. 1991 was your year, the black year in history, the disastrous year for Albania. In recent months, the leadership of the PS, with the Marxist ideologue Pellumbi at its head, as well as Albanian Enverists and Enverologists, have come out almost openly in defence of Enver Hoxha. Two years ago F.Nano called him father in Switzerland; others thought it was the effect of raki. But no. Most recently, Pellumbi, Dokle, etc., have spoken of criticism of mistakes, and not of genocide, terror, or economic destruction. The criticisms by Pellumbi and the other PS leadership are the most cunning and hypocritical, most cynical and shameless defence of Enver and the Hoxhaist dictatorship. Through these criticisms they seek to present crime and genocide as mistakes, as carelessness. According to this logic, the infallible and unquestionable did not exist. No one escapes the theory of error and, consequently, neither does their beloved Enver. Therefore, he too must be criticized—of course, condemned—for the class struggle, for hyper-collectivism and Another very important reason for defending Enver lies in the old ties to crime of many PS leaders and activists, both at the centre and in the districts. It is an undeniable fact that hundreds upon hundreds of former persecutors and informers, who for 45 years fed on the blood, hopes, and intellect of honest and innocent people, are active today in the ranks of the PS. They constitute this party’s true criminal legacy. This is also where the true ferment of its criminalization and progressive destruction lies. The PS has never, in any district, broken with or condemned the criminal actions of the Albanian secret police. The opposite is true. It has cooperated extensively in many crimes and massacres carried out together, and today it makes wide use of its channels. These are the elements found throughout the PS pyramid, from top to bottom, that cause this party to be dominated by the secret police of Enver Hoxha’s regime. In this respect, they have been and remain legionaries of genocide against the Albanian people. But let us be realistic: the not-so-distant past alone would not be enough to explain the tragic present of the Albanian socialist leadership. The greatest reason these elements defend Enverism lies in their defence of crimes committed not in Enver’s time, but after 1990, mainly during 1990–92. It was this leadership, directed by Alia, that from the end of 1990 until March 1992 inflicted violence, terror, humiliation, killings, disappearances, massacres, hunger, and exoduses on the wretched Albanian people—not Hoxha, Shehu, or Hazbiu and their comrades. In the year of their rule, 1991, one of the darkest in Albania’s history, the country experienced a veritable agony. The world saw an Albania fallen into ruin, a country that was not governed but burned and was destroyed; that did not gather and harvest, but begged and lived on alms; people who cursed themselves and their country because of poverty and misery. The world saw the consequences of your unquestionable experiment—which does not exist. Thus, the massacres carried out against innocent people must be brought under control. The scenario of death and terror spread everywhere at speed. This scenario aimed to wipe everything out of Albania—the youth, the trees, the fruit trees—and sow chaos and anarchy. The year ’91, their year, was among the ugliest years of violence, terror, and criminal dictatorship in Albania; the year when they organized the live roasting of 40 people in Fushe-Arrez and the killing of dozens more; the year of the organized looting of warehouses, depots, and shops in Lushnje and Laç, Permet, Kavaje, Elbasan, and Pogradec. But even in ’93 they called for people to be dragged along and skulls to be split open. split open.

■ The laying of the first pipe for the construction of Tirana’s water supply system is inaugurated ■ The President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, attends Yesterday, 4 March 1995, the ceremony inaugurating the worksite for Tirana’s water supply system was held on “Siri Kodra” Street, near the cold-storage warehouse. The President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, Deputy Prime Minister Dashamir Shehi, the Ambassador of the Republic of Italy to Albania, Foresti, the Mayor Sali Kelmendi, ministers, members of parliament, etc., had come to inaugurate this water supply system. The ribbon at the inauguration was cut by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction and Tourism Shehi, who said, among other things, in his speech: “With the completion of this project, Tirana will have water at the same consumption levels as European capitals,” Mr. Shehi continued. In his speech, Ambassador Foresti thanked President Berisha for the great honour he had done him by attending this very important day, as he described the start of work on this project, which is being carried out and financed by the Italian government. Foresti further emphasized Italy’s readiness to help Albania in its economic recovery, particularly in developing the infrastructure it greatly needs. [End of text cut off at the edge of the photograph] Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Order and Tourism Shehi cut the ribbon at the inauguration. In his remarks, he said, among other things: “For this water-supply system, which is being built with assistance from the Italian government and by the same, around 13 billion lire have been provided. This investment will be completed in about 20 months, during which all the pipelines in Tirana will be laid, so that they are ready to receive the abundant water from Bovilla.” Bovilla.” He mentioned some of the most important projects that will be carried out during this period with assistance and contributions from the Italian government. President Berisha also gave a speech at this fine ceremony. D. KARAJ Photo: A. Babani

Address by the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, at the inauguration marking the start of work on Tirana’s water supply system First of all, I would like to thank President Scalfaro, the Italian government, the citizens and institutions of Italy, this friendly country, who, continuing the finest tradition of our long-standing friendship, are helping Albania and the building of a free and democratic society. The truth is that our peoples and our countries have, more than once throughout their history, cooperated and sacrificed for one another’s freedom. The renewal of this tradition during the period Albania is going through deserves the greatest recognition and the profound gratitude of all the Albanian people. Infrastructure problems are Albania’s most urgent problems today. This emergency has two sides: one is the sad side, the difficulties of citizens’ everyday lives; but there is also another very significant truth—that Albania’s infrastructure has never been adequate, and Albanians have not [unclear in source] ... we should be patient. We are working with Italy as a friendly country, as well as with other countries. We will renew the infrastructure, naturally not as quickly as we would like, and not all at once, because these things cannot be achieved immediately: We thank you, Mr. Ambassador, the government and the country photograph] Photo: A. Babani

Photo: A. Babani

Today, a military delegation led by Pakistan’s Minister of Defense, Afab Shaban Meftani, arrives in Albania for a visit. The Pakistani Minister of Defense will hold talks with Minister of Defense Safet Zhulali, as well as with the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, General Sheme Kosova. He will visit military units, cities, and historic sites in our country.

