On the trail of the Alia–Dokle–Benc scandal

Government decision concerning

Editorial LORENC LIGORI Three years ago, on this very day, 22 March 1992, the Albanians defeated communism. Three years ago, with their free vote, the Albanians added a great day to their history, perhaps one of its brightest; they proudly enshrined in it DEMOCRACY DAY. On that great day, the dreams of the persecuted and innocent dissidents joined those of the living who had been trampled underfoot; the grey-haired, suffering old man joined the adolescent, the villager the miner, the worker the student, the poor person the intellectual. On that great day, the bloodied yesterday stood together with the peaceful tomorrow, the dream with its fulfillment. On that day, ALBANIANS, after half a century of communist captivity, FREELY EXPRESSED THEIR THOUGHTS AND IDEALS. On that day, more conscious than ever of the weight of their words and their historic responsibility, Albanians voted for FREEDOM of Thought, Expression, Belief and Movement; they voted for the Market Economy, the Rule of Law, and Albania in Europe. On that day, Albanians, wherever they lived, supported, hoped for, and wished for the great victory. On that day, Albanians voted for Democracy. That day, communism lost; it was shed with blood, and the evil of this country was driven away. That day, ALBANIA won. Anniversaries are like this: they carry an emotional charge, stir individual and collective memory, bear recollections and impressions, and undoubtedly invite stocktaking. And the latter is the most important, as it offers a sober judgment of what has been done. In all fairness, it must be acknowledged that Albanians are allergic to the balance sheets of various anniversaries, because for 50 years they were forced to be deceived, to listen all day long and applaud the “achievements of socialism,” the “victories over the enemies” produced by the class struggle, the “superiority over capitalism,” the “leading role of the Party of Labour and Comrade Enver,” and so on and so forth. Nevertheless, Democrats today feel that they want to speak, that it is their right to speak, to tell the truth. We Democrats today affirm that the overwhelming majority of our December 1990 ideals, enshrined in the historic document—the Democratic Party’s program of March ’92—have been fulfilled, and in some respects even beyond what we could have dared to dream. Today, Democrats are proud. Thanks to their love of Freedom and the Homeland, their initiative and commitment, their desire to build and to change, they feel that they have [blood?], the evil of this country has been driven away. That day, ALBANIA won. the evil of this country has been driven away. To build, to stand with dignity among other European citizens, thanks... Market Economy, they voted for the Rule of Law, they voted for supported, hoped for and wished for the great victory. darkness was defeated and cast aside; the dictators, destruction, distortion and alienation were defeated; the hyenas that fed on [continuation on page 3] 2. Note: It is certain that of the Albanian people, a day when democracy’s victories life for Albania’s development and its integration into Europe. 22 March found Albania to be a country with a centralized economy, a country that still carried the heavy wounds of 50 years of communism. 22 March brought before us extremely important tasks in the social, political, economic, foreign-trade and legal spheres. The democratic government formed immediately after the 22 March elections, on the basis of the Democratic Party’s program, worked persistently, worked with devotion, worked and mobilized the energies of this people worked and mobilized the energies of this people

Tritan Shehu, Secretary General of the DPA, speaks Today marks three years since the historic victory of 22 March ’92. How do you view today the fulfillment of the DP’s program, for which more than 70% of the population voted? Mr Shehu: Without doubt, 22 March will remain an important day in the history of the Albanian people, a day when democracy’s victory over dictatorship gave this country a new page, a new life of development for Albania and its integration into Europe. On 22 March, Albania was a country with a country, to realize the points of our program. Today, I can say that the overwhelming majority of the DP’s program has been realized. the Albanian people on 22 March. This gives us the right and the courage to ask them again, for a second term, to enter into this new contract, a year from now. I am convinced that the government will also fulfill and put into practice this year those points of our program “contract” that have not been realized during this period. So I can say that we have been and will be democratic; there is democratic legislation. However, I wanted to say that this is only the beginning. We are taking our first steps, but I am convinced that by consolidating democracy in Albania, it will undoubtedly also become a [???] with the other European countries in this respect. Today, we will respectfully remember all those who sacrificed themselves for democracy during the fifty years of dictatorship. We also respectfully remember those who fell in 1991, those whom this year the government will honor... [the source text repeats and is garbled here] ...will fulfill and put into practice. So I can say that this is one of the rare cases in which a party can be proud today that it has implemented the overwhelming majority of its program. In this way, 22 March marks an important, decisive day for the Albanian people. Albania is now undoubtedly part of Europe; Albania now has a market economy, a democratic order, an administration Photograph of a crowd with an Albanian flag.

