At the invitation of the Executive Secretary of the European Democratic Union, Alois Mok, and the Prime Minister of France, Alen Zhype, President of the Republic Sali Berisha left for France. He will take part in the proceedings of EDU, an organization bringing together the largest parties of the countries of Western Europe. The delegation also includes the Secretary General of the DP, Tritan Shehu.

The visit of Greek President Stefanopullos to Tirana is a historic visit, President Berisha said at the DP gathering in Tepelenë last Sunday, responding to a question from one of the participants. The President described relations between Albania and Greece as very good and said that the further development of these relations was very important for both our countries. The visit by Greek President Stefanopullos, the President said, is taking place in the warm and friendly atmosphere that exists between the two countries and will serve to promote closer cooperation and expand relations in all areas, to the benefit of our two neighboring and friendly countries. A.J.

Remarks by President Berisha, delivered at the DP gathering in Tepelenë It is a particular honor and pleasure for me to take part in and address the DP gathering in Tepelenë, its 1,950 members and all its supporters. But I take this opportunity to warmly greet all the noble residents of this district, as well as its sons and daughters wherever they may be. The DP gatherings, which will culminate in the National Convention of the DP, are important forums for me and for all the leaders, members and supporters of the DP to conduct a thorough analysis of our four years of work implementing our program: the achievements of this work, the difficulties, the mistakes and ways to correct them. But above all, our gatherings must be a genuine platform for open dialogue for all of us, at the level of the section, village, neighborhood, municipality and district, with the entire Albanian electorate—with everyone who voted for and implemented our electoral program—in order to assess together how this program has been carried out; what the main concerns of today’s electorate are; and what major objectives the electorate would ask the DP to achieve. At the DP gathering in Tepelenë, I state proudly and with my head held high that the DP has implemented its electoral program and fulfilled its promises. I consider this a historic, moral victory for the DP, because I am convinced that fulfilling and carrying out promises is of vital importance to the credibility and seriousness of a person or a political force. [The electorate] fully supported us in our historic victory. Human freedoms and rights are guaranteed by law and exercised in practice. We promised in our program to further decentralize this power and, above all, its financial resources in its favor. We are convinced that only in this way will we implement a successful policy for the country’s regional development. We promised the Albanian electorate that we would establish law and order and public peace at a time when the country was plunged into chaos and anarchy. Our mothers and sisters could not go out in the streets of the cities in the evenings or at night, while a wave of looting and break-ins at food warehouses and even arms depots was reported almost every day. Terrorists’ gunfire dominated both night and day. Crime had reached one of the highest levels in Europe. In a short time, we succeeded in restoring law and order and peace. Today Albania has the lowest crime rate in all of Eastern Europe and one of the highest clearance rates. Over these four years, crime in the district of Tepelenë has fallen by around 50%, and in Albania by 45%. All these results were achieved while confronting crimes and criminal acts previously unknown to law-enforcement forces, committed by experts in crime and destabilization who, during 1991, terrorized the country and committed heinous crimes in Albania. We are determined to improve the fight against crime and criminality in general in the future, both by improving legislation and by training law-enforcement forces, always bearing in mind the full respect and protection of citizens’ rights, their lives, property, work and activities. Recently, terrorist elements of the former Albanian secret police, incited and [Text begins mid-word:] ...ation of the entire Albanian electorate, with all those who voted for and implemented our electoral program, to jointly assess concerns of today’s electorate are; achieve at the level of a section, village, commune, neighborhood or municipality, and nationwide, in its new electoral program. Such an open and fully transparent approach toward voters is necessary, first, to express our gratitude to them for the trust and support they gave us, and for each person’s role and contribution to the success of the reforms; second, to objectively assess the achievements made in Albania over these four years through the implementation of the DP program; and third, to identify and establish as priorities in the new program the most important demands of the Albanian electorate. In an overall assessment that never ignores defects, shortcomings and mistakes, today, after four years, every DP member, supporter or voter, while refusing to let the truth be obscured by difficulties and complaints, can (Continued on page 3)