FLUTURA HASKO The former Albanian communists are using every means to rehabilitate the regime they kept in power by force for nearly 50 years. At the same time as it works to take power, the socialist leadership is directly or indirectly trying to legitimize the criminal period of the dictatorship. In a highly elaborate form, this effect is also sought through the publication of the opening address of the latest session of the German Bundestag. The opening address was delivered by Stefan Heym, representative of the former communists, who, to the surprise of all analysts, managed to enter the Bundestag after receiving 5% of the vote. Despite the debates and reaction it provoked, under the Bundestag’s rules Heym delivered the opening address as its oldest member. What stands out in Heym’s speech, published yesterday in “ZP” (after being translated and edited by A. Dabulla, a member of the PS leadership), is his appeal to restore some of the things he regards as values of the former regime. This is also one of the reasons—or, rather, the main reason—why “ZP” published the speech of the former German communist. Once again, the PS leadership is “deliberately” making absurd comparisons. First, I return to the fact that the former German communists themselves are not particularly acceptable to German public opinion, as the negative outcome of the election showed when they barely managed to reach the threshold for entering the Bundestag. But even setting this fact aside, the former communists of the PS must understand that one cannot carry a burden alone, nor can one absolve oneself by associating with former communists of Eastern Europe or by comparing the communist dictatorship in Albania with communism in other countries. We know the level of development in East Germany and the degree of intolerance of its regime. Meanwhile, the deeds of communism in Albania are beyond description for any European, and for those who lived under the communist regime. “ZP” indirectly calls for a return to the values of communism. But which values? I believe that every people should return to its own values and traditions, but not to communism. Communism not only had no values in Albania; it inflicted some of the greatest tragedies on the nation. Communism sought to mutilate the Albanian, created a vast prison, and elevated crime to an institution. Would they want us to return to the “values” of communism? Would the “renewed” Socialists want to relive those tragic horrors? Certainly not. But they are looking for an explanation for why their crimes were not accepted—not as victims, but as perpetrators. Apparently, they see the tolerance of democracy as weakness, as an inability to punish genocide; therefore, they dare to seek rehabilitation of their dark past. But Albanians will never forget that communism emerged from the world of crime. It is an undeniable truth that the work of honest Albanians—scholars, artists, and ordinary workers—gave Albania its values. But these were not values of communism; on the contrary, communism tried to diminish and mutilate them. “New echo in the Reichstag” is how “ZP” describes the German deputy’s speech, continually trying to create the impression of a grotesque parallel. Convinced that they can no longer deceive Albania, the PS leaders call former communist Stefan Heym to their aid, who, among other things... and for those who lived under the communist regime. The German parliament calls for a coalition of all parties, left-wing and right-wing, former communist and anti-communist. It seems this idea appeals to the communist leaders of the PS, but once again they are making a mistake by drawing parallels. No one agreed to form a coalition with the former communists in Germany; indeed, one of the most serious accusations levelled against the Social Democrats during the election campaign was that they might form a coalition with the former communists. But what can one say about Albanian communists, who changed only their name, while today they are clearly showing that they have never broken with their ideology and with Enver Hoxha, their idol. Nevertheless, even if for a moment we were to forget what happened in Albania during the totalitarian communist rule, let us also remember that the perpetrators are now the leaders of the PS. Were these not the same “renewed” Socialists who, in one year—the black year of ’91–’92—once again set Albania ablaze, destroyed it, and burned it? Were they not the ones who, just over a year ago, opposed Albania’s entry into Europe and its integration into NATO structures? Were they not the ones who rose up against the law on Human Rights and then did everything to leave Albania without a constitution? That is why they cannot be given further chances by democracy; quite the contrary. Once again, I am convinced that Stefan Heym’s speech was not published simply to provide readers with more information about international politics, but to suggest that if there are values to which we should return, those values are spiritual—and that any return to communism would be a fatal catastrophe for Albania.

Shkodra—a model as a city of understanding, harmony, peaceful coexistence, religious tolerance, the first city in Albania to reopen religious institutions and allow the free exercise of faith ... So, this Shkodra was giving a festive concert. On the occasion of the Greater Bajram. Read Bardhyl Fico on page 2: A miracle. There’s no other way to title it

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At the conference on planning activities between the Albanian and American armies, it was determined that 35 different activities would be carried out during this quarter of the year. One of them concerns the design and construction of a drinking-water treatment plant at the Army Central Hospital. For this purpose, an American team arrived in our country, comprising experienced specialists in water supply and purification issues. American and Albanian military specialists exchanged views on securing and purifying drinking water not only at the Army Central Hospital, but also in barracks and in field conditions. The American experts shared their experience and gave presentations on procedures for determining water needs, methods and means of storage, and options for purifying water for the benefit of the Army and to assist the civilian population in the event of disasters. Subsequently, engineering teams are expected to arrive soon to carry out work. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense Tirana, 4 March 1995