Yesterday the National Assembly of the DP observed a minute of silence in honor of the memory of Ron Braun, Secretary of State for Commerce of the USA, who lost his life in an air disaster in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Ron Braun, this great missionary of peace and freedom and distinguished statesman, a great friend of Albania and the Albanians, as well as of the people of the Balkans, was leading a mission to help eliminate the consequences of the war. Yesterday President Berisha also expressed his condolences for the tragic loss of this distinguished personality and friend of Albania, in a telegram addressed to the Government of the USA and President Klinton.

On 8 April in Tirana The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will visit Albania. Europe, Leni Fisher, will visit Albania from 8 to 11 April, the press service of the Council of Europe announced. On the first day of her visit, Ms. Fisher will meet with the Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Mr. Pjetër Arbnori, and on the second day she will meet President Sali Berisha. She will also hold meetings with Foreign Minister Alfred Serreqi and Justice Minister Hektor Frashëri. The talks will focus on Albania’s assistance in maintaining stability in the Balkans, as well as on the role of the Council of Europe in consolidating progress in democracy, the rule of law and human rights in Central and Eastern Europe. Ms. Fisher will also visit several cities in Albania. This is Ms. Fisher’s third official visit to Albania.

Speech by President Berisha at the Third Congress of the Democratic Party Third National Congress Tirana, 4 April 1996 [Photo: Third National Congress] this Congress as a renewed party. In the elections it held last year, it renewed more than 60% of its leaders at every level; women and girls were elected to more than 25% of leadership positions, and it doubled the proportion of young people in its leadership forums. The renewal of the Democratic Party, and the engagement in its structures at every level of the most capable, reputable and committed people, is a fundamental condition for it to remain a party of the future. In this process, it demonstrates its determination to change Albania by changing itself. The Democratic Party opens the way to progress for Albania At this Congress, we are gathering on the eve of the new elections of 1996, confident of our coming victory. The new reality we have created through the implementation of our program has led Albanians to entrust the Democratic Party with governing the country. [text cut off] promise a perfect democracy like that of Western countries with traditions of decades or even centuries, but in this year, just as we promised in our program, we have built the rule-of-law state, its institutions and laws, without which democracy cannot exist. Today, we can proudly confirm that March 22 opened the gate to freedom and that, after four years of uninterrupted development of democracy in Albania, the great gate of democracy is open to us all. I am certain that with our free vote we will keep the gate of democracy open, continue along the road we began, and no longer allow socialism, which we threw out through the door, to come back in through the window. In these four years of Democratic Party government, the Albanian parliament replaced all the laws and codes of the communist regime with new laws and codes based on the Western model. The new constitutional laws leave no legislative gaps, separate the powers, and guarantee freedoms and rights [text cut off] - We will accelerate the full privatization of the economy through securities. - Within two years, we will privatize the banks, mines, oil, hydroelectric power plants and telecommunications. - We will establish an entire system of private banks. - Next month, we will open the stock exchange in Albania. - We will encourage the development and consolidation of small businesses. - We will welcome and fully respect medium-sized and large businesses. - Tax cuts are a prerequisite for increasing individual prosperity. The second half of this year will be accompanied by tax cuts. the path of progress

