Another World Bank contribution in Albania According to information received from Washington ... the International Development Association (IDA) approved a loan two days ago (Continued on page 2)

On the “Alia-Nano-Dokle-Ruçi-Benc” scandal EDI PALOKA The PS leaders are showing no concern at all about the fact that they have been completely discredited by the 400 thousand dollar scandal and the deceptions they fabricate every day. They keep twisting things in every direction, trying to find a way out, but wherever they turn, irrefutable facts and documents confront them, and they shamelessly turn publicly in the other direction once again. By now, the public has become familiar with their methods of “defending” themselves from the scandal. First, Dokle tried to deceive people during the televised debate by declaring that the Solidarity Fund consisted of assistance from the Communist Parties of the world, but very soon he was forced to concede after the documents completely proved the opposite: the money came from the Albanian state budget and went as “aid” to terrorist groups (there, Dokle tried to save himself by accusing his “predecessors and successors”). After that, the PS leaders turned in another direction, declaring that the money they were accused of misusing “was untouched in the bank”; according to them, then, they could not be accused as long as the money was still there. But just a few days later it was confirmed that the money was not only not in the bank, but had been squandered for purposes that are now known—tractors (which we also saw on the TV screen), oil, paper and other goods that Gëlçi, Dautllari and someone else really carry on their backs, while above them stand the “innocent” PS leaders who signed off on their misuse. After that, the PS leaders returned to the first version, that the money belongs to “ZP” and that the Solidarity Fund was not financed by the state budget; thus they completed the circle, convincing even themselves that they are trapped in a vicious circle from which they cannot escape. Even Pellumbi’s shameless “criminal complaint” stated that the Solidarity Fund was not financed by the budget. The problem is not that they have forgotten how Dokle was left looking when he first raised this version; nor have they forgotten Pellumbi’s deception, but there is nothing they can do about it. Is the Solidarity Fund part of the budget or isn’t it? This has been proven several times with documents. These are orders bearing the signatures of communist government officials, who transferred large sums from the budget into the F.S. account. Later, by order of the state party, the State Bank set interest rates for the Solidarity Fund several times higher than the rates on other deposits. Thus, the balance in this Fund’s account grew by millions of dollars, credited by the State Bank as a result of this further speculation. So, the money comes from the state budget, and Dokle and Pellumbi know this just as well. Their games and deceptions will not enable them to find a way out or escape criminal responsibility for misappropriating money that came from the sweat and blood of the Albanian people.

“I would like to thank you and the World Bank Board for your valuable contribution to the progress of reforms in Albania,” President Berisha said. The World Bank, one of Albania’s principal supporters, is engaged in 16 ongoing projects focused on the most important infrastructure sectors, such as roads, water supply, irrigation, electricity distribution, rural areas, etc. “I would appreciate,” the President continued, “an increase in the World Bank’s financial support, as well as the expansion of the rural roads project, which covers around 2,000 kilometers but has left important regions of the country outside it. Also very important are the inclusion of Korçë in the irrigation project and the project for the food industry. But I believe that your financial corporation can contribute more to the development of Albania’s private sector.” The executive directors of the World Bank Board said they were greatly impressed by the profound changes and very pleased with the progress of the World Bank’s projects in Albania. They were convinced that Albania deserved further growth in cooperation, particularly through the addition of new projects.

Yesterday, at the Holy See, in the presence of His Holiness Pope John Paul II and Nobel laureate Mother Teresa, was solemnly celebrated. Several hundred Albanians had come from all the regions of Albania and from the diaspora, from Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Croatia, the USA and throughout Italy. In a close embrace, they were also joined by their Arbëresh brothers from Sicily and Calabria. (Continued on page 2)

Albania - Italy Yesterday, 27 May 1995, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Alfred Serreqi, held a working meeting with Italy’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Suzana Anjeli. Senior officials from both institutions also took part in the meeting. The talks at the Farnesina focused on bilateral and multilateral relations, as well as the situation in the region. Both counterparts expressed satisfaction with the positive development of relations between the two countries, describing them as a priority, very important, mutually beneficial, and as having an influence (Continued on page 2)

Interview with the Chairman of PBDNJ, Mr. Vasil Melo, by Deputy Editor-in-Chief Edi Paloka ... of the newspaper, even its first articles; I also remember the interest with which we all awaited the newspaper’s publication ... earlier, when PBDNJ was founded, we also became acquainted with the documents of various international forums, with the declaration of the parties in ’96? Answer: From the first days of its founding, PBDNJ aligned itself with the democratic forces and

