Yesterday afternoon, the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, received former German President Richard Fon Vaiceker. President Berisha expressed his satisfaction with the visit by President Fon Vaiceker, a distinguished friend of the Albanians and Albania. Speaking about relations between the two countries, President Berisha emphasized that they are very good. President Vaiceker said that he admired President Berisha’s determination and efforts to put Albania on the path to democracy and integration into Europe. “I congratulate you,” he continued, “because in a short time Albania has attracted everyone’s attention with what it has achieved.” Regarding the law on genocide, President Vaiceker said that it is essential to take into account not only current human rights, but also the rights of those who were unjustly convicted in the past. In East Germany, too, injustices occurred because of a regime based on persecution and spying; for us as well, this is a serious problem inherited from the period of East Germany. President Vaiceker assured President Berisha that Germany supports Albania both in its bilateral relations and in its integration into the European Union and NATO.

. In an interview given yesterday to the newspaper “Koha Jonë,” PSD Secretary General Paskal Milo verifies the moment of the unification of the Center Policy and the Socialist Party. He presents the post-socialist cooperation as cooperation to create political balances, and claims that this quality of alliance-building can be extended across the entire Albanian political spectrum. Thus, according to him, Albania’s political balance can come from a supposedly worthy cooperation, recently verified within the parameters of a regime, between the two “Center” parties and the left. The thesis of creating political balance immediately falls apart, since one cannot take the role of a candidate while resting on one side of it. Milo himself said this shortly before in an interview, stating that we have a tradition of cooperation with the SP during the period when parliament was functioning. On this occasion, the Social Democratic leader cites all the most negative moments in the writing of the opposition by the SP parliamentary speaker, the PSD, and the independent deputies aligned with the PAD. Thus, the entire joint activity between the left-wing parties has intensified in a linear way, in the interests of a left-wing bloc in Albania and not at all in the interests of a balance in the country between two political fronts. Cooperation among the politicians of the three left-wing parties has consisted of opposition to the most important laws approved by the Albanian parliament as part of the reform. These were the moments of political individuality when each party could express, through its options, the characteristics of its own party program. The fact is that in the last years of parliament’s functioning—that is, for most of its term—the parties of the Center failed to do this in their own interests, but instead acted in the interests of the left represented by the Socialist Party. Thus, while there was a degree of constructive engagement over the law on human rights and opposition elements in parliament distinguished themselves during the vote, in other laws, such as the one concerning ..., there was a degree of constitutionality and lively participation by elements present in parliament during the vote; in other laws, such as those on the army, privatization, institutional reform and reform of the army, the Center factor descended to the level of the left, permanently creating a deep contrast between the alternatives of the parties that are now in one camp and the natural programs of the parties claiming the center of Albanian politics. Throughout all these years of democratic government, we have seen a pattern of cooperation between the far left and the “Center.” This, then, did not result from a need to define themselves as parties representing interests, but from a shared goal of achieving a clean economy, politics and government in Albania. The social-democratic leader’s interview is a clear example of the Center’s interaction with the very groups that had committed themselves to contributing to a cause in Albanian politics. Lately there has been so much noise from the Center Policy that some of its members’ prolonged leadership would seem unnatural. If four years ago PSD supporters might have regarded some of its positions as proportionate to the Albanian left, today, for this party’s twin, the PAD, one cannot find any argument that would place it below the Socialist Party in terms of its label. Milo explains this, too, in his comments on the pre-election alliances of three or four years ago. At first, it seems that there is a small contrast with the SP for these two parties, but if we look at the PSD’s results in the ’92 elections, which were so high in the local government elections and in the case of the early local elections in some municipalities, the Socialist Party received considerable support, approximately equal to the share of this party’s electorate. Despite this, and the Social Democrats’ results, for both parties of the Center Policy the contribution of the SP to them is equal to what they could win on their own. According to this calculation, socialist support can be seen either as a reward for the services these parties have rendered to the SP, or as an attempt by the Socialist Party to neutralize the small parties on the political spectrum. It can be said that both possibilities carry equal weight. And in this case there are no grounds for the Center’s alliance with the Socialist Party. The mere presence of this political coalition can become a political issue in this case; this political coalition can also become political. The Consensus of Placing Political Figures sidelines the candidacies of some of the leading figures of the Albanian left. It is also undeniable that some of the leading figures of the Albanian left ... Milo’s choice unraveled this power, which is mentioned in connection with the coming parliamentary elections. The party’s ... point seems clear. Their ... is alive and has a point concerning pluralism in Albania and at the outset. It is the first approach to the spectrum of first approach to the spectrum of pluralism in Albania and at the outset. Identifying this in order to reflect now, but with shared sympathy. sympathy. sympathy. sympathy. sympathy. [The final part of the column is difficult to read.]

