that criminal proceedings had also been initiated against the PR chairman in Elbasan, Arben Burim, for the criminal offence of insult on account of his duties, but the case was dismissed for lack of evidence. In response to another question from MP Azem Hajdari, concerning whether criminal proceedings had been initiated over illegal financing, the Prosecutor's Office had also become aware of these newspaper articles, which did not provide complete and sufficient information to initiate criminal proceedings. Regarding all the issues raised in his writings, Mr Shehu said that, following a specific request to the Prosecutor's Office, they had asked the State Control Commission to carry out a financial audit; the same procedure had also been followed in other matters, such as the Greek loan, the gas issue, etc. In response to the question about what ... ( ... continued on page 2)

Interview with Mr Pjeter Arbnori, given to “RD” journalist Mentor Shehu Question: Mr Arbnori, a motion for your dismissal has been submitted. What is your comment on it? Answer: The motion to dismiss me has been made amid a deafening uproar intended to disorient public opinion. This is well known both to some honest jurists who signed the motion and to others who drafted it themselves or with colleagues. I rely on the Rules of Procedure, and they are the ones violating them. Question: Does this motion have a legal basis? Answer: No law or regulation, in any of its articles, provides for the dismissal of the Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Assembly. If it did, they would have cited it. The three articles—1, 48, and 55—say nothing about this. Nevertheless, I do not consider myself irremovable. I was nominated by the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party and elected by the Assembly with an overwhelming majority of votes (if I remember correctly, 116 or 119 in favour, 16 against; I do not recall exactly). This is an honour bestowed on me by deputies from all parties, and I have tried to live up to it. If the DP parliamentary group, which nominated me in that capacity, were to accuse me today protecting Pjeter Arbnori in a manner prohibited by the Rules of Procedure, then ... Some have adopted an “aggressive” approach in the Assembly, as they declared to the press on the eve of the autumn session, and assume that being aggressive means insulting other deputies. Question: What other arguments do you have against the motion? Answer: Someone said: “We have ten reasons why the bells did not ring when the governor entered the town.” “First, we have no bells...” the governor replied. “Leave the other nine reasons aside.” Nevertheless, I can point out the flaws in the motion. Its authors mistakenly call me Chairman of the People's Assembly seven times, whereas in fact I am Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Assembly. As for the accusations, I can say: 1. I have never violated the Assembly's Rules of Procedure. Some of the signatories have violated them ... 2. More than once I have communicated with, sought help from, and consulted the chairman and members of the Finance and Budget Committee, Mr Genc Ruli, regarding the People's Assembly's expenses. 3. Ratification was not requested for the PABSEC initiative in [The beginning of the sentence is missing] (if I am not mistaken, 116 or 119 in favor, 16 against; I do not remember exactly). This is an honor that the deputies of all parties have bestowed on me, the PD parliamentary group, in the same way it nominated me, were now to seek my dismissal, I would immediately resign without the need for a vote. There are also other grounds for seeking my dismissal. If I committed an obvious crime, my immunity, like that of any other deputy, would be lifted and, as a result, I would also be dismissed. Deputy Azem Hajdari, opposing this unimplemented motion, said in the Assembly that in special cases, under the law, I replace the President. Therefore, if I commit the crimes for which the President is dismissed, such as violating the Constitution and treason, I would certainly be dismissed too. Question: The opposition press [continues] [The beginning of the sentence is missing] me, The opposition press [continues] Answer: I say that the law protects Peter Arbnori, while newspapers use such pretexts in order to sell. Nevertheless, I have nothing against the newspapers in this case, since some deputies sign an imaginary motion irresponsibly. Question: What do these gentlemen who authored the motion represent to you? Answer: They are all kinds of people: some are good people; indeed, some are my friends or have good relations with me, but for the sake of party discipline or because of their social relations with others, they take on the responsibility of being initiators. Three deputies came and told me they had done it unwillingly, but there are others who are too embarrassed to tell me. A few are spiteful, thinking they are more distinguished than their fellow members of the Assembly and that, consequently, they should be allowed to speak without permission or outside the topic and the order of the [text breaks off] Answer: What do you think of the PABSEC decision? Answer: The PABSEC initiative did not require ratification by the Assembly. Nevertheless, everything was done in accordance with the law. I have a document bearing my signature, that of Deputy Secretary Tomor Malasi, and that of Deputy Secretary Shagir Vukaj, stating that, with the consensus of the parliamentary groups of the People’s Assembly and the approval of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, our delegation to PABSEC consists of the following deputies: 1. Abdi Baleta, Democratic Party deputy — Head of the Delegation to PABSEC. 2. Engjell Dakli “ (Continued on page 2)

The President of the Republic, Mr Sali Berisha, has received the following condolence telegram from the President of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kiro Gligorov: “Regarding the tragic car accident near the city of Berat, in which many Albanian citizens lost their lives, please accept my sincere condolences. Please convey my condolences to the families of the victims as well.” Press and Information Office of the President