Speech by the Secretary General of the DPA, Pr. Dr. Tritan Shehu . The DP’s alternative, an alternative for the future. [Photo] The DP succeeded in being identified as the party of the future because of what it has achieved and what it offers. It came to be identified as such because it made everyone’s aspirations a reality; therefore, our victory will once again be everyone’s victory. The DP also succeeded in being identified as a party of Europe, not only because it became fully integrated into the structures of European politics, but also because it is the locomotive integrating Albania completely into the station of [text cut off] long aspired to by Albanians: Europe. P. 2 At the afternoon session, which began at 17:00 and was chaired by Mr. Ylli Vejsiu, the first to speak was Mr. Aleksandër Meksi, who presented the government’s work over the past four years and outlined the objectives to be achieved in the future. The Congress was greeted by Mirsaid Qenan, Secretary General of “Democratic Action” of Bosnia; Vasil Melo, chairman of the Human Rights Party; Liam A. Lausier, deputy of “F. Fail,” Ireland; Pieter Arbnori; Teodor Laço; Aleksandër Popescu, chairman of the Romanian FPCD; Ali Spahia; Mark Krasniqi; Besnik Gjonejçaj; Zef Bushati; Arber Haferri; Mr. Rona Pati of Lezhë; and Mr. Albert Karriqi. We are publishing the further speeches in full in sections, perhaps in the next issue of the newspaper. The Congress continues its proceedings in

The Democratic Party comes to its national Congress stronger and more trusted than ever in its mission, as Albania’s leading political force. It has been a special honor for me to greet the Third Congress of the Democratic Party, all its members and supporters in Albania and wherever they may be, the friends and guests of this Congress, the representatives of European parties and those of Albanian parties present in this hall. The Democratic Party comes to this Congress as a party of our future and of democracy, of the Albanian nation and Albania, as a party of the year 2000. It comes to the National Congress as the political force that prevented fratricide, overthrew the most brutal communist dictatorship through the free vote, and achieved the greatest historic victory in former communist Europe. The Democratic Party comes to its third Congress having honorably fulfilled its historic contract with the Albanians and Albania: the contract to build the rule-of-law state and the market economy, to integrate the country into Europe, and to revive national values. The Democratic Party comes to its third Congress integrated into Europe, as a member of the Christian Democratic Union and the European Democratic Union, groupings of the parties of Cursill, De Goli, Adenauer and De Gasperi, which built and develop the most Western democracies. Its leadership has [unclear] a major place in its history and in the history of Albanians in this century. In the Democratic Party’s integration into Europe and in all its fields, the Christian Democratic Union and Chancellor Kohl, the Republican Union and President Shirak, the Conservative Party and Prime Minister Major, the Austrian People’s Party and Mr. Alois Mock, the Italian Christian Democratic Party, Greece’s New Democracy Party and many other parties have provided great assistance. But we too, through our loyalty to the values of freedom, the universal values that unite the Albanian nation with the great Western nations of Europe, have honored our friends and are determined to continue honoring them. On your behalf, let us express our deep gratitude to all those who contributed to the Democratic Party’s great achievements at the end of this century. Over these years it managed to defend its ideals, to contend with the macabre legacy of the Orwellian dictatorship and the red fundamentalism of the PPSH, which at its 10th Congress modernized the PS, and to meet the great challenges successfully. This was above all because, throughout its life, it faithfully upheld democratic rules, practices and norms. Through the free vote it successfully overcame attacks by extremists of every color and by those elements who joined this party with the sinister mission of forming a coalition with the PPSH, [unclear], perpetuating its power and bringing about the gradual death of Albanian democracy. We told these careerists that anyone who in fact pursues the ideals of a coalition with the PPSH under the name of the Democratic Party commits high treason against democracy and its values, a destructive act against our future and that of the country as a whole. An alliance with the PS would entail keeping the PPSH in power and carrying its crimes into the year 2000. The PPSH under a new name is the party of the harshest dictatorship Europe has known in its history. This party bears responsibility for the genocide of 400,000 Albanians, hyper-collectivization, the construction of bunkers and the country’s isolation, the Black Year of 1991, and macabre acts that have never been denounced by the self-proclaimed socialists. Its 12th Congress proved that the PS cannot be reformed. On the historic day of Albania’s victory over communism, which the youth and the entire Albanian electorate celebrated together with Albania’s