The terror of Socialist leaders cannot halt democratic processes Interview with the chairman of the Korçë District Democratic Party, Mr. Bujar Isak The people of Korçë, with their Western culture, are connected to the Democratic Party and its alternatives The terror of Socialist leaders cannot halt democratic processes A Crown with Communism Interview with the chairman of the Korçë District Democratic Party, Mr. Bujar Isak The people of Korçë, with their Western culture, are connected to the Democratic Party and its alternatives p. 3

Interview with Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi I think Albanians are clear-headed enough to understand that the communists’ return to power would be a catastrophe—not merely for the Republic of Albania, but a national catastrophe and a destabilization of the Balkan Peninsula. Their return to power would mean a step backward in Albania’s history, the undoing of developments in economic and institutional reform in Albania, a decline in living standards, and a decline in democracy. Of course, they themselves, as individuals, would be better off than they are today. They would want to rule as they did until yesterday. But Albania would be the loser. I am deeply convinced of this. The previous 50 years of their rule and their destructiveness over these past 4 years have clearly demonstrated it. p. 3

. Messages hostile to the press and to freedom of speech are coming from the offices of the Albanian liberal democrats who call themselves alliance members. Neritan Ceka has also declared that after the elections there will be trials for opposition journalists. He reminds all journalists that as soon as he comes to power he will create files of their articles which, according to him, are enough to fill a court case file. This is not the first time he has issued open threats against opposition journalists and the press in general. When such threats come from a politician, the problem lies with the politician, not the journalists. Journalists know Neritan’s problems. They do nothing other than point them out whenever he presents himself as a man without problems. It is not the journalists’ fault that they often remind Neritan that he is being led; it is his fault that he cannot deal with his own problems. Politicians who threaten to jail journalists eventually reach a point where they are unnecessary even to newspapers. Apart from Ceka and Ruçi, no one else has called for journalists to be imprisoned, before or after the elections. Their position does not take much explaining, since the two of them are, for the most part, the most exposed in their own problems. Nevertheless, threats are among the things least suited to people of free speech. From whatever position such a threat is made against journalism, it is a blow against a wall. For years Neritani has watched with sadness the public image created for him by the weighing of his merits and abilities. His grudges, after the political defeat he has suffered, have made him pour out the truth onto newspapers, because the press weighs much more heavily than spent politicians. A fight with the press cannot establish anyone; on the contrary, the press, which also offers a broader arena for debate, creates more opportunities than spent politicians do. debate, creates opportunities for the rapid downfall of anyone who tries to silence it. The liberal democracy Ceka claims to belong to completely excludes autocracy. It remains for the first part of their political orientation to be valid only for the leaders of this party, who, despite having shown their true colors completely, still exploit their party’s liberalism—which also excludes morality—to wander through politics. There are no party leaders more morally and politically spent than most of the leaders of the PAD. Journalists whom they want jailed are not obliged to say these things every day. We will remind Ceka and his colleagues of them from time to time. Ceka will, of course, have the opportunity to add to the file, which could very well be used for Ceka’s trial and not at all for the trial of journalists. When such messages come from the tables of the left-wing opposition, no one has any reason to be surprised. They still owe a great deal to their bosses, who even today are going from one trial to another for the crimes they committed against the Albanian people. The leaders of the left had a different contract with them. Otherwise, it would not have been easy for Ceka to leave the excavations and immediately take his place in the front rank of the Democratic Party leadership. Everything had been carefully arranged, from the power of the leaders to the communists and their servants. Alia used them extensively, and, like anything used, eventually they are thrown away. This phenomenon was not applied to Ceka, the archaeologist-spelunker, but Ceka was used. He thinks he is able to use others again. The Red Front’s table will reveal itself completely. They intend to imprison journalists, shut down newspapers, open trials, and change laws. Their dream, even though it is dressed up as something achievable, shows that the power of the reds and their tools is founded on revenge.

Gjinushi has violated the PSD statute Interview with Fejzi Hyso, former chairman of the PSD in Sarandë Gjinushi has violated the PSD statute The Grassroots Against Gjinushi Interview with Fejzi Hyso, former chairman of the PSD in Sarandë Cooperation with the PS and campaigning together with the PS would be a fatal step for the branch, because it would turn it into a mere appendage and place it definitively on the PS’s stage. p. 2