The State Department stated that a delegation from the Socialist Party that will visit Washington this week was not invited by the United States. Nevertheless, the delegation, headed by Socialist Party Deputy Chairman Servet Pëllumbi, will be received by mid-level State Department officials. American officials said that the United States does not support any party in the upcoming elections and that the Socialists’ visit should not be interpreted as support for them. The State Department said that Washington has made clear that it wants the elections in Albania to be fair, open and free. of Albania According to Radio “ZËRI I AMERIKËS”

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Shehu received Mr. Timothy E. Wirth Yesterday morning, the chairman of the Albanian Democratic Party, Prof. Dr. Tritan Shehu, received the American Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs, Timothy E. Wirth. At the meeting, which lasted more than an hour, they discussed the current situation in Albania on the eve of the elections, as well as the major transformations that have taken place in the country. “The United States feel great warmth toward the Albanians and Albania for the very rapid developments you have carried out,” said Mr. Wirth. He also conveyed the support of the U.S. Department of State for the positive image Albania has maintained with regard to peace in the region. Later in the discussion, Mr. Shehu explained to the senior official the path the PD had followed to address the country’s very difficult economic situation immediately after 1992, and Mr. Wirth added: “Your progress is very evident.” Explaining Albania’s political background, the chairman of the PD told Mr. Wirth that the Albanian opposition had not yet severed its ties with the dictatorship. “They changed their name, but their mentality, will and orientation are still the same as before,” said Mr. Shehu. He also explained the improvement and renewal of the Democratic Party’s structures at the Third National Congress and at the meeting of the National Council. “These elections are very important, and we are following them with great interest. We will congratulate the Albanians on the extraordinary progress made over these years,” Mr. Wirth said at the close of the meeting, which was very friendly. A. BALA

The PD National Council, acting in accordance with the organizational rules approved at the PD’s Third Congress, elected the party’s leadership, consisting of 19 members. In accordance with the party statute, the National Council elected Mr. Ali Spahia as deputy chairman of the party. By a majority vote, it elected Mr. Besnik Gjongecaj, currently rector of the Agricultural University of Kamza, as secretary-general, while Mr. Ferdinand Xhaferi, Ylli Vejsiu and Albert Brojka were re-elected to their previous posts as political secretary, organizational secretary and secretary for relations with the PD, respectively. 1. Sali Berisha 2. Tritan Shehu 3. Besnik Gjongeci 4. Aleksandër Meksi 5. Pjetër Arbnori 6. Dashamir Shehi 7. Dylber Vrioni 8. Ylli Vejsiu 9. Albert Brojka 10. Flutura Hasko 11. Ferdinand Xhaferi 12. Afrim Krasniqi 13. Marjeta Pron jari 14. Bashkim Kopliku 15. Ali Spahia 16. Zana Panariti 17. Maksim Cikuli 18. Roza Pati 19. Engjëll Hysenbegasi … These statutory changes were made at the congress to bring the structures of the Democratic Party into line with those of its sister European parties in the EUCD and EDU, of which the PD is also a member. The average age of the new leadership is 46, down from 55. Ten percent hold academic titles and degrees such as Prof. Dr., etc., while 25% are women.

On Wednesday at 9:00 at the Palace of Congresses the National Council of the Democratic Party of Albania will meet

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