The Socialist Party’s congress in two parts is a form of slow self-destruction of a political organization that, two years ago, was already about five years behind. Holding the first part of the congress on 23 March is a celebration of their misfortune. Since failure was institutionalized five years ago, they have no other option, however close they may come to those changes, than to lose themselves. Who lost on 22 March 1992? The victory of the Democratic Party, which was overwhelming, brought the defeat of communist ideology and dictatorship once and for all in Albania. The old security-linked power elite, the former ruling class that for half a century had oppressed and destroyed Albania, lost its power; the new plunderers of Albania, the new neo-Bolsheviks and the authors of the ‘91 coup, the killers of young people at the border, in Shkodër, Tirana, etc., lost. The architect of the continuity of the Party of Labour, Ramiz Alia, Nano, and Ruçi, Dokle and Pëllumbi, who joined forces to put cosmetic make-up on the 50-year-old lady, lost. This clan of usurpers that did not change with the change of name, this clan that will soon disappear from the Albanian political scene, lost. The tendency to replace the old power with new people who represented the old power lost. All the loss is concentrated in the most poisoned part of Albanian society and at the same time the most degraded part, which was trying to penetrate the democratic forces. Who won on 22 March 1992? The rest of Albanians, democrats and ordinary socialists alike, won their future and Albania’s future. Thus, the continued loss on a congress day is a paradoxical celebration and by no means a tendency toward correction. 23 March is the day of the true freedom of Albanians, and the socialists had no reason to try to make this day, with the term “part,” an event for them. There is not even one reason that explains a natural unification, except a unification for the sake of loss. The first part of the congress remains only a natural aim to unite the divided. No other remedy can be found to bring together those who are not united, to fill the deep rifts in this party, other than their defeat before our eyes and the pain caused by this loss. The circumstances in which the first part of the congress will also take place are such that one can speak of a separation of Albanian fanatic socialists from the experience that freedom from dictatorship brings to a country. Separation from Albania accompanies the final determination for a congress of a party led by the most conservative and suspicious part of the Albanian political class. What does this congress in two parts mean? During the election campaign the socialist leadership is more endangered than even on 22 March ‘92. It faces a maturing of the socialist base in Albania, but also of the reformist elements of this party. Their entire anti-reform policy followed for four consecutive years definitively excludes them from participating in the successes of this period and installs in them inhibiting elements both within the program presented and in their activity. The buried past within their party through the decisions of the former Political Bureau is another factor adding negative burdens to its leadership. Meanwhile, the punishment under the genocide law will favor the other idea, which in any case is not a legal representative of the past and of someone’s entry from this party during the transition. It is precisely confronting these phenomena that the second part of the congress aims at. That part is the complete death of its reform. The loss it will suffer in the next election campaign will be their total defeat, which is also the natural result of an artificial party in an unnatural time for the development of democracy and not of artifices attached to it.

From the heritage fund of the PS Minutes of the meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the PPSH, dated 2 and 3 July 1974 p.7

Fier The Socialist chairman of the Zharrëz commune, Mr. Xhevat Gremi, is expelled from the PS as an enemy and traitor of the PS p.3

Great Britain is closely following and with great concern the situation in Kosovo, said the British chargé d’affaires Ajvor Roberts yesterday, in his meeting with the President of Kosovo, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova. Dr. Rugova informed the British diplomat about the systematic repression of the Serbian regime and the independent political institutional organization of the Albanians in Kosovo. Rugova emphasized the determination of the Kosovar leadership and people to resolve the Kosovo issue by peaceful means, respecting the political will and the independence expressed by referendum.

The false alarm is used only by the PS’s political speculators and their satellites The tendency to alarm the public through the bread scare is resurfacing once again. It is again the opposition socialists who, abstracting from the objectivity of a phenomenon to worsen it, seek to exploit it for political gain. And the truth is that people’s relationship with bread is a rare issue for many of them. When they were in the ruling party, and oriented under power in the form of dictatorship, they had turned the people into a wheat field of basic food, corn bread for the masses, although they had declared in a song of joy that food was available in the country. Later, when they were again in power but by then transformed on the verge of losing it, former Prime Minister Ylli Bufi pulled out the last card to keep the government armchair: pressure through bread for the people. The consequences of such pressure are now clear to everyone: false stimulation, devaluation of shops, disruption of the bread-supply system. The organizational and technical measures for bread supply at that time nullified all the justifying efforts of former Prime Minister Bufi. And now the socialists are returning to pressure. They want to exploit people’s sensitivity to bread in order to bring out that 1991 card. But what is the truth regarding this problem? There has been an increase in the price of wheat on the world market, explains the prime minister’s adviser Abdyl Sinani. From 140 dollars per ton, its price has risen to 240 dollars in a world of wheat production shortages. On the government side, this continues not to be felt here. Thus, 6 million dollars have been turned into a reduced credit that has secured the funds for purchasing the necessary quantities until the next harvest from countries of the EC, Romania, Turkey, etc. Mr. Sinani adds that there is no basis for alarm among the public, clarifying that there are also producers and bread suppliers who, in this rise in profits, are pressuring for price liberalization. However, the government is determined to keep this ceiling in place. To soften the effects of the rise in the price of wheat, the government has lowered fuel, water and energy tariffs for private bakery owners. This is the truth, but of course the truth is irrelevant to the opposition. It thinks it can bring it to light through: doing only what speculation wants. However, the calculations have gone wrong. The bread scare will at most be a reason for the nostalgics of the past to comfort themselves and say: see what Enver wanted yesterday, citizens and peasants to grow wheat. Just as these nostalgics now recall the final Balkan case: Enver was right to build bunkers, because one day comes and the world does not give you bread. SHPËTIM LUKU

