Notice from the Press and Information Office attached to the President By decree no. 1358, dated 03.02.1996, the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, promulgated Law no. 8055, dated 01.02.1996, “On amendments to Law no. 7556, dated 04.02.1992, ‘On the elections to the People’s Assembly of the Republic of Albania.’”

From the PS heritage collection Minutes of the meeting of the 6th Plenum of the Central Committee of the 6th Congress of the PPSH, dated 16–17 December 1974 (Balluku, Dume, Çako) p. 7

Statement by the PD spokesperson An ugly act on 1 February by the leaders of the PS and its offshoots, the PSD and PAD The former mouthpiece of PPSH propaganda, the epitome of shame, Dokle, and the former brutal prosecutor Metani, the informer who colluded in denouncing young Albanians, Imami, the self-proclaimed fascist Kalakula — unprecedented provocateurs [text in column] The tolerant PD’s red fundamentalists at the head of the PS, who grow blacker every day, declared yesterday at a press conference that the majoritarian electoral system imposes dictatorship. But the conservative dogmatists forget that Albanians have learned, and now know well, that the great democracies of Europe and the world, such as the USA, France, Great Britain and dozens of other countries, which, for the sake of the country’s stability, hold elections under a democratic, ... purely majoritarian system, are also among the most advanced democracies. These fundamentalists know very well that the Albanian law is majoritarian for 115 seats and proportional for 25 seats. However, punished severely by their own past, they also know that their so-called “young boys,” without identity or personality, who would run for parliament in the electoral districts, will meet the same fate as their sponsors did in March 1992, when in 96% of the 100 majoritarian constituencies the people voted by an absolute majority against the PS candidates. The PD emphasizes that it is not the majoritarian system that produces dictatorships, but the offspring of dictatorship and the “young boys” selected according to Ruçi’s criteria, who are rejected by the electorate. Responsibility for this lies with those who plunged the Socialist Party into its deepest crisis and brought about the complete distortion of its alternative, morality, identity and prospects. Commenting on the ugly act of February 1 PSD and PAD, the PD spokesperson stated that the PD condemns it and considers it an indefensible, intolerant act, which clearly demonstrates the fundamentalism and political primitivism of these elements. At the same time, the PD congratulates its group of deputies for their cool-headedness and for withstanding the provocateurs’ trap, which they have been experiencing lately on the Albanian political scene. On February 1, Albanians saw with their own eyes the true face of those who, after organizing the massacres of February and April 2 and issuing calls to smash skulls, drag people through the streets, and wage civil war, finally—after failing to create the red front—decided to provoke physical clashes in parliament. The gang that climbed onto the podium and sought physical confrontation was led by the former PPSH propaganda loudmouth, the very image of shame, Dokle, and the former brutal prosecutor Metani, Imami, who collaborated in denouncing young Albanians, and the self-proclaimed fascist Kalakula. This unprecedented provocation in the history of the parliament of a democratic country took place during the vote on the electoral law. Although the PD favored a majoritarian law—not for party interests, but to give the country stable governance—it preferred compromise and accepted 4%, as had been agreed in the agreement with the President. Over the last two days, the PD also agreed to a series of suggestions from other political parties and PD deputies, such as increasing television airtime for small parties, allowing all parties with candidates in an electoral district to be represented on the voting commissions, and a number of other suggestions. In contrast to this position [text continues]

Yesterday the President of the Republic promulgated the electoral law approved by Parliament. For days, this law had been the focus of attention of Albanian public opinion. While public opinion saw the battle over the law as a natural stage in political discussions on the eve of the election campaign, the leaders of the Socialist Party, together with their press, set their sights on creating total instability directed against the entire democratic government and the whole reform process. This law, which was only somewhat sensitive for political parties and politics in general, was enough for them to form a red cordon around the Democratic Party, the Albanian Parliament, the Meksi government, the entire democratic legal system, and all democratic reforms in Albania. democratic, all democratic reforms in Albania. It was not long before, at the parties’ round table on the electoral law, they openly announced the creation of a front to save democracy, which part of the Albanian press called a front to save communism. What did this front represent in Albanian politics? Through this front, the Socialist Party leadership aimed to eclipse the Albanian rule of law and, in essence, sought to assume the functions of a temporary government—something made quite clear by the socialists’ demand to minimize the role of the state during the election campaign, which they also sought to reflect in the electoral law. Exploiting other political parties’ dissatisfaction with various paragraphs of the law, they created the “everyone against the one” front strategy. Through this strategy they sought to manipulate public opinion to gain political credibility that would later serve as electoral credibility as well. The Socialist Party leadership, with Islamic extremism as its vanguard, put the entire arsenal available to the party at the service of its strategy. It launched slogans against the President, against Parliament, against the electoral law and laws in general, attempting to create an atmosphere of distrust in free elections. The front was a mechanism intended for political exploitation and, above all, for exploiting the credibility of the Albanian right. It was the real test of communism’s [presence?] in Albania. In the way it was presented, the front was a continuation of the socialists’ earlier schemes for early elections, followed by departures from Parliament and attempts to take control of sections of the Albanian justice system. Among the most significant of these was fierce opposition to army reforms, right up to the limits of national damage. The front aimed to optimize the communist organization and the former Sigurimi, a course also foreshadowed by the promotion of the Socialist Party’s most conservative figures and the placement on its parliamentary candidate list of close associates of the dictator Hoxha. For the socialists, the front and the introduction of a collectivist alternative into politics were a real failure of the socialist leadership and of its entire political strategy. For Albanian politics, the front represented a red front that was reduced over two days, until the red panel—and two days later—no longer functioned except as half a panel. This was the degradation of the Socialist Party leadership’s intelligence. The scheme failed, thereby bringing about total failure at the same time, both politically and organizationally, and in the strategy pursued by the socialist leadership for four consecutive years.

An ugly act on 1 February by the leaders of the PS and its offshoots, the PSD and PAD The former mouthpiece of PPSH propaganda, the epitome of shame, Dokle, and the former brutal prosecutor Metani, the informer who colluded in denouncing young Albanians, Imami, the self-proclaimed fascist Kalakula — unprecedented provocateurs

According to announcements from the Information Centre, the Kosovo Committee and the Movement for Peaceful Resistance – MAN of Paris yesterday sent the file on Dr. Ibrahim Rugova’s candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize to the Nobel Prize committee in Sweden. The file contains numerous documents about Dr. Rugova’s work and activities, and support for his candidacy from several Nobel laureates and several thousand French citizens, expressed through their signatures.

Kadare in Germany Albanian Socialists are still very close to dictatorship My opinion is that Albanian Socialists are still very close

The most important annual meeting of the World Economic Forum has begun in Davos, Switzerland. Traditional proceedings are currently under way, addressing economic issues with the participation of representatives of the world’s most prominent companies and government officials from various countries. In the second part, on February 5–6, a debate will be held on the topic “Peace in the Balkans.” The focus will be the economic dimension of establishing peace, rebuilding the devastated areas of the former Yugoslavia, discussing a long-term policy for creating lasting peace throughout the region, etc. Prime Minister Mr Aleksandër Meksi will also take part in the debate. The president, heads of government, and prominent figures in international politics have confirmed their participation. Prime Minister Meksi will hold a series of meetings with participating dignitaries. LORENC LIGORI

p. 4

Round table of 14 parties p. 2

to dictatorship, so for the time being they are finding it difficult to establish order in Albania p. 3

Former security agent claims “The Serbs continued to finance us” Attempts to buy off prosecutors, kidnappings of families to strike at the government, a crisis of dignity among the Albanian Socialists p. 2