Interview with PAD Assembly member, MP Afrim Jupi My position has already been made clear. I have never been, and absolutely am not now, in favor of a leftward move by the P.A.D. I have followed with concern several developments, such as: - Physical meetings between P.A.D. leaders and those of the P.S., including the latest meeting, so heavily publicized by you, which I could not have foreseen. - Numerous statements in which their drift to the left is plainly evident, and, moreover, their appearance in the propaganda of the Albanian left. - Unified positions with the P.S. in parliament, which I describe as moves that quite plainly run counter to the ideal on which the A.D. was founded yesterday, and to the political position of a not insignificant number of its members today. Read tomorrow in “RD”

The aims of the Red Front exposed “KJ”: “Early elections had been planned in the pre-election Pact for the Salvation of Democracy devised by the opposition...” “Ilir Meta joins the PD once again: ‘Only a destructive imagination can produce such destabilizing ideas’”

Early elections—a destabilization of the country If the Socialist Party wins the elections, it will immediately hold other early elections. These are statements by the socialist leader which, in recent days, have been given legal standing and particular emphasis by the left-wing press in Tirana. Regardless of whether the proposed elections are to be held a month or a year after the formation of the next parliament, their declaration in favor of new elections means keeping the country in a state of electoral tension. If one views the electoral period as a time of unnatural political activity, one can imagine what might happen in other areas of Albanian life. The blocking of legislative institutions such as parliament, keeping a government in limbo as it passes through the stages of the ’91 governments, and the regressions fueled by a policy that aims at careerism rather than reform would put Albania on an antisocial footing and cast doubt on its stability. What do early elections mean? The creation of the Red Front as a vanguard of the extreme-left alliance in the election campaign did not come about to develop parallel policies and alternatives for the Albanian left, but rather for the sake of personal interests in relation to politics in general and its recent developments in particular. There is no purer political grouping formed for the sake of the political careers of ten people who consider themselves important in Albanian politics. Victims of the law on genocide, former agents, collaborators and informers in the service of the Sigurimi have returned to their old territory. They created the Red Front so that, if they win the elections, they can change the laws that exclude them from politics and provoke early elections. Through this change, they would be able to return to politics and thus calmly continue Albania’s return to 1990. The mechanism by which this thesis has evolved is also perverse and aims to turn it from the goal of a group of compromised people into a routine political game for concocting conditional, hollow alliances. The first to make early elections a condition was the P.A.D.’s secretary general, Arben Imami. He said that the alliances of the Alliance could only be formed in cafés, apparently. He even added that this condition applied both to those on the right of their party and to those to their left. These words were spoken while he had Pëllumbi, Islami and Gjinushi in front of him. In other words, he was speaking neither with Shehu, nor Godo, nor Melo, nor any other party leader. The person facing him was not [unclear], and likewise there was no mention in the statements that, if the Red Front wins the first elections, early elections would definitely be held. There is no mystery in the fact that Imami made the proposal. His party is in no position to impose conditions on anyone, since it lacks an electorate. He made the proposal in order to obstruct this declaration as much as possible and place it in the context of alliances. This justification suited the socialists. At the same time, it also cloaks in words the other interlocutors’ anticipation of such a condition. Accepting this proposal as a condition would elevate it from a personal matter to a broader plan; it would turn it from the problem of compromised people into a political problem concerning an electorate’s choice, as something that concerns them too. Meanwhile, conversations at left-wing tables would be covered up once and for all by Imami’s conditional statement. Is this Imami’s own declaration? No. Imami’s declaration is not his own creation. It was concocted in Gramoz Ruçi’s office—or, one might say, in some room where ordinary criminals were being held. Imami has shown that he knows how to carry out orders. So he will carry this one out again, especially since this time the slice was a generous one for him too.

“RD,” the opposition newspaper, exposes the authors of these plans while claiming to have the good intention of justifying them. Here is what “KJ” writes: “Early elections had been planned in the pre-election Pact for the Salvation of Democracy, devised by the opposition,” whose authorship and leadership would be taken on by PAD. The so-called “pre-election Pact” about which “KJ” writes is nothing other than the already denounced Red Front of the genocidists. The latter’s plans to destabilize the country through repeated elections revealed, among other things, once again the division that exists between the two factions in the PS. Ilir Meta, deputy chairman of the PS, who recently stood up to the conservatives and forced them to approve a foreign policy in line with that of the democratic government, was the first to react to the genocidists’ plans. “Only a destructive imagination can produce such destabilizing ideas,” Meta said, thereby aligning himself on this point with the PD’s position as well. Following these statements, it became clear that there would be further clashes in the PS leadership. On one side are the genocidists, who have made repeat elections the Red Front’s objective and on this basis have also formed the coalition group with PSD; on the other are their now openly declared opponents. Who will emerge victorious here? Will Bënga once again reach out to Ruçi?

Photograph of several men seated around a table at a meeting.

A brief biography of the leaders of the Red Front p. 3

Three portrait photographs.

It is confirmed that the PSD branch in Saranda no longer exists p. 3

LDSH sets its electoral tactics The PS must be isolated Durollari: The issue that concerns us most is the danger of the former communists returning to power p. 3

8 March in the capital Last night, at the Tirana Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Democratic Women’s League, in cooperation with the Opera and Ballet Theatre, organized a festive concert evening to mark 8 March, International Women’s Day. Also present at this festive event were the Chairman of the Council of the People’s Assembly, Mr. Pjetër Arbnori, the Secretary General of the PD, Mr. Tritan Shehu, as well as government officials, MPs and other foreign guests. The children of the capital’s Children’s Cultural Center presented each of the mothers attending the event with a bouquet of flowers for this annual celebration. In addition, the gathering highlighted the hardships and suffering, as well as the discrimination faced by Albanian women under the communist dictatorship in Albania. Mrs. Gjuzi spoke about the transformation of Albanian women over the years of democracy, as well as women’s active participation in the country’s social and democratic life. The capital’s day concluded with a beautiful festive concert featuring songs and various orchestral and choral pieces. “RD” CORRESPONDENT

After the explosion in Durrës: The Mayor of Durrës, Mr. Tomorr Golemi, speaks “At 7:00 in the morning, the damage caused during the night by destabilizing forces was assessed. A special working group was set up at the municipality, and measures were taken to repair the damage. Work began at 9:00, with the installation of windowpanes in the residents’ homes, followed by those in the surrounding commercial premises. Together with the chairman and deputy chairman of the municipal council, we visited all the families and shopkeepers whose premises had been damaged by the explosion. Everyone expressed their anger at this terrorist act. Work continued yesterday until 9:30 p.m.; all the windowpanes in the homes had been installed, and today this process will be completed in the remaining premises as well. The municipal council’s finance committee has met and approved a fund of 100,000 lekë to cover the repair costs. The situation in Durrës is calm.” Z. LLESHI