Meksi for “RD” Mr Prime Minister, three years of reform, three years of democratic transformation after half a century of communist dictatorship. As the first prime minister of a truly democratic government since the Second World War, could you tell the readers of “RD” what the high points of the Meksi government’s achievements are? In response to this question, asked by “RD” journalist Mentor Shehu on the occasion of the third anniversary of the democratic forces’ victory in the free elections of 22 March 1992, Mr Aleksander Meksi said: If we analyze the results of these three years of democratic governance, in my opinion they have been three difficult years, because a period of transition is difficult, especially the transition we are going through. Above all, however, the first steps of this transition period are the most important; it will continue into the future. The first steps in overthrowing one system and establishing another are among the most difficult and painful. We are moving from totalitarianism to the rule of law, where everyone is equal before the law and everyone is free to develop their abilities; from a socialist economy to a free-market economy. This has been a long and arduous process for us to endure, successful in the results achieved so far, and beneficial. The high points of achievement during these three years of democratic governance, as you call them, are several and certainly deserve to be singled out. In particular, I would single out economic reform. The best results in economic reform have been achieved through the liberalization of prices beginning in July 1992, the removal of 80% ... the creation of conditions for real rather than fictitious employment. These can be assessed through indicators such as inflation, the budget deficit, etc. The figures achieved for these indicators have been positive over these three years and have always been described as ... (continues on page 4) Parliament has worked under very difficult conditions, with great commitment and results that are truly astonishing.

For 50 years, Albanians demanded freedom and the right to be human. The right to be equal among the human race, not to be despised and trampled upon in the heart of Europe by insensitive creatures, and to bear the name Human. The right to think and to express their thoughts aloud, the right to cry when they felt like crying and to laugh when they felt like laughing. The right to see the world by being close to it, the right to learn by being close to knowledge. The right to be human. Albanians demanded the right, demanded freedom, but barbed wire pierced their flesh, heavy iron bars shut them behind prison doors, bullets tore their bodies apart. All because they demanded the right to be human, because they asked the monsters—who knows what abyss of Hell they had emerged from—not to suffocate them. The nightmare lasted 50 years, but Albanians never stopped running toward the day that seemed (Continued on page 3)

Albanians, according to the latest Eurobarometer data, lead the former Eastern Bloc countries in the optimism with which they view the future. This is very heartening, despite the fact that pink-literature scribblers are skeptical and do not believe that Albanians are optimistic. Yet the miracle has happened. Once and for all, the cult of statistics of the State Planning Commission—which treated Albanians like insects and cared only about how many quintals of corn, wheat and cotton were produced per hectare, and never about how much meat, milk and fruit people consumed per capita—has gone. The time had to come for democracy (Continued on page 3)

Over this three-year period, the People’s Assembly has done a great deal of work, adopting more than 370 laws in line with contemporary European standards. But some of them have been violated by officials, members of parliament and representatives of political parties. In these cases, several agreements between our two countries will be signed. The adoption of these laws, in accordance with contemporary European standards, essentially expressed the Albanian state’s consensus on establishing and consolidating democracy and instituting the rule of law. The body of these laws

March 22, 1992 took the beautiful dream of the nation’s fallen by the hand—the dream forbidden in the abyss of a fatal history—and brought it to this morning of the spring equinox. This triumphant day was a day of hope, a passport for the blood shed by the martyrs of freedom. The fallen of the Anti-Fascist War, who watered Albania’s mountains with their blood, the idealistic partisans, the nationalists who fell for the freedom of the motherland, did not know that the red usurpers at the head of the communist presidium would kill their ideals ‘in the name of a new life’—which meant class war and political genocide, the trampling of intellectual values and the freezing of free thought. March 22 brought back the season of their ideal of freedom and democracy, transforming their suffering and devotion into a springboard for another life. The spring of ’92 was a reward (Continued on page 3)

