The village socialists, apparently, will once again this time around have to stay in the village and not even think about getting anywhere near the central headquarters of their party. The preparatory campaign for presenting the Socialist Party’s candidacies has put the socialist countryside in a dilemma: will it again stay close to the city with Ruçi at its head, or will it boycott the Socialist Party? There is a major problem that has emerged as a result of the unlimited power of former Interior Minister Ruçi over the grassroots of socialists in the rural areas. This section of the Socialist Party, being also the largest part of the party, has demanded that old people who come directly from the countryside be placed on the leading lists. In reality, the socialists are making great efforts in the rural areas, bearing in mind both the 1991 elections and those of 1992. The votes have come from those who have taken advantage of their trust precisely in these areas, where it is also more difficult to part with new lifestyles and forms of organization. Even the Socialist Party itself and its leader have tried with all possible means to bring about their closure. The isolation of this not-small section from participation in the party’s problems aimed to preserve this segment as a secure contingent for the party and at the same time as a contingent with no ambition to interfere in the party’s high command. This seems a very human contempt on the part of the Socialist leadership toward its peasant supporters, but in the end. In the leadership of the Socialist Party it seems that a large number of anonymous letters have reached the village, addressed to villages, which until now had not been considered by the Socialist leader. The text of these letters no longer contains devotion and loyal calls for the Socialist Party, but requests that sound bold to the drafters of the important lists. They ultimately demand representation within the party leadership. It is not surprising to receive this new signal coming from the countryside from the socialists. For a long time now the Socialist Party has not mentioned class struggle at all, only Fanon. Even in the theses for the electoral program it has listed only theses of power, without thinking about some that are important for the peasants who have been ready to vote for them several times. The peasants have understood perfectly well that the socialist leadership, that a return to grain-production cooperatives would be death for them, while in the electoral program they have said nothing more than cooperatives and savings. Of course it will happen that the socialist leader will not be able to understand them properly, because even the nature of the peasant is straightforward and does not tolerate sidestepping. It will happen that Gramoz Ruçi will feel his peasants and then he will understand the power of the police or SHIK to disrupt meetings with the village people. Although the pressure of the socialists in the countryside is great and could lead to a new, different split within the Socialist Party, it can hardly be imagined that Ruçi will awaken their protest. Once again the PS candidates will stand behind him, that is, neither reformers nor dignified, but only sycophants and loyal followers of the destructive ideals represented by Ruçi and his clan, which now holds the party in its hands. The village will once again listen, disregarded by the socialists, while the village socialists will remain the party’s serfs, important only on voting day.

The Socialist Party chairmen in the South

Despite differing political beliefs We support the President and democratic processes in Albania p.3

The President’s spokesperson denies “ZP” Regarding the articles published in today's “ZP”, which claim that the gifts given by the President of the Republic to British state personalities during his 1994 visit had been taken from the collection of the National Historical Museum and were inappropriate, we clarify that: No gift ever given by the President of the Republic has been taken from any museum collection or had historical value. The items gifted, purchased by the protocol service and the Presidency administration, are mainly handicraft or artistic objects produced by Albanian artisans in recent years and bought and taken out of the country in accordance with the legislation and the relevant acts. Among the gifts there are also traditional weapons made by hand, such as swords; the decorated sheath of one piece costs from 4,500 to 8,500 lek. This is part of the tradition of exchanging state gifts. This is confirmed by the fact that the President has also received similar gifts from leaders of Western states. We stress here that in cases where the received gifts were objects of historical value, the President has handed them over to the country’s museum. The ZP article once again shows the low morals and slanderous character of this newspaper and its owners.

In an interview with “Figaro Magazine” In former communist parties today there are two groupings, a social-democratic grouping and a fundamentalist grouping EDI. PALOKA Of course Mikhail Gorbachev had not read the debates in the Albanian press about the split and the groupings in the PS when he made the above statement. In an exclusive interview for the French newspaper “Figaro Magazine”, the former communist leader, also known as one of the best analysts of politics in the Eastern countries, was also asked about the latest changes in the former communist countries. After explaining the situation in these countries, Gorbachev analyzes the life of the former communist parties, many of which today are called socialist. “One cannot lump all these parties together,” says Gorbachev, explaining that their histories and compositions make them different from one another. Nevertheless, Gorbachev finds some common elements in these parties. Speaking about “pluralism” within these parties, Gorbachev points out that today two groupings can be seen in former communist parties: the grouping of social democrats or reformers and the grouping of fundamentalists. Below he also explains the results that follow from such a situation. “Such parties inevitably end up in division, and this situation becomes unavoidable.” Thus Gorbachev, without being informed at all about what is happening with the PSSH, has begun to describe the clash between the two groupings, now already identified there, according to whom social democracy itself is desired by Ruçi, Dokle and Pëllumbi, whom Gorbachev, under Nano’s leadership, would place among the “fundamentalists”. Perhaps the socialist leaders will be sufficiently prudent not to launch an attack even against Gorbachev and accuse him of trying to split the socialists, since this is indeed what has helped the Socialist Party and on this basis they have also predicted the party’s split.