Islam and Ceka decide It is still not entirely clear what position Kastrio Islami has taken in the PS at Nana’s instruction. On the surface he is the PS’s propaganda chief, but in practice he is the one conducting talks with N. Ceka on how to implement and bring about the coalition already agreed between the PS and PAD. According to a source from the PS’s KD, Ceka and PAD are conducting these talks, while a source from the PS assures us that Islami has not been authorized by that party’s leadership to discuss this coalition. Meanwhile, meetings between these two figures continue to take place out of public view. In the PAD’s press, where we prominently reported that PAD had asked for a coalition with the PS and listed its conditions, not a word has yet been said about Ceka’s talks with Islami. There may be various reasons why these talks are not being made public, but one thing is certain: keeping them secret is done only to cover up improper dealings. According to the same source from the PS’s KD, Ceka and Islami have also discussed the possibility of keeping the coalition secret, but this creates several technical problems for them, both in the way the campaign is conducted and in the number of voters at polling stations. The idea, as absurd as it is repeatedly raised, is that during the elections the PS would also put forward candidates in the constituencies considered to belong to PAD, while PS propaganda would support the PAD candidate. This is truly absurd, but such things are apparently discussed when politicians like Ceka and Islami get together. In any case, however hard they try to keep the coalition secret until the very last moment, the bomb will soon blow up in their hands.

Ceka’s conversation with Alia will be published soon Responsibility and moral ethics for the press and journalists are the truth. It is not, and can never be, macabre cruelty and irresponsibility, as the PAD describes it in its statement yesterday. Such is the truth only for those who have deceived Albanians for fifty years, for those who massacred, terrorized and executed them, and shut them up in concentration camps. It is in no way the fault of the newspaper “RD” and its journalists that Neritan Ceka turned his home into a trap for Albanian intellectuals. It is not “RD”, but Astrit Qorri and Jamarbër Marko, and the record of their deeds, that accuse the late president of the “PAD”, Ceka, Imani and Zogaj. Naturally, it is not “RD”’s fault that Albanians wanted the truth, just as “Albania” is not at fault for publishing Idriz Basha’s conversation with Ramiz Alia, this “patriotialecianist”. But the PAD leaders must understand one thing: soon Ceka’s secret conversation with Ramiz Alia on December 4, 1991, will be published. It took place before President Berisha arrived there, and will show Albanians the true face of this politician, who still hides behind masks and makeup and shamelessly threatens and insults others. We remind Ceka that his dirty games have come to an end.

Greek foreign minister says “I would say the Albanians were less fortunate than we were. Now that things have changed, it is our obligation to achieve close cooperation.” Greek Foreign Minister Pangalos told Radio Deutsche Welle that the visit of the Greek president to Tirana had been in preparation for some time. Talks had been taking place to prepare the ground, and concrete conclusions had been reached. The atmosphere is very good. In this context, I believe that the Greek minority in Albania will also secure better conditions for protecting its rights and for its development and prosperity. We show particular sensitivity to the problems of the minority, but we are friends with the entire Albanian people, Pangalos emphasized, noting that my aim is for us to have close, friendly and cooperative relations, something our own history obliges us to pursue. The two peoples lived and fought together at important moments in history. We and the Albanians are deeply committed to independence and freedom. Both of us have experienced great privations, but I would say the Albanians were less fortunate than we were. Now that things have changed, it is our obligation to achieve close cooperation, Greek Foreign Minister Pangalos emphasized.

“We are the center,” Bushati and Melo have distanced themselves even further from the far-left grouping of PS-PSD-PAD, whose members also declare themselves to be “centrist.” Meetings between the leader of the Christian Democrats and the leader of the PBDNJ have established closer cooperation between their parties, rejecting the invitations made by the far left to join the “Red Front.” Statements by the heads of the PSD and PAD about cooperating with the PS have led to Melo of the PBDNJ withholding his approval. He also did not attend the secret meetings of these leaders to draw up the “Red Front” strategy. Meanwhile, these meetings have provoked sharp reactions from other PSD-PAD leaders who have opposed cooperation with the PS. “The PAD leaders have betrayed the left. Their united positions with the PS run counter to the ideal on which the PAD was founded,” Afrim Jupi, a member of the PAD Assembly and an MP, said in an interview with “RD.” Earlier, for the same reasons, Dr. Albert Karrqi, one of the party’s founders, had also resigned from the PAD Assembly. “Gjinushi has violated the PSD’s statute. Cooperation with the PS is a backward step for social democracy because it turns the PSD into an appendage of the PS,” said Fejzi Hyso, former head of the PSD branch in Saranda, explaining in an interview with “TD” the reasons that led to the dismissal of the PSD branch in Saranda. According to him, 23 of the 25 members of the council signed in favor of dismissing the branch. On the other hand, the PSD and PAD’s cooperation with the PS has also been a “political blow” against reformist elements in the PS, who in turn accuse the head of the PS of being a conservative upholder of the communist principles of Marxist philosophy. Reformers within the PS have found the support and backing of various progressive politicians and forces, but at the same time they say that declared Marxists may unite with “reformed” Marxists.

The conversation between Ceka and Alia will be published soon

The Greek foreign minister declares