Interview with the Chairman of PBDNJ, Mr. Vasil Melo, given to Deputy Editor-in-Chief Edi Paloka ... the interest with which everyone awaited the publication of your newspaper. We will cherish the nostalgia for those days, charged with hopes and indescribable emotions, for a long time. Little time has passed since the first days of its creation, but the qualitative growth of your newspaper in every respect is unparalleled. RD has now created the image of a truly modern newspaper, and I am very pleased to be giving an interview in its pages for the first time. Question: “Human Rights Union Party.” What did you aim to convey by giving your party this name? Answer: The name we gave our party—“Human Rights Union”—was no coincidence. We thought that democracy is not an abstract term; ultimately, democracy finds its true concrete expression in the individual, because democracy begins and ends with the individual, the citizen, the person who holds citizenship in their state. In those early days, documents of various international forums, with the Helsinki Declaration and the Final Acts of the Conferences of Vienna, Paris, Copenhagen, etc., which were new discoveries for us. It was precisely the rights set out in those documents, and their democratic spirit, that we tried to place at the center of our Party’s program. In truth, defending democracy means, above all, defending those rights and freedoms that every citizen should enjoy in a democratic state. If these rights are not respected, are denied or infringed, then naturally we cannot speak of democracy. It is precisely in this area that our party has taken a particularly active role over these years and has denounced cases in which these rights have been trampled. Question: On 22 March, the DP and PBDNJ were allies in the Albanian Parliament. What do you think the scope for cooperation between these two parties will be PBDNJ stood alongside the democratic forces and supported all democratic processes. Cooperation between the DP and PBDNJ, founded on the great goal of overthrowing the communist dictatorship, began during the 22 March elections, especially in the second round, when PBDNJ supported the DP with its votes. Later, in the first pluralist parliament, which emerged after the 22 March elections, PBDNJ supported the major economic reforms and the new legislation passed by parliament; we can say that, in some cases, the votes of our deputies were decisive. But we must acknowledge a “but”: the positions of our two parties diverged on a number of issues, the reasons for which may not be appropriate to mention in this first interview. The truth is that our party, both inside and outside parliament, went into opposition to the DP. Meanwhile, we must distinguish (Continued on page 2)

Pellumbi, from deception to accusations Pellumbi’s actions concerning the scandal involving the leaders of the PS go beyond mere recklessness. The same man who, not long ago , publicly made the false claim that the 250 thousand dollars were untouched, seeking precisely to conceal the abuses committed with that money, now has the courage of a Don Quixote to demand criminal prosecution of those who exposed this scandal. Is Pellumbi Don Quixote or... ALBANIAN HELSINKI COMMITTEE TEMPORARY PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE No. 107 Prot. Tirana, 26.IV.95 Subject: Criminal complaint. To the Prosecutor General of the Republic Mr. Aleks Dragoshi For information: Tirana District Prosecutor’s Office Tirana Enclosed is the criminal complaint filed by the Socialist Party of Albania. GAZETA SHQIPTARE, 26 MAY ’95 S. Pellumbi: “The other 250 thousand dollars are in the bank at the disposal of ‘ZP’, but no one has touched a single penny.” “Gazeta Shqiptare,” 16 April 1995

During his stay in Germany, U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry, when asked about the Kosovo issue on 24 May, stated at the Marshall Center in Garmisch that, regarding this issue, the United States had warned that we consider the security of Kosovo to be an important objective for the interests of the United States, and that the war must not spread in the direction of Kosovo. We have not specified what actions we would take if that were to happen, but we have done enough to make it clear that we consider it a truly serious security violation. We have shown how much importance we attach to this and how serious we are by also sending American troops as part of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in Macedonia. We consider these points to be security objectives that the United States has in the former Yugoslavia; we consider efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading beyond Bosnia’s borders to be very important. This includes preventing the conflict from spreading toward Macedonia and Kosovo, which naturally also threatens Albania.

“The ‘innocent’ Dokle: ‘I know nothing. In this matter, I have predecessors and successors’

Former secret-service bosses, retired or in business In the war against free speech and free thought, “ZP” outdid the Inquisition

Valesa warns the new Polish prime minister p. 6 The week’s encyclopedic page

On the occasion of the admission of the Youth Forum of the Albanian Democratic Party to DEMYC, the Youth Forum of the Albanian Democratic Party invites all the Chairmen of FRPD branches in the districts to the reception being organized for this occasion on Monday, 29.05.1995, at 17:00, at one of the venues of the International Cultural Center in Tirana.

As you have been informed, starting on 1 May 1995, the Albanian Postal Enterprise has accepted and will continue to accept subscriptions to the newspaper “RD” at all post offices, from individuals and every natural or legal entity, public or private, domestic or foreign, at the following prices: - 1 month: 250 lek - 3 months: 750 lek - 6 months: 1,500 lek The newspaper’s editorial office, in cooperation with the Postal Enterprise, guarantees accurate, prompt, high-quality service at the address requested by the subscriber. Subscribe to our newspaper! NOTE: Anyone who has paid at the rates previously published may collect the difference from the post office where payment was made. Editorial Office of the newspaper “Rilindja Demokratike” Albanian Postal Enterprise