PS in Durrës The reformers are attacked PS will return to nationalizations PS in Durrës We need the votes of the Enverists The reformers are attacked PS will return to nationalizations The Durrës socialists gathered in a meeting in Durrës with some of their central leaders and discussed the “future” of the PS. There were no shortage of “provocations” even at this meeting. When someone asked what would be done about E. Hoxha, this time the answer from the center was categorical: “We need the votes of the Enverists.” Meanwhile, this same leadership does not consider it necessary to obtain the votes of the reformers; on the contrary, it has attacked them again, labeling them as PD people infiltrated into the PS. The other attack has been directed against reform. PS leaders have not forgotten to mention the fact that, once they come to power, they will destroy everything that has been done through privatization. With the thesis that privatization has been carried out in favor of PD people, they have declared that they will restore the majority of privatized enterprises and properties. These, then, are the guidelines and directives on which the main leaders of the PS have been touring the circles. E.P.

The Austrian press on the meeting of the two Presidents Sali Berisha and Thomas Klestil The meeting between the Albanian President Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha and his Austrian counterpart Dr. Thomas Klestil at the Presidential Residence of Hofburg in Vienna, as well as the joint statement by the two Presidents Berisha and Klestil in the presence of representatives of Austrian television, major Austrian newspapers such as “Kurier”, “Die Presse”, “Standard”, the Austrian news agency APA, and foreign agencies such as “Reuters”, “AFP”, “DPA”, was followed with great interest, being featured in the main articles of the Austrian newspapers dated 20.1.1996 and in the main news broadcasts of Austrian Radio and Television ORF. The main Austrian newspaper “Die Presse” publishes the article with the title, “OLD FRIENDS SEEK SOLUTIONS IN THE BALKANS” - written by Eva Miller and emphasizes: “The Albanian President Berisha came for a short visit to Hofburg. Old friends referred to by the President of Albania and the Austrian Sali Berisha and Thomas Klestil. For this reason, on Friday evening Berisha used his transit stay in Vienna to talk at Hofburg about the situation in his country and in the Balkans. In addition to the personal ties and the shared views of Klestil and Berisha, there are numerous links and joint projects which were supported in Albania, were planned, and today some of them have been implemented. Klestil emphasized that Austria wants to help Albania in the long term and values the progress on the road to Europe. Berisha once again thanked Austria for its help and political support. Albania is now truly in the most important period of its history, and Austrian assistance now has great importance, Berisha said, adding that the good relations between the two countries have a long tradition. The Albanian economy is in a good situation, and its balance is convincing, the guest from Albania stressed. He also has no fear before the upcoming elections, because his Democratic Party is the strongest political force in the country. In this context, many people understand that there is very little nostalgia in Albania for the past. The parliament recently had passed a civil law obstructive by the former communist nomenklatura from the upcoming elections. The newspaper “DER STANDARD” of 20.01.1996 publishes the article with the title “BERISHA: THE MAIN PROBLEM IS KOSOVA” The Albanian President Sali Berisha, who yesterday, on Friday, during a short stay in Tirana, had met his Austrian counterpart Thomas Klestil, during the press conference gave a positive assessment of the economic development of his country. He expressed his full confidence that the Albanians, who have always passed through Europe under “bad luck,” are strongly uniting for a long time, with support and hope in a role [continues on page 3] Die Presse INDEPENDENT DAILY NEWSPAPER FOR AUSTRIA “Old friends” seek Balkan solutions

NDREKË GJINI Added to the list of former top communist officials who will answer before justice for the genocidal crime committed against tens of thousands of innocent Albanians were yesterday nine more former senior party and state officials of the communist regime. The Tirana Prosecution Office has opened the criminal case by also indicting Anri Çela, Manush Myftiu, Krap Nini, Hekuran Isai, Simon Stefani, Veiz Hajdari, Qemal Bebasli, LLambi Gegprifti and Foto Çami. In confirmation, the Prosecutor of Tirana, Mr. Adnan Xhevelli, stated that the bringing of these persons as defendants by the Prosecution Office was based on investigations that began several months ago, on the basis of a complaint filed by the National Forum of Albanian Intellectuals for the Denunciation and Punishment of Communist Genocide. These former top officials of the dictatorial communist state, said Mr. Xhevelli, while holding important duties and functions at that time, committed the criminal acts of genocide and crimes against humanity by carrying out unlawful punishments on a very large number of citizens for political motives. Their criminal responsibility, Mr. Xhevelli explains, is based on articles 73, 74, 25 and 67 of the Penal Code. Some of these defendants had been tried two years earlier by the justice system for the criminal acts of abuse of office and violation of the equality of citizens through the creation of privileges for themselves. The crime they committed, for which the Prosecution Office has now brought charges, Mr. Xhevelli explains, is a new criminal offense and much more serious than the one for which they had been tried before. The accusation against them, the chief prosecutor explains, is based on numerous complaints and concrete reports of the internment and expulsion of thousands of innocent Albanians for political reasons. For these defendants brought to criminal responsibility, the prosecution of the capital has requested from the court of first instance the imposition of a security measure.

Today in Tirana Today a delegation of the Party of European Socialists is arriving in Tirana for a two-day visit. The delegation includes Jean-François Vallen, Secretary General of the PES, Achille Occhetto, vice-president of the PES, MEP Aksel Andersen and other MEPs. During their stay in Albania they will come with the aim of discussing political and economic reforms in Albania and will hold talks with representatives of the main political parties in the country.

From the Socialist Party heritage archive Minutes of the Political Bureau meeting of the Central Committee of the PPSH, dated 25 and 26 July 1974