Service at St Paul’s Cathedral. President Berisha’s many meetings Thanksgiving, reconciliation and hope were at the heart of the service. The royal family also took part among the delegations invited to the service. After the service, another magnificent ceremony was held. The heads of state who had gone to lunch were guests of Queen Elizabeth. At 15:30 (London time), the heads of state arrived at Haig Park, where the reconciliation ceremony took place. After a brief artistic program, each head of state laid flowers beside a large globe placed in the center. Then all the heads of state signed the olive leaf that the children had placed inside the globe as a symbol of peace and reconciliation. After the fanfares sounded, the children gathered around the globe, from which doves—symbols of peace—were released into flight. At 16:30, high-ranking dignitaries from around the world left Haig Park and London and traveled to Paris, where other commemorative ceremonies were to be held as part of this anniversary. During yesterday’s ceremonies in London, President Berisha held brief meetings with German President Herzog, the leader of the British Labour Party, Tony Blair, Prince Charles of England, King Hussein of Jordan, President Havel, Princess Anne, and others. Italy’s President Scalfaro invited President Berisha to visit Italy in the autumn of this year. Magnificent celebrations in Paris. Newly elected French President Jacques Chirac takes part in the ceremony At around 18:30 on Sunday (London local time), the participating delegations left London for Paris on the Eurostar, which passes through the Channel Tunnel. Sunday night also coincided with the final results of the presidential election in France. Almost all of Paris was out in the streets celebrating Chirac’s victory. Makeshift stages were everywhere; people sang and danced. Young people rode around in cars, flags in hand and two fingers raised, and could be seen everywhere. This was the atmosphere in which Paris marked these two important events. Monday’s festive ceremony was held in Place Charles de Gaulle, around the Arc de Triomphe. Twelve stands had been set up there. Eighty-six delegations from different countries around the world had arrived in Paris. More than 10,000 people, including veterans and young people, took part in this official ceremony. Various formations of the French armed forces marched in the ceremony; 80 vehicles also paraded, bearing the emblems of the countries that took part in the Second World War. Among them was the Albanian flag, carried by Colonel Vladimir Qiriasi. Giant screens had been set up in various parts of Paris, broadcasting the commemorative ceremony live. The heads of the delegations laid wreaths by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe. After the official parade, French President Mitterrand also hosted an official lunch at the Élysée Palace for the heads of the delegations present. Yesterday at 15:15, President Berisha and the other delegations participating in the ceremony marking the end of the Second World War left Paris for Moscow. around the Arc de Triomphe. Reported from London by AIDA SHEHU Only a few days ago, the FRESSH Presidium, whose chairman is Pandeli Majko, decided that Marx’s name and his theoretical foundation should be removed from the PS program. Finally, in an interview with “Gazeta Shqiptare” dated 7 May 1995, in response to the question “What should be corrected in the PS, in your opinion?” Majko answers: “It is not a question …”

