The cards of “PS members” bear dates from the PPSH era Pellumbi: “We will change them at the June congress” EDI PALOKA It seems that PPSH has finally decided to “renew itself.” It is S. Pellumbi, its No. 1 deputy chairman, who has made such a statement. Asked in an interview published yesterday in “Gazeta Shqiptare” about the fact that many members of the so-called PS have dates on their membership cards indicating when they were admitted to PPSH, S. Pellumbi replied that these cards could be changed at the upcoming congress in June. The sensation in this news is not the fact that PS members still have PPSH membership cards, but the fact that PPSH promises that it may finally “renew itself.” In any case, we must wait for the next congress in June. We all remember well that the PS was “created” at the 10th PPSH congress. After the historic call in honor of the dictator, in the shadow of his statue ... his statues, a certain person appeared and, in a clownish act, asked: “Should we continue to call our Party PPSH or PPSH?” Thus, within a few minutes—less time than a clown would need just to put on his mask—the leaders of PPSH and E. Hoxha’s “historians,” responsible for 50 years of crimes and destruction, proclaimed themselves modern, “renewed” socialists. The fact that most PPSH members accepted the compromise only as far as changing the party’s name, but not the dates on their membership cards, is highly significant, but it is not the only argument showing that the PS is nothing other than PPSH. There are many arguments and facts proving every day that today’s PS leadership is just as “renewed” as the former Bloc members in prison. The return to Marxism, the defense of E. Hoxha, attacks on former political prisoners, the defense of corruption, attacks on private property and the market economy, declarations about repealing reform laws if they come to power, the preparation of terrorist groups, and even the effort to bring back the military training exercises are much clearer arguments about who the PS leaders are than the dates on PS members’ cards. So, the membership-card fact proves that the PS continues to be PPSH, even if it is not the essential argument. In practical truth, changing the dates on the cards—as PPSH promises to do at its next congress—will not be an argument for “renewal” either. This act will be just as ridiculous and buffoonish at the June ’95 congress as the change of the PP’s name in June ’91 was ridiculous. In June ’91, in the dictator’s shadow and with a program based on Marxist doctrine, these same characters changed the PP’s name to PS. In June ’95, these same characters, with the same Marxist program and while defending the dictator, will change the dates on their cards. This, then, is the “renewal” that PPSH’s leadership promises for June 1995.

Seeing the great public interest sparked by Parliament’s approval of the decree of the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, on the issuance and distribution of privatization vouchers, the PS leadership is trying, through its leaflet “ZP” and by mobilizing its journalists scattered across “independent” newspapers, to justify its opposition to these vouchers. There are several difficulties that ZP’s propaganda has to face. First, the failure to vote for the privatization vouchers is only one of many instances of opposition; taken together, they amount to a vote against privatization, against reform. If “RD” exposed and denounced the PS’s anti-reform strategy from the outset, few people now think otherwise. Albanians are becoming aware that the PS is afraid of reforms being carried out, because it sees every achievement of theirs as an increase in the authority of the PD, which ... undermines their sole objective: coming to power. The pursuit of office has consistently and completely prevailed over the interests of the country. Feeling this contradiction, Pellumbi himself is forced to declare: “We have started doing opposition without proposing an alternative” (“Gazeta Shqiptare,” Sunday, 16 April 1995). And this has been the case since 23 March ’92, with the demand for early elections. Second, the Privatization Voucher Decree is being accompanied by swift measures for its implementation. This frightens the PS leadership. Why? There are two answers: a) people will become property owners, and confidence in the path of reforms and in their benefits will grow; b) individuals’ growing wealth discredits any kind of propaganda directed against this process. Third, Pellumbi, Dokle, and others have to persuade PS members and win their trust regarding their absurd position on the decree. Mere opposition is no longer enough simply because the proposals and measures come from across the aisle, from the opposition. Socialists will become property owners just like everyone else. The approved decree is addressed to the entire population. Will PS members receive the privatization vouchers? Of course: they represent the return of the fruits of work and paid labor, and an equal opportunity to participate in privatization. The PS leadership knows this, which is why it is more troubled than ever these days. It is ready to make any compromise to ensure the privatization-voucher scheme fails. Faced with the alternatives of supporting it or obstructing it, the PS leadership chose the latter. This is not the first time. It will not be the first time it fails. It has been said, written, and declared by well-known figures, and proven by the development of established democracies, that democracy truly needs a constructive opposition. But this cannot be done by anti-reformers of the Ruci, Dokle, Pellumbi, and Co. kind. If the legacy of the past, the PPSH, brought them onto the political stage, the development of democracy will sweep them away.

