Interview with Mr. Tomor Dosti, Deputy Chairman of the DP This Assembly will finally denounce the failed attempts of the Red Front, whose ranks contain only political charlatans, and hold them accountable for the harm they caused to the aspirations of a people p. 4

The Presidency of the Democratic Party informs all delegates elected to the Third National Assembly, which will be held on 4–5 April 1996 at the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Tirana, that delegate registration at the Assembly Secretariat will begin at 7:30, while proceedings will begin at 9:00. The Presidency of the Democratic Party also informs the Albanian public that the DP today has 39 branches throughout the Albanian geographic area, with more than 120,000 members.

Ensuring another four years of government by the Democratic Party also guarantees continuity in economic reform and the fulfilment of people’s democratic aspirations. Governing under the Democratic Party means that the rule of law and freedom in all their progressive forms govern. The most essential element underpinning this definition is the record of the reform’s results and, above all, its speed. The aforementioned element—speed—is also more difficult to achieve during a period of transition. However, the Democratic Party government achieved the appropriate parameters, which are considerable in scale. Their further integration is a matter for the future. Over the past four years, the Democratic Party’s programme has best reconciled these two functions: the speed and the scale of reform. There were some differences between the two, but speed was always favoured, while continuity was maintained amid the turbulence of the transition’s various directions. Attention to speed may have led to social problems to some extent, but this has been and will continue to be temporary, since speed acts on social problems at the same pace as it acts on reform. ... The struggle to maintain the speed of development is one of the greatest priorities for the next four years, without forgetting to make this speed socially inclusive. In four years, thousands of farmers and citizens gained ownership, and the economy was privatized on a wide scale. Unemployment figures fell rapidly, just as the privatization process and the bringing of small and large businesses into efficient operation proceeded rapidly. Demands for better wages kept pace, and people also continued to ask for greater comfort. Demands that could not even be imagined in ’90 became normal in ’94, ’95, and now. Speed was thus validated by the results, and its continuation will have consequences. A possible slowdown in the pace of progress would mean slowing the fulfilment of needs and departing from the necessary nature of carrying out the transition. The measures taken so far, which also aim to resolve accumulated social problems or those that may arise, inevitably lead to periodic clashes between people and the architects of reform—that is, the government. Because the transition is harsh and the pace of overcoming it slow, the ways of overcoming it become constrained. Had the rapid privatization of small and medium-sized enterprises not been carried out, followed by the creation of large joint-stock companies; had ownership not been transferred rapidly and fairly, the unemployment registered in 1992 would, four years later, have become a boomerang for any government. Nor would there be fair relations between wage increases and demands for further increases, and consequently for fulfilling individuals’ demands and accommodating new ones. By maintaining the speed of development, and possibly increasing it, the Democratic Party aims to carry out reform with as little pain as possible and in as short a time as possible, while also integrating people into society as quickly as possible. To speak of the speed of development is the same as speaking of people’s well-being. If it maintains the current pace of growth, the Democratic Party can promise that the pace of well-being growth already achieved will be maintained. If the speed of development declines, the level of well-being will decline or stagnate. The latter is what the Socialist Party advocates: it does not want the social effects of speed, but that would mean living alongside a social boomerang affecting the entire society.

The 2 April events are commemorated Shkodra, Rozafa of freedom President Berisha’s speech Five years ago, on the evening of 2 April 1991, Shkodra, the city of our national eternity, experienced one of the darkest and bloodiest days in its entire history: the massacre of Red terror, the second Timișoara at the hands of the communist cliques of Eastern Europe. On this fifth anniversary, Shkodra, all Albania and the Albanian nation honour and bow in profound respect before the shining deeds of this city’s martyred sons, Arben Broci, Nazmi Kryeziu, Besnik Cekës, Bujar Beshanaku! The day they fell, Shkodra was overcome by immense pain and grief, and all Albania was plunged into deep mourning. But we are all certain that today they live as angels in our free sky! They fell on 2 April in order to remain forever alive in the spirit and hearts of all those for whom freedom and its values are sacred! Today they rest in their beloved Shkodra, their free Shkodra, for which they fought with their youth, dreams, hopes and loves! But they also rest, and will always rest, in the depths of our hearts; they have, and will always have, a warm nest in the dreams and hopes of Albanian youth! Eternal honour to the martyrs of Shkodra, the heroes of democracy! The Shkodra massacre was the macabre act devised by Ramiz Alia’s clique to subjugate and frighten Shkodra. But all Shkodra poured into the streets, filled the city’s roads and squares, charged at the tanks, the armoured vehicles and the dictatorship’s machine guns—and won! Long live Shkodra, the Rozafa of Albanian freedom! Eternal honour to the sacrifices of this people, made throughout all times for freedom, dignity and the national flag! The masterminds, organizers and perpetrators of the Shkodra massacre have changed their colours today. They have taken on the colour of rust, but we are convinced that Albanians will never trust them again! Let them change their colours, but the stain of crime will follow them all their lives. Albanian justice will speak its word, unwaveringly, on the Shkodra massacre and the genocide of all Albania. Five years have passed. Today, the martyrs of democracy experience the great National Rebirth together with us. In five years, their dreams and hopes have largely been fulfilled and are continuing to be fulfilled. Today Shkodra and Albania have been reborn; they have been reborn in freedom! Today we have left ideological and class enmities behind us! Today we are building an economy on the basis of intelligence, initiative, courage and hope! Today we are in step with those countries with which centuries and friendships have bound us! We are a Western country, and we will remain so forever! On this fifth anniversary, the organizers of the Shkodra massacre have declared the dismantling of the values of democracy and the destruction of Albanian democracy to be their strategy and campaign. We tell the adventurers: nobody will ever believe you again! You, who celebrated undeserved victories with the blood of young Albanians, can never come to power again! With their free vote, after the coming elections, the Albanian people will determine your final dispersal! After proclaiming the destruction of the values of democracy, the organizers of the massacre called on Albanians: “With us and Marxism, forward to the year 2000.” But for Albanians, Marx was and will remain the most criminal philosopher of all time, a monster and an embodiment of human barbarity! Albanians are determined to trust one another, to trust freedom, to trust their families, and to trust Albania! Once again, eternal honour to the Martyrs of Shkodra! Honour to the people of Shkodra who, in every era, fought, fell and struggled for a free Albania, for human dignity, for our flag and for our great cause!

President Berisha received U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry After conveying President Clinton’s greetings to President Berisha, Secretary Perry said that the United States recognizes Albania’s clear progress in building the rule of law and a market economy—progress that no one would have believed possible just a few years ago.

In the recent history of our people, the history of the struggle against the Albanian communist dictatorship, April 2, 1991, will long be remembered as the bloody day of Albanian loss of memory. This day of remembrance, bloodied as it was, will also long remain so for the anti-communist people of Shkodër, who fought this dictatorship for many years. Five years have passed since that day, yet the wounds are still bleeding for the relatives of those killed and for the dozens of wounded who continue to suffer the consequences. It was the second day of April ’91, the second day of spring that they tried to stop (Continued on page 3)

The Albanians are, and will remain, grateful to Secretary Perry; they will be proud of him for his valuable contribution to the successful cooperation between the Albanian and American armies, as well as within the framework of the Partnership for Peace Address by President Berisha on the occasion of presenting the Order of Skanderbeg to U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry P. 2

American military aid for Albania P. 2