“It is not a question of corrections, but of changes” The PS leadership remains silent, with no public polemic or political position ?! MENTOR SHEHU Pandeli Majko has often stood up to the PS leadership with a more liberal and highly courageous stance, opposing the policies and unrealistic practices of the PS leader. In the critical opposition during the FRESSH-PS debate, Majko, as chairman of this forum, is worth considering for his four bold positions, which also represent distinct high points of his character in relation to the conservative theses and politically unrealistic positions of both the day and the future of the PS. Majko denounces the fact that a FRESSH delegation, cobbled together by the PS Presidium, was sent to Greece, where it signed a document that defends Serbia’s crimes in the former Yugoslavia. Majko is the one who called the PS’s “Alternative Draft Constitution ‘third-rate merchandise put on the market.’” an interview given to “Gazeta Shqiptare” dated 7 May 1995, to the question “What should we do—not corrections, but changes?”, while the headline of this interview reads, “The direction of the PS must change.” We would not be wrong to call Mr. Majko’s position a “cry of concern,” through which he seeks help from public opinion both inside and outside the PS. It is help he is asking of the liberal forces in the PS, since he is now convinced that the PS Presidium’s current policy is compromising, with its conservative program based on the theories of Marx and the tradition of the PPSH. Otherwise, there would be no reason for Majko to say openly in this interview, “It is not a question of corrections, but of changes.” Pandeli Majko is now convinced that the direction of the PS must change, because this direction, its Marxist program and the political platform and strategy being pursued by the PS leadership are expressions of left-wing radicalism. Majko is expressing, in a somewhat more moderate way, no more and no less than what progressive democratic political forces say, what the PD says: that upon coming to power, they will come under the open pressure of radicalism. Marx and his theory concerning the role of the state in society and the working class as a radical force continue to form the basis of the program. This program was made known once again by Servet Pellumbi and Namik Dokle at the Korça rally, perhaps also in response to the “rebellion” of the Eurosocialists over their recent decision to remove Marx from their program. The unity of the PS with FRESSH is false, however much it is trumpeted as unshakable. The debate, polemics and level of criticism between the young people and the conservatives are now evident. Meanwhile, the PS leadership is trying to keep these differences under control by not making them public. Asked by “Gazeta Shqiptare” about “the level of polemics within the PS’s CEC,” Majko replies: “Perhaps they may not be visible, but in reality they exist.” And indeed they exist, but they find no place in the pages of “ZP.” It seems that Majko is a “heretic” in the eyes of the PS leadership and does not merit this newspaper’s attention; under no circumstances can it use its pages to expose the PS leadership’s disarray. It must preserve the image of unity, especially now that it is fighting madly for power. And it is no coincidence that in the PS “shadow cabinet,” precisely the liberal Eurosocialists have been left in the shadows, as “standard-bearers” of the neocommunist policy the PS leadership is preaching and pursuing. Come on, man, why are you scared?... But this one just ... help us...

Yesterday, in Sarandë, the remains of the distinguished writer, poet, prose writer and journalist Bilal Xhaferri were laid to rest in a solemn ceremony. At the rally organized in the town square, Mr. Kolec Topalli read a message from the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, addressed to …; Mr. Teodor Laco handed Bilal Xhaferri’s family the high honor of Martyr of Democracy, awarded by the President of the Republic, while the chairman of the commission that honors distinguished figures, Mr. Uran Butka, delivered the commemorative address. After the rally, Bilal Xhaferri’s remains were buried beside the grave and bust of Hasan Tahsini, the great Renaissance figure and fellow villager of Bilal. Tributes were paid by residents of Sarandë, Konispol and Ninat, by the Writers’ League, the town municipality, the Prefecture, the Çamëria association, the “B.Xhaferri” association and hundreds of writers and artists from all regions of Albania.

Greetings from the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha Honorable Ladies and Gentlemen, Citizens of Saranda, Relatives and loved ones of Bilal Xhaferri, Honorable Ladies and Gentlemen, Citizens of Saranda, Relatives and loved ones of Bilal Xhaferri, Unable to join you in honoring the life and work of Bilal Xhaferri, the talented writer, lover of the free word in our literature, unforgettable son of Çamëria and of the entire Albanian people, I send you my most sincere greetings and express my deepest appreciation and respect for his work and his sacrifice for freedom of speech, and for Ninat and Çamëria, which gave birth to a son like him. Bilal Xhaferri was a descendant of one of the most distinguished Albanian families, the Hoxha Tahsini family, whose precious legacy and the patriotism of his parents inspired and nurtured in him, from childhood, love for his country, his nation and its history, but above all, love for freedom. It was precisely these feelings that would compel the rare talent of our literature to embark upon the path of resistance and the expanses of freedom. life. His work and his death in exile are a grave indictment of the Hoxhaist dictatorial regime, while his return to the Homeland today bears witness to the triumph of Bilal Xhaferri’s ideas of freedom and of his work. Today and forever, the poet, short-story writer, novelist and journalist Bilal Xhaferri will remain among us, immortal for his precious and unparalleled contribution to Albania, and for the sacrifice he made for freedom of speech. His return to his birthplace brings with it an important message for us and for generations to come: that we must build a different future from the past we experienced. May his memory be eternal.

