PAGE 2

Forged faxes and documents are being prepared “ZP” considers the transfer of 400 thousand dollars a slander by “RD” On the Alia-Dokle-Benc scandal EDI PALOKA PS Deputy Chairman Namik Dokle has given no official response to the accusation concerning the 400 thousand dollars that hangs over him. Meanwhile, the mechanism for protecting corruption has been set in motion by the rest of the PS leadership. In this case too, the arguments and facts are against them, so every attempt to justify the scandal only discredits the PS leaders. Yesterday, in an article in “ZP” titled “The Right to Slander,” the fact reported by “RD”—that, on M. Alia's orders, 400 thousand dollars were transferred to “ZP”—was described as slander. The argument used by the article's author to dismiss this “slander” is that “ZP” still does not have a new printing press, “and everyone can see this.” In reality, this is one of the basic facts underpinning the accusation against Dokle, not an argument in his defense. That the 400 thousand dollars were transferred to “ZP” for a printing press is confirmed by documents (see facsimiles) and facts acknowledged by Dokle himself. There are two transfer orders, for 150 thousand and 250 thousand dollars respectively, confirming the crediting of “ZP.” The first transfer order clearly shows that the debtor for the 150 thousand dollars transferred to “ZP” is the General Directorate of the State Bank. The dates on which the transfers to “ZP” were made: 20 December 1990 and 5 March 1991. Thus, 400 thousand dollars were transferred to “ZP”; the director then took them from there, and they disappeared into Namik Dokle's hands. The facts presented so far in “RD” are more than sufficient to make this scandal clear. Meanwhile, it has been learned that the PS leadership's efforts to cover up the scandal go beyond absurd propaganda. According to reliable sources, certain individuals appointed by the PS leadership are trying to find ways to conceal the scandal. They are not stopping at forged documents to justify Deputy Chairman Namik Dokle. In any case, comrade Namik should understand that forged facts and documents concocted in 1995 cannot exonerate him before the courts for the 1991 scandal. TRANSFER ORDER No. 015665 150,000.- 1,200,000.- Lekë Debtor GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF THE STATE BANK Creditor NEWSPAPER “ZËRI I POPULLIT” For ... we transfer the equivalent of 150,000 US dollars ... To be made available to this newspaper for the value of the fund … 10.12.90 of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the PLA Tirana, 20 December 1990 Bank stamp

Yesterday afternoon, a meeting of the PDSH Presidency was held at the PDSH headquarters, focusing on relations with the media in general, an analysis of the party press, etc. Also present at the meeting were representatives of the press and propaganda department at the PD headquarters and the managers of the newspaper “RD”. The preliminary document prepared by the press working group reflected the achievements and shortcomings of the work done so far in the press, as well as relevant proposals concerning the issues raised. The members of the Presidency and the other attendees stressed the importance of propaganda work, particularly in explaining and reflecting the achievements of democratic governance over these three years, explaining the reforms and their implementation, bringing the press closer to people’s concrete concerns, etc. The discussion noted the destructive, anti-reform propaganda of the far-left press and its aggressive, destabilizing aims. In response, everyone called for strengthening the PD’s persuasive propaganda, improving the quality of its replies and its exposure of the nihilistic, disinformative propaganda of the far-left leadership, involving more well-known Albanian journalists and intellectuals from various fields, and distributing the press more effectively, etc. Greater involvement of PD politicians in the press, particularly in the newspaper “RD”, was considered essential. The party Presidency also adopted the relevant decisions on the issues discussed above. “RD” CORRESPONDENT

The ’95 draft budget is discussed At yesterday’s meeting, the PD parliamentary group discussed the committees’ work on drafting the 1995 budget proposal, with the participation of the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, Prime Minister Meksi and the Cabinet of Ministers. The draft budget was discussed in relation to the PD’s program and promises, their implementation and non-implementation, and the fact that approval of the budget would also fulfill those things that had not been put into practice. This year’s budget provides for investments to double compared with the previous year. Inflation is projected to fall from 16% to 10%, and GDP to grow by around 16%. This had also been the main focus of discussion the previous day in this same parliamentary group. Various MPs called for a better distribution of the budget, especially in infrastructure investment—water, the electricity network, roads, etc. Answers to these questions were provided by specialist representatives of the government administration and the Ministry of Finance, as well as Prime Minister Meksi and Deputy Prime Minister Vionoi, [unclear]. It was concluded that several funds deemed unnecessary would be cut and transferred as additional funding to designated items and other more urgent budget lines, also in response to the specific needs of particular areas. SOKOL BALLA

Following his successful visit to Albania, his meeting with President Berisha and other political figures, the signing of several cooperation agreements in the fields of economy, culture and education, as well as agreements on military cooperation within NATO’s Partnership for Peace, and with the prospect of further deepening the existing friendly relations between the two countries, Romanian President Ion Iliesku left Albania yesterday. Rome is the next destination on President Iliesku’s official visit. “RD” CORRESPONDENT

The Bulgarian firm “Bolid 1990 Petrov LTD, Varna also owes the Ministry of Defense for lost profits Bulgaria’s Court of Arbitration:

DUKAGJIN HATA The neocommunist rabble of the PS, at this moment when it is timidly rebelling in the style of Majko, seems to be having its facade stripped away. The old party, with an idea or two that does not look too closely at the “fathers” of the Politburo, has launched a savage campaign against the PD, President Berisha and the values of democracy—values that, in the end, even a moderate section of PS politicians are forced to accept, although they have not yet adopted the deforming ideology of the “black paint.” Along this path, Pellumbi and his followers’ marathon through northern Albania, “going at it hammer and tongs” like his spiritual father Enver in his proverbial leadership, shows the persistence of this old political class in creating surreal precedents and throwing smoke bombs onto a political terrain that seems no longer to welcome the toxic beliefs of the Marxist dinosaurs and Enverist practices. Thus, at a meeting with socialists in Kukes, Servet Pellumbi is said to have moved the crowds with his “remarkable” oratory, taking it upon himself to “move” them and unblock the tense situation which, according to the Marxist lecturer, has arisen in the country’s political life. It does not take much thought to understand what Pellumbi means by “unblocking the situation,” since the neocommunist leadership’s cards are easy to read: they have been so badly overplayed in the socialists’ all-in political game that they arouse little curiosity, apart from the curiosity one might have about users of archaic and irreparable methods. His dogmatic past as a schoolmaster at the Party school has narrowed Comrade Pellumbi’s visionary outlook so much that he can distinguish only two colors in the diversity of the world, black and white, thinking according to Maoist formulas that the blacker things look, the whiter he himself appears! Pellumbi tried to dispute the figures presented by President Berisha at his latest press conference, and since he could not counter the figures and facts, clear as daylight, he used Aesop’s language, talked around the issue and made allusions that did more harm than good. He accused the PD and the democratic government of failing to engage in the fight against corruption, despite how much is known to be happening in this direction, and made it clear that this was because of the absence of a legal framework that could greatly restrict this dark phenomenon. Does Marxist Pellumbi not know—or does he pretend not to, and forget—that according to the confirmation of the Chairman of the State Audit, Mr. Blerim Cela, 90% of those corrupt in local government are socialists? Is he implying that such a statement, and the measures that might follow from it, “create tension” in the country’s political situation? This is regrettable, but we must tell you that the path of pluralism and open alternatives is not built on compromises with the law, as you would like because of your complexes about the past and present, but on the principles of truth, with which (Continued on page 2)

The Bulgarian firm “Bolid 1990 Petrov LTD, Varna also owes the Ministry of Defense for lost profits On 23.3.1995, at 15:00, Bulgaria’s Court of Arbitration heard the claim filed by the Import-Export enterprise “MEICO” of Tirana, Albania, against the firm “Bolid 1990 Petrov LTD, Varna-Bulgaria. The subject of the claim was to have the Bulgarian party declared at fault for failing to perform the contract, for failing to deliver 200 “IFA” trucks, for failing to return the dollars sent for these trucks, amounting to 40 percent of the total contract value and transferred by our party to the Bulgarian firm, as well as for lost profits. During the hearing, the Albanian party submitted documents and evidence demonstrating our party’s good faith in fulfilling the contract on time, and, by contrast, the Bulgarian firm’s marked lack of willingness, along with other excuses for delaying and failing to perform the contract. During the proceedings, the panel assessed the claims of the Albanian party, which was reflected in two interim decisions it issued: “Recognition of the obligation of the Bulgarian party (the firm Bolid 1990 Petrov LTD-Varna, Bulgaria) to return the sum of 300 000 US dollars to the Albanian enterprise “MEICO”, as well as the lost profits”; the court “rejected” the Bulgarian party’s claims for expenses it had incurred in finding markets for the vehicles and hiring specialists, on the grounds that the contract price of an “IFA” truck included all expenses to be borne by the seller, and that the Albanian party would take delivery of the vehicles only at the Albanian border. Under the Arbitration Rules of the Republic of Bulgaria, the decision of the Court of Arbitration is provided to the parties to the proceedings within one month of the conclusion of the hearing. SPOKESPERSON OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE

The State Audit Service has requested the removal from office and criminal prosecution of the deputy chairman of the Mat district council, Ilir GURABARDHI, following identified acts of abuse. According to the State Audit press spokesperson, the case concerning Mr. Gurabardhi involves the transfer of 966 588 lekë from funds allocated for building houses for flood victims to citizen Gjok Ndol, who used the money to build a bar. This was confirmed by the site plan found at Mr. Gurabardhi’s premises, where the building is identified as the private property of Gjok Ndol. (ATSH)

Among those arrested are two former ministers, local officials, as well as the director of “La gazzetta del Mezzogiorno” Yesterday, in a lightning-fast blitz, Italian police in Bari arrested two former ministers, the mayor of Bari, and the director of the newspaper “Mezzogiorno”, Mr. Franco Russo, which also publishes “Gazeta Shqiptare” in Albania. Their arrest, along with that of dozens of other officials, is connected to involvement in large-scale corruption in the private healthcare sector. “RD” CORRESPONDENT

The “Socialist” Party has as its strategy the creation of a tense political situation One visa is enough to travel to 7 of the 9 Schengen states Interview with Mr. Esad Ali Rizai, chairman of the Albanian-American Association in New York

Page 4