most distinguished artists, they convened their Congress to mourn the death of dictatorship in Albania and establish the red front. At this Congress, whose first phase may be considered the phase of their agony, the red fundamentalists declared the rule-of-law state and the market economy to be anti-values to be abandoned. At the Congress, the socialist leader did not sing the Internationale. There was only one simple reason: the Internationale they always celebrate is “Long live Enver Hoxha.” This time, in order to make their renewal more believable, the Enverists even changed their color from red to rust, while keeping Enver and Marks in their program. With the rust-colored paint they use to spruce up their 12th Congress, they cannot fool anyone. Albanians know well that “you can change the coat, but not the habit”; they know that they are thoroughly discredited, and that their inevitable end will come after the elections. The Democratic Party comes to its third National Congress with [text missing] end will come after the elections. the powers, and guarantee human freedoms and rights, and the independence of the judiciary. The Charter of Freedoms and Human Rights has been recognized as one of the finest in current legislation. Likewise, [text cut off] …see the Democratic Party as an act destructive to democracy and its values, and to The alliance with the PS paves the way for the PPSH to remain in power and for crime to be carried into the 2000s. denounced by the self-proclaimed socialists. Its 12th Congress demonstrated that the PS cannot be reformed. On the day of Albania’s historic their Congress to mourn the death of the dictatorship in Albania and to fundamentalists declared the rule of law and the market economy to be anti-values to be cast off. At the Congress, the socialist leader did not actually sing the Internationale, for the sole and simple reason that their own anthem, with which Marx in their program. With the rust-colored paint with which they have daubed the “you can change a wolf’s coat, but not its nature”; they know that they have been thoroughly exposed, and that their dispersal after the elections will be their inevitable end. democracy and its values, an act destructive to Today, after four years, Albania—the ugliest example of communist dictatorship—is regarded as a country of unexpectedly successful reforms. The country where freedoms and rights were prohibited now has a modern standard of individual and minority freedoms and rights. Freedom of thought and expression, of religion and movement, and free enterprise are the true drivers of all our achievements. The Democratic Party in Albania was founded as a party of human freedoms and rights, and it will always remain so. Naturally, in such a short time no one can… in such a short time, no one can [the source text is garbled here] the new Criminal Code and Civil Code, the Codes of Criminal and Civil Procedure, the Labour Code and many other codes, the laws on privatization, concessions, the purchase and sale of land, banks, and a series of other market-economy laws. Throughout this historic process, the deputies of the Democratic Party made a fundamental contribution, and therefore, on your behalf, I express my deepest gratitude to them. In our electoral program, we committed ourselves to making efforts to draft a constitution. True to our commitment, we submitted the draft to parliament in June 1993, but the left-wing opposition abandoned parliament for four months. Therefore, in order to give the country a constitution, we decided to appeal to the people. In organizing the referendum, the Democratic Party demonstrated weakness (continued on page 3)

Yesterday morning, the Third National Congress of the PDSH began its proceedings in the hall of the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Tirana. The proceedings of yesterday’s session were opened by Mr. Tritan Shehu, Secretary General of the PD, who briefed those present on the Congress’s working procedures and on the participation of numerous delegations and distinguished figures from the CDU and CDU, as well as other parties from the European right-wing spectrum, among them Ibrahim Rugova, and then gave the floor to the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha. In his speech, President Berisha presented the country’s future development plan and its most prominent aspects, areas in which Albanian Democrats in particular will seek to make progress. The morning session continued with greetings from several foreign delegations, including that of Mr. Alois Mock, president of the European Democratic Union, who strongly attacked the Socialist Party as the heir to the communist dictatorship, whose crimes, he said, its members had never condemned. Mr. Mock concluded his greeting in a triumphant tone for the PD, stressing that “President Berisha’s and the PD’s policies enjoy Europe’s support.” 2. Mr. Pierre Lelouche, member of parliament and adviser to French President Chirac, emphasized that, speaking on behalf of the French President, he assured them of his support for the coming victory of the PD and Berisha. 2. Claus Franke, chairman of the Defence Committee, member of the German Bundestag and CDU deputy, said on behalf…

p. 2