— Remarks delivered by Mr. Uran Butka We have gathered here in Saranda, from all over Albania, to honor the illustrious figure of Bilal Xhaferri and to bury his remains in his native soil. The highest tribute and great respect to the distinguished poet and short-story writer, the renowned novelist and publicist, the dissident who even his death. A son of Ninat in Konispol, which has also produced distinguished people, among them the great Renaissance figure Hasan Tahsini, Bilal Xhaferri inherited the distinguished patriotic and cultural tradition of the Çam people, the elegiac lyricism of Çam folklore and the tragic fate of the Çam population, the awareness, pride, steadfastness, rebellious spirit and dramatic soul of Çamëria. The tragic fate of the Çam people, who were (Continued on page 6)

— Once again, the PS representative fails to appear in yesterday’s televised debate on healthcare. — The PS offers Albanians nothing but guns and pickaxes, crime and destruction It is no longer a “sensation” that PS representatives shy away from the cameras of television debates. Apparently, the discrediting of Dokle and someone else alongside him has turned appearing before the cameras into a superstition for them. First it was Pellumbi, the PS deputy chairman, who, although he had boasted some time earlier that he would challenge PD and state figures in televised debates, did not dare cross the threshold of the television studio when invited to debate healthcare and the investments being made in Albania. The stale excuse he gave for not appearing discredited him even further. According to Pellumbi, “specialists” from the PS leadership were supposed to take part in the debate, but his “specialists” did not show up either for the debate on education, to which they had been invited, or for yesterday’s debate on healthcare. Meanwhile, PS leaders continue their campaign of slander about everything being done in Albania. PS representatives do not dare debate on screen about investments, education or healthcare, but that does not stop them from declaring far and wide that no investments have been made in Albania and that education and healthcare have been destroyed. This shows that the PS has specialists only in slander and deception, specialists in destruction, and cannot find even one specialist to present constructive alternatives. This is the PS, the party that ruled for 50 years with guns and pickaxes in its hands and continues to show that it knows how to use nothing else. This is what the PS is once again offering Albanians: crime and destruction. EDI PALOKA

These days, the conference of the LDG in this district held its proceedings in this city. In their remarks, the ladies Zamira Sinoimeri, Ingrid Demi and Tatjana Harito emphasized that among the undeniable achievements realized in Albania over these three or four years is the irreplaceable contribution of democratic women, particularly intellectual women, etc. (Continued on page 2)

Event for May 9 President Yeltsin awards decorations to Albanian veterans At the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Tirana, on May 7, a ceremony was held to present the Jubilee Medal “50th Anniversary of Victory in the 1941–1945 Liberation War,” awarded by decree of Russian President Boris Yeltsin to 36 Albanian anti-Nazi-fascist fighters who actively participated in the Second World War. The opening address at the ceremony was delivered by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Tirana, Mr. Viktor Nerubajlov, who emphasized, among other things: “Your heroic deed is outstanding. The contribution of the brave Albanian people to the triumph of the antifascist coalition is indisputable; millions of people sacrificed their lives for it. You embody the finest traits of the character of the Albanian nation.” Veterans of the Antifascist War, representatives of the Presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Albania, as well as journalists from various media organizations, attended the ceremony. The ceremony took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

LLESH KOLA The presidential election in France concluded after a long and dynamic electoral campaign and voting held in two rounds: the first on April 23, in which 9 candidates from different political forces took part, and the second round, in which the two candidates who had won the first round faced the popular vote: L. Zhospen, with 23.30% of the votes, and Zh. Shirak, with 20.84% of the votes. Five days before the vote, on May 2, the two candidates took part in a televised debate watched by more than 17 million French viewers; thanks to their wisdom, composure and democratic and political culture, they “ended the contest in a draw.” Jacques Chirac, 62, candidate of the Gaullist Rally for the Republic (RPR), Mayor of Paris and twice Prime Minister of France, won 52.67% of the vote in the May 7 election, against 47.33% for the other candidate, Leonel Zhospen. He becomes the 5th President of the French Fifth Republic and the 22nd in the history of France, for a seven-year term, 1995–2002. His closest supporter in the presidential campaign, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alan Zhyper, considers that “you should all be proud of Jacques Chirac, because he has extensive international experience, has (Continued on page 8)

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Where are those who led the war PAGE 5

The Albanian Army in the joint exercise “New Spirit-95” in Greece The head of the PS continues the campaign of deception Stronger and ongoing cooperation in the future The PS offers Albanians the “Passport” to violence and crime “ZP” serves the petty interests of a privileged group