While different peoples of the world experienced the twentieth century as a ‘consumerized’ century, a century of consumption, Albanians were deprived of that fate. For years Albania remained last in terms of economic development. This was the result of applying a system based entirely on state ownership, on the method of totalitarian planning and bureaucratic centralization. The Democratic Party was born with the mission of transforming this system, of moving to a state of the century, like many countries that had also achieved the results: a market economy. (Continued on page 3)

Albania’s foreign policy in focus over the three-year period Like a volcano, Albanian youth erupted into Albania’s squares to win democracy, shaking the ruling red class with the call, “We want Albania like all of Europe,” while the weapons of the dictatorship threatened them and were even fired at their young bodies; the eyes of an elderly man filled with tears as he watched the duel between humanity and the macabre. Undoubtedly, “Justice is delayed but it prevails,” as the saying goes. And just three years ago, with the victory of democracy, Albania set out under the motto “Let’s make Albania like all of Europe,” defining the major objectives of our foreign policy: opening the country to the civilized world, integrating into it, securing support for reform, and internationalizing our national cause. The former land of the communist bunker, wrapped in barbed wire for half a century, was transformed. European and world dignitaries, heads of state and leaders of international institutions visited Albania during these three years. Among them were Pope John Paul II, President Herzog, President Skalfaro, NATO Secretary General Verner, the President of the European Parliament, prime ministers and ministers from EU countries, the USA and many other countries. They were present in Albania and pledged their support for the reform undertaken. President Bush’s position, followed by President Klinton’s, on the Kosovo issue, as well as President Klinton’s decision to send weapons to Albania, the creation

The Speaker of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Mr. Pjeter Arbnori, speaks — A full three years have passed since March 22, 1992, the day democracy triumphed in our country. What are some of the political and legislative achievements of this period? ANSWER: There are two kinds of people when it comes to judging what has happened during these three years, what has been done during these three years. It is like someone who has been outside in the bitter cold in winter and, with great effort, manages to build a new house and move inside. The person who has worked hard is happy and satisfied, and feels like the happiest person in the world. But there is another kind of person who, as soon as they enter this house, says: you made the ceiling too low; you could have made this door bigger; these other windows should have faced east, not west; this color could have been lighter, and so on. Everyone has the right to express opinions and make judgments, but if someone only knows how to criticize, criticize, and never offer an idea about how this whole problem could have been solved better, that person is either by nature (Continued on page 4)

From March 26 to 28, 1995, the President of Romania, Ion Iliesku, will pay an official visit to Albania. During his stay, he will hold talks with President Sali Berisha and meet senior state officials, members of parliament and representatives of political parties. On this occasion, several agreements between our two countries will be signed.

Born in 1930, Mr. Iliesku graduated in electrical engineering in Bucharest and at the Moscow Energy Institute. A specialist designer and manager of major water-development projects in his country, he is the author of numerous studies, papers and articles that have attracted national and international attention. A political activist since his student days and thereafter, Mr. Iliesku repeatedly found himself in opposition to the leadership of the Romanian dictatorship, which several times led to his being sidelined. From the very first moment of the Romanian Revolution of December 1989, he was appointed President of the Council of the National Salvation Front, which undertook to transform Romania by setting it on the path to democracy and political pluralism, building a state governed by the rule of law, carrying out economic reform to move towards a market economy, and opening the country to the international arena. From February to May 1990, he was President of the Provisional Council of National Unity, which included all the political parties formed during January 1990. On 20 May of that year, he was elected President of Romania, a post to which he was re-elected following the new presidential elections of October 1992, held in accordance with the new constitution. This is not the first time Mr. Iliesku has visited Albania; in the meantime, he has been in our country as a volunteer in the initiatives that were launched and has visited several districts of the country.