Opposition leader Zoran Gjinjiç accuses President Slobodan Milosheviç Tirana: Once again, allegations have been made that communists, including Albanian communists, are being financed by Serbia. But this time they have come from the capital of Serbia itself, Belgrade. Yesterday, around 20,000 people in central Belgrade began a demonstration against the socialist (formerly communist) regime of Serbian President Slobodan Milosheviç. It was organized by Zoran Gjinjiç’s Democratic Party (DS), the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) of writer Vuk Drashkoviç, and Vesën Pesici’s Civic Alliance (GSS). It was at this rally, organized on the fifth anniversary of the major demonstration that was violently suppressed in 1991, that allegations were once again made that the Serbian government was financing communists. And it was Gjinjiç, chairman of the Democratic Party, who in his speech, according to the Italian news agency ANSA, accused the Milosheviç regime of financing groups in Albania, Bulgaria and Russia with the aim of bringing communism back to power. The news that communists and socialists in Albania were being financed by Belgrade was put forward two months ago by the Press Office of the Italian Zanoni, sparking a heated controversy in the press at the time among political forces. The Democratic Party in power directly accused the largest opposition party, the Socialist Party, in its own press of receiving illicit financing from Serbia. Meanwhile, the leaders of the Albanian Socialists categorically denied receiving money from Belgrade. But the false accusation is pushed even further back in time, although it has the same author, Zoran Gjinjiç. Almost a year ago, he had demanded an accounting in the Serbian parliament for the large sums of dollars that had also been sent to Albania. (Photo: REUTERS) From the rally in Belgrade Reprinted from “Gazeta Shqiptare” According to the Italian news agency ANSA, [he/she] has accused Milošević’s regime of financing [something] in Albania, Meanwhile, the leaders of From the rally in Belgrade (Photo: REUTERS)

Statement by the Journalists’ Association

In this brief overview, I do not intend to present a list of all our achievements, but I will focus on those achievements that transformed Albania from a dictatorship into a state governed by the rule of law and a market economy. Thus, in the DP’s electoral program of 22 March 1992, we pledged to the Albanian electorate that, with the free vote, we would overthrow the half-century-long rule of the PPSH, which had just changed its name, and we fulfilled this pledge, securing the greatest victory of democratic forces in the country that had endured the harshest dictatorship. On 22 March, Tepelenë

In our program we promised human freedoms and rights, and today they are guaranteed by law and exercised in practice. Hundreds of private newspapers and magazines are published in Albania today; people believe what they choose, and individual free enterprise has become a powerful driver of development in Tepelenë and throughout the country. We pledged to the Albanian electorate that we would hold free local elections, and we succeeded in making Albania, for the first time, a country with central and local governments elected by free vote. We established this government on an entirely new legal foundation. For two years, the [Kretët] representatives tried to obstruct its functioning and even declared that they would boycott it, but they failed. In our next electoral program, we aim for greater autonomy and our historic…

(Photo: REUTERS) Reprinted from “Gazeta Shqiptare”

The Executive Board of the Journalists’ Association, which met yesterday morning, discussed the incident that occurred yesterday involving the newspaper “Tribuna”. The Board strongly condemns the terrorist act of seizing the newspaper “Tribuna” from the main press sales outlet in Tirana and calls on the competent authorities to take measures to apprehend and punish those responsible. The newspaper was seized at 9 in the morning and, as it has been possible to establish, this was a criminal act connected with an article about one of the leading figures of the Socialist Party, Servet Pëllumbi. In this article, the newspaper once again repeated what Servet Pëllumbi himself had stated in an interview about his dubious writing. On Sunday as well, late at night, a group of four people approached the offices of the newspaper “Tribuna” and attempted to cover its walls with unconstitutional slogans. They were equipped with paint sprayers and other protective equipment. The intervention of the building’s guard was needed to make them leave. The Journalists’ Association notes with concern that pressure and attacks by the extreme left against the democratic press have been increasing. Such attacks had also been predicted some time ago by one of the leaders of the Alliance Party, Neritan Ceka. The network of former Sigurimi collaborators and the highest leadership structures of the Red Front have recently launched attacks against the newspapers “Albania” and “Rilindja Demokratike”, and have also pressured journalists working at these newspapers. The Journalists’ Association also notes that such attacks on the free press are becoming more aggressive as election day draws closer, and that they originate with the former secret police and the Enverists installed in the leadership of the Socialist Party. On this occasion, the Journalists’ Association appeals to all democratic institutions, at home and abroad, concerned with protecting freedom of speech, to exert pressure against these vandalistic attacks by the extreme left.