—to become shareholders in the commercial companies that will be created through privatization of ... —to become shareholders in investment companies dealing in securities. For these reasons, the anti-reformers did not vote for the privatization-voucher decree.

The President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, paid a goodwill visit to the Archdiocese of the Diocese of Tirana and Durrës the morning before yesterday, on the occasion of the Easter holiday. The President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, paid a goodwill visit to morning before yesterday, on the occasion of the Easter holiday. “Happy Easter to you and to all Albanian Catholic believers wherever they may be,” President Berisha wished Monsignor Rrok Mirdita, who welcomed the President’s arrival at the house of God. President Berisha praised the celebration of Easter as one of our finest traditions and an extraordinary spiritual treasure. Easter, the day of resurrection and of great hopes, he emphasized, carries a very important message: a message of hope, a message of peace, a message of building, a message of the future. Continuing the conversation on this subject, Monsignor Mirdita said that my prayer at last night’s Mass was for hope, which is more important to a person than anything else. After pointing out the extraordinarily important role of hope, President Berisha stressed that the changes that have taken place came about because Albanians found strength and created hope. Hope, he said, leads you forward and helps you; hope and its creation are elements of ... (Continued on page 2)

About the “Alia-Nano-Dokle-Ruçi-Benc” scandal On the “Alia-Nano-Dokle-Ruçi-Benc” scandal Pellumbi “against” Dokle?!

PDSH leaders meet the President of the Republic of Kosovo, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova Yesterday at the PDSH headquarters, Mr. Ibrahim Rugova, President of the Republic of Kosovo and Chairman of the LDK, held a meeting with the Secretary General of the Democratic Party, Prof. Dr. Tritan Shehu, and its deputy chairmen, Mr. Sorenje Tomori Dosti and Ali Spahia. Mr. Shehu explained to Mr. Rugova the latest political developments in the PD, the work to strengthen its structure, as well as the continued progress of economic reform in Albania. Mr. Shehu stressed that during this particular period, the PD had made a dominant part of its program and was working persistently to accomplish by the 1996 elections the things that remained to be done. Mr. Shehu also spoke about the necessary cooperation and strengthening of ties between the PDSH and the LDK and other Albanian political forces in Kosovo. The PD, its Secretary General stated, would continue, as it had until now, and in the future, its efforts to internationalize the Kosovo issue, until its full resolution. Mr. Rugova, for his part, thanked the Democratic Party for its support on the Kosovo issue. He also gave an overview of the current political situation in Kosovo and of the struggle waged by the political forces there under conditions of Serbian terror and repression. Among other things, during the meeting Mr. Rugova made known the request to organize a popular referendum in Kosovo to resolve the national question. The meeting took place in a fraternal atmosphere. PDSH Press and Information Department

The painting of tomorrow in Albania The “Spring ’95” exhibition opens. The President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, attends PAGE 5 How and where the offspring of the Bloc live Dokle against the market economy Ruçi and Brokaj defend the PPSH In Moscow: proud of the victory over fascism, proud also of the victory over the communist dictatorship PAGE 2

1—Dokle has deceived his party by not saying how many times he signed for the dollars withdrawn from the Solidarity Fund (criminality) 2—The party itself, implicated in this scandal, decides to undertake the desperate defense of its deputy chairman Dokle 3—Nano has sent word: “I want Dokle with me,” and Ruçi, who will one day end up like the others, applies the theory of politicization after the Solidarity Fund bills have passed through his hands “RD” invites the leaders and members of the PS to come to the editorial office between 10:00 and 15:00 to learn precisely the amounts of dollars withdrawn by Namik Dokle S. PELLUMBI “So the other 250 thousand dollars are in the bank at the disposal of “Zëri i Popullit,” but no one has touched a single penny to date...” (“Gazeta Shqiptare,” 16 April 1995) N. DOKLE “...250 thousand dollars available to “ZP,” with cash in hand and stock on hand ... because “ZP” has drawn from this fund, having bought a warehouse in Laprake...” (Televised debate, 5 April 1995)

S. PELLUMBI “So the other 250 thousand dollars are in the bank at the disposal of “Zëri i Popullit,” but no one has touched a single penny to date...” (“Gazeta Shqiptare,” 16 April 1995) N. DOKLE “...250 thousand dollars available to “ZP,” with cash in hand and stock on hand ... because “ZP” has drawn from this fund, having bought a warehouse in Laprake...” (Televised debate, 5 April 1995)