Mother Teresa speaks for the first time since her illness Mother Teresa, God’s missionary devoted to helping people in need throughout the world, spoke yesterday for the first time since her illness, the Reuters news agency reports. Mother Teresa, who was admitted a week ago to a hospital in Calcutta with heart problems and malarial fever, yesterday expressed concern about the bill for her hospital expenses and for the charity home she runs, according to the doctors caring for her health. “I want to go home. I am worried about who will pay the hospital expenses,” she said. Mother Teresa, who, following the example of Jesus Christ, spent her life caring for the hungry, the sick and the needy who fill the streets of the world, says that every wretched human being is a Jesus Christ, clothed in the garb of his misery, and quotes his words from the Bible: “Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me.” Mother Teresa and her followers own no property and eat only once a day, just like those for whom they care.

Foreign news agencies on the SP’s latest congress A DPA commentary, also published on Sunday, says that the largest opposition party, the Socialist Party, has become mired in an intense internal power struggle on the second and final day of its congress in Tirana, according to sources. The two-day congress, attended by 614 delegates, was convened to discuss broad reforms in an effort to break away from its Communist legacy and improve its image, tarnished in democratic Albania. One of the deputy leaders, Ilir Meta, told Albanian state television that the congress had fallen short of achieving its aim of approving reforms. The Socialist Party’s tarnished image dates back to the time of the Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha, who ruled the small Balkan country with an iron fist for nearly a decade until his death in 1985, the DPA agency reported.

The local elections will be won by a decisive margin. This is the Democrats’ assessment as they face the electoral campaign for local government. The infrastructure for victory has almost been put in place. All the necessary reserves for a strong and lasting victory are available. The DP’s active membership considers the parameters of this victory stale and well-defined. People will be convinced by the results achieved so far under Democratic governance, while local programs themselves will be developed according to people’s needs and the possibilities for putting them into practice. It can be seen that demands tend to be matched to the government’s capabilities, as well as to the further development and economic realization of individual opportunities. In those areas led by Democrats, local government has served as a model of local governance for everyone else. It is precisely in those areas that we see opportunities for improving welfare being intensified, corruption being blocked, and a democratic approach to governance being fostered. Many who have experienced Socialist local government have an opportunity to put that fate behind them. This time, one cannot pass over the other option, which has produced results throughout the entire governing pyramid of the Albanian state. Local Socialism is one of the most irresponsible elements in all the areas where Albanian Socialist ideology has been implemented and continues to be implemented. Its contribution to impoverishing the people is most clearly evidenced in those communes and cities where Socialists have been in the majority, even though, fortunately, that majority has been small. Even though, fortunately, that majority has been small. In many cases, the PS conferences in the districts also served as accounting sessions for local Socialists. On more than a few occasions, ordinary Socialists have exposed the theft and corruption committed by local Socialist officials during their limited time in government. Thus, the misuse of state funds for investment, aid to the poor, grain assistance, and so on has been mentioned in many cases. The State Audit has issued punitive rulings against local Socialist officials on numerous occasions, ranging from dismissals to criminal prosecutions. The highest state authorities themselves have imposed an extreme legal framework to eliminate Socialist corruption in the local branches of the state. The picture of bad Socialist governance is generally reflected in the communes where the Socialists won in the elections held since ’92, but where the Democratic Party won by decisive margins in the parliamentary elections. People’s impatience to express their old emotions, which cost them dearly, is evident. Despite Socialist sabotage in some areas, the foundations of democracy have taken hold throughout the country. Democratic governance has generally succeeded in minimizing this negative effect coming from local Socialists by creating an economic program for different areas. The local elections cannot be viewed as distant. They are very close, given the current political circumstances and the necessity of a victory just as decisive as in the parliamentary elections. Democrats are confident in their ability to govern, as well as in having better-quality alternatives than any other political force. No one but the DP is better able to provide opportunities in every sphere of activity and for personal advancement, both in the economy and in justice. People will once again face DP candidates, candidates who are the product of responsible and significant leadership, given the great importance local government has for the country and for the members of the broader democracy represented by governance in communes, municipalities, and so on.

“We must truly believe in and carry out reforms, not get rid of a few people,” Reuters quoted Ilir Meta, the party’s 27-year-old deputy chairman, as saying on Saturday. But Nano, who still has three years of prison to serve following a conviction for embezzlement, was accused by some delegates of being out of touch and, the agency’s commentary continues, “sheltered from reality.” A senior Socialist said that although Nano had criticized the current leadership for resisting change, he had recommended that the congress appoint officials from the top ranks of the former Communist apparatus to high-ranking positions in the new political organization. “Nano is right to call on us to speed up the reform process, but I think he is making a major mistake by trying to elevate to positions people who served under the last regime of Ramiz Alia,” said the senior Socialist, who asked not to be identified. Meta, who is also the party’s youth leader, stressed that elderly Socialists, who had been barred from public office because of their cooperation with the former Communist regime, were trying to bring the party under their control. Berisha sent a message to the Socialist congress, describing their reform effort as little more than a farce. Reuters quoted Berisha as saying: “While welcoming your decision to remove Marx from the program and to condemn the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha and Ramiz Alia... I would say with regret that this is not reform, but merely a farce.” He said that the Socialists should dissolve their party and establish a new political force with social-democratic ideas. over embezzlement, was accused by some delegates of being unaware of the facts and badly advised, the agency’s commentary continues. A high-ranking officials who had served in the communist regime and were trying to bring the party under their control. Metai, who is also the party’s youth leader, emphasized that older Socialists, who had been denied public posts because of their collaboration party under their control. for Albanian democracy,” Berisha said. this is not rhetoric, but only a farce.” He declared new political force with social-democratic ideas.

Brojka received Mr. Roberto Kuilo of the PDSI The Italian PDS, as well as the Socialist International, condemns the boycott. Roberto Kuilo told Albert Brojka this at a meeting they held at the Hotel Tirana, one day before the start of the PS’s second congress, which, as is known, ended with a victory for the conservatives of its imprisoned chairman, Fatos Nano.

60 votes fake and 60 fake votes and

Albanian President Sali Berishai calls on the opposition party to dissolve . Even on Sunday, the German news agency DPA devoted a commentary to the Socialists’ congress. After announcing the start of the congress proceedings, the commentary says that plans to introduce reforms in the PS aimed at ending its communist legacy went up in flames as soon as a fierce war broke out between the party’s imprisoned leader, Fatos Nano, and the rest of the leadership. The leader of the ruling Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, called the conference a farce. In a message published in the government press, he said that the Socialist Party was incapable of reforming itself. “Your congress is only a farce... The Socialist Party can never be reformed as long as it is led by those first implicated in crimes against the Albanian people during the communist regime,” Berisha said. He said the best path for the Socialists was to dissolve the party and establish a new party with genuine social-democratic ideals. “Such an act would be an important event for Albanian democracy,” Berisha said. (continued on page 3)

The PS Congress completely discredits Nano and re-elects him as chairman Page 3

Islami is rewarded for his mafia-like actions Ramiz Alia: We need Kastrioti because he knows how to use sophistry make him a member of the Steering Committee Ramiz Alia: We need Kastrioti because he knows how to use sophistry Described by Ramiz Alia as the man we need because he knows how to use sophistry, Kastriot Islami has even exceeded his boss’s expectations with his actions in recent months, typical of a political mafioso. Nobody could have imagined that his attendance at the PS Conference in Fier and the mess he cooked up there would make Kastriot Islami a member of the PS Steering Committee. Page 3

The AD-HOC Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe arrives in Albania today Page 2

Political party leaders disappointed by the PS congress Page 3