The activity of the Democratic Party branch in Tepelena The President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, took part yesterday in this gathering of the Democratic Party in the Tepelena district. The gathering was opened by Sokrat Ceka, chairman of the Democratic Party in the Tepelena district, who reviewed the work of this branch. Since its establishment, this branch has demonstrated the democratic and patriotic mobilization of the people in this area, who did not yield to the violence and pressure of the Communists. Turning to the area’s economic development, Mr Ceka emphasized that Tepelena has secured USD 4.5 million in investments in education, healthcare, technology, infrastructure, etc. Everyone acknowledges that we are living better than four years ago and is aware that this is thanks to the Democratic Party. The Secretary General of the DPA, Mr Tritan Shehu, reviewing the country’s development at a very important moment when this gathering was held, namely the elections to the National Congress of the Democratic Party and the election of its chairman, emphasized that our work to date has made democratic investments in all its structures. Our work must focus on the full effectiveness of the sections and strengthening their role. The work calls for greater responsibility, and it is right and necessary to strive to see our distribution [text incomplete] The gathering of the Democratic Party branch in Tepelena.

the worldwide [text begins mid-sentence], the adoption of hundreds of laws in line with international standards, as well as the establishment and functioning of democratic institutions and the functioning of the rule of law, are the unquestionable guarantee of our victory, Shehu emphasized in his speech at this gathering. After speaking about the struggle and principles upheld by the opposition, which, completely lacking alternatives and gripped by a severe crisis, has chosen slander, insults, outright denial and open threats of skull-breaking and civil war as its only course, he spoke of the need for a total mobilization of the DP structures to organize and conduct a proper, peaceful and civilized campaign, as befits true Democrats. The President of the Republic, Mr Sali Berisha, also spoke at this gathering and delivered an important address. Those present asked a number of questions, which were answered by President Berisha, Mr Tritan Shehu and the deputy for this area. Finally, the gathering, held in the sports palace of the National Congress of the DPA, concluded on April 4 of this year. [Text fragment:] explained the achievements, which are more valuable than spectacular, Mr Shehu said. Our alternative is constructive; we are committed to developing and deepening economic reform, as well as to the major steps we have taken and will take toward our country’s integration into European structures.

Gjinushi presents Bushati with the resolution drafted by the PAD and PSD Yesterday the leader of the Christian Democrats, Bushati, met with the head of the PSD, Gjinushi, to discuss the political situation and possible pre-election alliances that could be formed. On this issue, Gjinushi also presented Bushati with a resolution drafted by the PAD and PSD, which sets out ways that could lead to an expansion of the PAD-PSD alliance, which Gjinushi has again announced will cooperate with the PS. “The PSD-PAD resolution does not suit the Christian Democrats. That resolution finds support among the left-wing electorate and does not consider the support that could be provided by the right,” the Christian Democrat leader Bushati reportedly told “RD”. He emphasized that the PDK belongs to the center of the Albanian political spectrum and that its positions continue to belong to the center-right, without looking toward the center-left. The leader of the Christian Democrats has rejected every option offered to his party for pre-election cooperation with the PS. As for the PSD-PS cooperation recently announced by Gjinushi, Bushati sees it as a move away from the center and a shift to the left, giving the center an entirely left-wing coloring. “I don’t know how harsh the left-wing electorate’s response will be if parties that have declared themselves centrist are proposed as standing with the Albanian left, as Bushati seeks to do, grouping under the name of the center on the left-hand side in order to strike at the right,” Bushati said, adding that his stance would face opposition from the Christian Democrats, who might agree to a political compromise on an alternative when the people are shown a new alternative away from the extreme left. The leader of the Christian Democrats has also found support from the leader of the PPDNJ, Melo, who likewise spoke out against the creation of a grouping of centrist political parties to fight against a particular political force, both at his party’s congress and in discussions with Bushati. “On the fundamental principles of the political situation,” Bushati stated at the meeting held at Melo’s [location/text unclear]. ILED KASMI