Meksi - A decision for the fight against corruption, for a clean political life As part of the fight against corruption, and for a clean political life in Albania, the Council of Ministers yesterday approved the decision implementing the law on the declaration of assets by officials and certain senior officials and public administration leaders. The decision approved today by the government, Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi told ATSH in an interview, is a governmental measure that paves the way for the implementation of the law on the verification of the assets of senior state and political figures. This decision has defined all the governing levels that will carry out these declarations, the places where the checks will be made, the method of verifying the declarations, and the sanctions for false statements, fraud, or concealment of declarations. This decision is undertaken by the Albanian government as a necessity in order to establish a democratic state governed by the rule of law and to fight abuses and corruption on the part of state bodies. The decision is a necessary measure for a clean political life for Albania, said Prime Minister Meksi, adding that such a decision lays an important stone in Albanian legislation and in the fight against corruption and the misuse of state property. This decision, together with the law drafted earlier, after some delay, is because the preparation of such decisions is always difficult. This decision, together with the law, is part of the Albanian legislation framework for the fight against corruption, for a clean political life of senior state officials and public administration leaders. The decision makes the law clear and enforceable through subordinate legal acts, Mr. Meksi said, adding that in this regard the government will take another decision on the declaration of income by state institutions, officials and local bodies. Thus, he said, a record is always made of real estate and of the income a person has throughout his life. Of course, the declaration of personal assets and income is a standard everywhere. This is necessary in the fight against corruption, which has caused great damage to the Albanian economy, but also for cleansing the moral image of officials and leaders of state bodies and local government. One question asked by the Albanian Television journalist was whether persons elected by vote would undergo asset verification; Prime Minister Meksi said that the Verification Commission, composed of representatives from the People’s Assembly, the Presidency, the Court, and all the high levels, would handle this, verify the declaration, and assess the case. The State Control, the Council of Ministers, the High Council of Justice, the Ministry of Finance, the State Control Office, etc. will provide their assistance. According to the Prime Minister, inspections will be organized at customs and borders in order to verify tax and customs control. Meksi said that citizens must understand that this law is not aimed against anyone, but rather at establishing a standard of democratic and lawful behavior. The President of the Republic, the Speaker of the People’s Assembly, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, and their deputies, deputies, ministers, deputy ministers, and persons equated with them; the heads of State Control, directors of various institutions, directors of ministry departments, members of the Constitutional Court, Court of Cassation and Court of Appeal, commanders and officers of the armed forces, law enforcement and police, tax officials, prefects, mayors and members of their councils, commune heads, customs employees, tax officials and inspectors of enterprises and of AKN. The law provides, Mr. Meksi said, that within the quarter for the whole year a continuous declaration shall be made of assets and income, as well as the income of their family members. This creates an economic activity. This is a normal measure in every democratic country. We are approving these measures so that there is no fear of violating the law or using one’s position to gain prohibited benefits. According to the law, as a criterion for determining whether an asset has income from illegal sources, the declaration will serve, under conditions that are appropriate and nevertheless reasonable. The law will provide for the inspection of personal assets and the assets of family members. It will be linked to the legal path, because we are determined to fight every form of corruption. This is a standard that we are establishing in Albanian public life, he said. According to ATSH, this decision is another important element in the fight against corruption, opening the way to new legislation for the verification of the assets of senior officials and public administration. RAFAEL FLOQI

At the beginning, the newspaper “KJ” on its front page, alongside the article titled “Tirana suffocating from the bread crisis”, also publishes a truly chilling photograph of a group of alarmed citizens in front of a bakery. On this occasion we would like to remind readers, and especially the newspaper “KJ”, that the photograph they are trying to present as a scene from 1996 was taken from publications of 1991, when the owners of “KJ” had turned the country into a truly hungry scene, declaring that there were only 6 days of bread left. From the “RD” archive we have taken out the original, which we are publishing today, in order to remind readers once again of the year 1991 and the madness of speculation by the likes of “KJ”. [?] Bustçapi

6th year of publication No. 1158 Tuesday 16 January 1996 Number of pages: 8 PRICE 10 LEK 1000 Italian lire 200 drachmas