Following approval of the law on the status of veterans of the war against the Nazi-fascist occupiers, the Organization of the Union of Veterans and individual veterans have been asking what is being done to implement it in practice, with regard to eligibility for this status. The Ministry of Defense, its spokesperson says, has intensively prepared the relevant draft decision for the government, and the necessary calculations are being processed in from, and consulted the chairman and members of the Finance-Budget Commission, Mr. Genc Ruletj, regarding the expenses of the People’s Assembly. The Ministry of Defense, its spokesperson announced, has worked intensively to prepare calculations are being processed by the appropriate authorities. ATA

A military delegation, headed by Deputy Chief of the Army General Staff, Major General Agim Baruti, made a working visit to Bulgaria. During the visit, the cooperation plan between the two ministries of defense for 1995 was signed, along with a cooperation protocol in the field of military medicine. Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Major General Agim Baruti, held talks with Bulgaria’s Deputy Minister of Defense, during which both sides underscored their readiness to deepen bilateral cooperation and cooperation within the framework of Partnership for Peace. (ATSH)

Pellumbi and his comrades defend Enver Hoxha DUKAJIN HATA The decree of the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, revoking the personal decorations and honorary titles of former members of the senior communist nomenklatura for the criminal acts of genocide perpetrated against the Albanian people during the years of the communist dictatorship, is the fulfillment of an imposed duty and of the moral right that the people of [unclear] had accorded themselves; it expresses Albanian society’s final rejection of the nightmare of Bolshevism. Normally, such a decree should be welcomed by all political forces that appeal for a democracy of European standards, which has once and for all sent the ghosts of the dictatorial past and their noisy mercenaries into the irretrievable abyss. Yet, ironically, despite the propaganda slogans and pseudonyms, the opposition leadership, through its archaic mouthpieces of the “ZP” type and company, has resorted to compromising language, worthy of the art of the communist Politburo, against this decree, which seeks to rectify an injustice elevated into law, a crime turned into an institution over nearly five decades of communist fanaticism. No great acuity is needed to understand the essence of this desperate defense, by its deafening and ever-expanding press, of the shadows of the past: self-proclaimed symbols who, quite undeservedly, continue to bear titles and ranks that in their own country have long since become obsolete. Such a case, in fact, follows the pattern of all the communist press’s mentality and practice: working behind the scenes to keep within the opposition’s ranks the fanatics of Enverism, the most extreme leftists, those corrupted by the regime, and the past, which cannot survive without the instruments and idols of the dictatorship that has passed away. These are the people who, from their illicit platforms, declare Enver Hoxha the glorious leader of the Anti-Fascist War and thereby provoke the frenzied cheers of the crowds; they are the ones who, to win over indoctrinated fanatics, advance the red political theses of the Haxhi Lleshi type, unable to tolerate this pluralist and democratic Albania, where someone dares to prick their bubble? And what of those who have the courage to call the torturers of Spaç criminals, and to honor the nationalists and steadfast people who built their temple of free speech, just as they have the courage to name the zealous persecutors, the informers and the torturers of the martyrs, whom those people had put in swaddling clothes. Gentlemen, you are dreaming about yourselves; perhaps the sentence from the well-known tale of the donkey will serve you, when, as the wolf was devouring him, the poor long-eared beast thought: “God willing, I’m dreaming.”

At the Elbasan district branch of the Savings Bank, it is reported that by the end of 1994, of the 871 people with the status of former political prisoners, who had been allocated compensation in privatization securities worth a total of 538.2 million lek, 641 had completed the banking procedures to receive savings passbooks for a total of 462 million lek, representing 86 percent of the overall amount. The remainder have not come to this bank for various reasons. Of those issued passbooks, 135 million lek were used within the Elbasan district to pay for privatized facilities and enterprises. Another portion, which is difficult to identify, exchanged the securities on the free market that emerged when they were distributed. Meanwhile, of the 213 people entitled to receive cash, 190 have withdrawn their first installment, totaling 9.5 million lek. ILIR DUMANI

Dr. Belou held a working meeting with the Governing Council and a group of members of the Albanian Atlantic Association on the topic: “NATO and its future in European security.” After speaking about some of the challenges facing humanity after the Cold War, he noted the necessity of NATO’s existence and its new mission in European security and conflict prevention. They also discussed the current importance of relations within the framework of the Partnership for Peace, and the sponsorship of programs for Albania within the framework of Albanian-American bilateral relations.

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Lately, the Albanian “socialist” pigeons seem to have increased their flights to Europe. Europe, being Europe, accepts every kind of pigeon. There, the Marxist pigeon has no difficulty finding his friend Alavamos, who does not skimp on financing the flights of his namesake socialist—because, of course, this adventurer Alavamos, who enjoys fistfights and brawls during election campaigns in the land of the Hellenes, can smell his own kind, such as our “socialist” pigeon. M. SH.