Foreign Minister Shehu met with Turnof, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs PAGE 3

4 October at the Palace of Congresses On Friday, 4 October 1996, at 11:00 a.m., the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Tritan Shehu, will hold a press conference at the Palace of Congresses for the Albanian mass media and media accredited in Albania. The Diplomatic Corps accredited in Tirana is also invited to attend.

The capital’s Socialists despise Nano and the appointed leadership Deceitful Socialists The Socialist candidate for mayor of Tirana, Agim Fagu, began his campaign by deceiving his fellow citizens. He had promised to organize a concert last night, but nobody sang. The forty thousand dollars made available to the singers evaporated in the face of this group’s refusal. The concert did not take place, and the Socialists gathered at the Palace of Congresses were left to listen only to Fagu, who addressed them like Çeka, with his style of doing things differently. Such a refusal has never happened before. The Socialists certainly know the reason for this refusal, which reflects the electorate in Tirana and all of Albania rejecting them further. Nobody likes Socialist rule, and they know how ridiculous they would look if they asked for something like this. There is no singing at Socialist celebrations. But this is not the only dimension of the electoral pain the Socialists have suffered in the first days of the campaign. Their claims that they have chosen the best candidates are contradicted by statements from some of the Socialist candidates in -The Socialist Fagu imitates Nano to justify his already-foretold defeat -The PS campaign for the capital begins with a deception of the remaining members and sympathizers of the party: Fagu promises them a grand concert, but nobody sings for the Socialists. -Albanian artists contemptuously reject the 40 thousand dollars offered in exchange for a concert at the Palace of Congresses -As he delves into the theses of defeat, Fagu also imitates Çeka, copying the AD’s electoral slogan, “we will make Tirana different, we will make it better” PAGE 3 does not like a socialist government and knows how ridiculous he would look if he were to sing about such an occasion. not the only dimension of the electoral woes campaign. Contrary to their claim that they have chosen very good candidates, statements have come from some of the Socialist candidates in Albania’s main municipalities. Sadedin Stankaj, candidate for mayor in Shkodër, has once again put forward his candidacy in this city because nobody agreed to run. Stankaj is also the chairman of the PS branch in Shkodër. The same statement comes from the candidate for mayor in Durrës, Bardhyl Agasi. As a lonely Socialist in the coastal city, Agasi has been forced to make the ultimate sacrifice for his party: take on a certain defeat, just like his counterparts in all the country’s municipalities. This time, more than ever, the PS candidates resemble pilots on a death mission, beginning the battle certain they will lose. This can happen only in an atmosphere of deep crisis, both political and human. A sense of sacrifice can arise nowhere except where defeat is glaringly apparent and participation is sought more for moral reasons than as a political affirmation of the force they represent. Everything with which the PS has begun its election campaign resembles a formal gesture. The moral failure was apparent from the very choice of candidates, and it is clear that the failure is becoming more pronounced as the distance between Socialist leaders and the rest of the Socialists grows. All their promises to the local electorate remain within the Nanoist format used in the parliamentary election campaign. The Nanoist format used in the parliamentary election campaign. The format of democracy and the results of reform is the monotonous track along which the Socialists will once again head toward defeat. Albanians no longer have any reason to believe in a Socialist government, and they government, and they government, and they government.

President Berisha attends a ceremony at the Defence Academy -I thank the German government, Chancellor Kohl, Bundeswehr Minister Volker Ruhe, and Admiral Lang for the support they have given the Albanian army, t... President Berisha also attended yesterday’s ceremony marking the opening of the course, along with the President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Sali Berisha. Also present were Minister of Defence Safet Zhulali, chair of the parliamentary Defence Committee Agron Musaraj, State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Leonard Demi, and the commandant of the Defence Academy, Brigadier General Ali Koçeku. The military delegation from the Hamburg Leadership Academy was also present, including the commandant of that academy, Admiral Langer. In his speech, President Berisha said: “It is a particular pleasure for me, at this important event for the Albanian army, to greet all the officers of Albania, and especially you, who are beginning the course today.” The opening of this course, President Berisha continued, is a continuation of the completion of the army’s reform. “I thank everyone who helped us, especially Admiral Langer for the major assistance he has provided in opening this course.” Berisha said: “I thank the German government, Chancellor Kohl, the Bundeswehr Minister, Volker Ruhe” Admiral Langer for the support he has given to the Albanian army. The opening of the course, the joint maneuvers, and cooperation in the IFC are evidence of the climate of trust between our two peoples and the friendship that unites these two countries. President Sali Berisha emphasized the reform and modernization of the Albanian army, stressing that our efforts will be ongoing so that our army can be a worthy partner in NATO. Admiral Langer greeted those present and cited the fact that the Albanian army has made great strides in modernizing the army and representing the country with dignity in Euro-Atlantic structures. He said that the German government would be a close partner of Albania and would contribute to modernizing the structures of the Albanian army. The Chief of the General Staff, Sheme Kosova, emphasized the assistance of the Bundeswehr, NATO, other European countries, and the USA in building and modernizing the Albanian army, so that Albania can be fully integrated into Euro-Atlantic structures. In one of the facilities of the defense college, the commandant of the defense academy explained the structure of the academy and the details of how the newly opened course would operate to the representatives. The basic staff-officer course will train 720 officers who will later serve in the Albanian army throughout Albania. It will also provide training for officers according to the positions they hold, as well as for senior officers. In general, the relevant course is the advanced course. In any case, the course will serve as an economic development course for officers in general, based on German models and experience

Strasbourg: Ratification entails the Convention’s immediate entry into force. Meanwhile, the anti-torture convention will enter into force in Albania on 1 March 1997 PAGE 2

The President of the Court of Cassation, Avni Shehu, at the Supreme Court in the USA

At candidate presentations for the local elections, even those elected to party forums fail to turn up PS rallies to present candidates for the local elections have turned into scenes declaring the final disintegration of the Labour Party under another name. By now even the most loyal understand that Communism is dead in Albania and that the Labour Party—or the Socialist Party, call it what you will—has gone with it. In Vlora, the candidate put forward by the PS refused to cut short the vacation he has been taking in Korçë. On the day he was to be presented, only two or three people were waiting outside the hall where the rally had been announced; they looked around in confusion, wondering if they had got the date wrong—after all, old age takes its toll. In the other cities too, the Socialists have gathered no more than 70–80 people around them, nostalgics for times gone by. In Shkodër, even in cooperation with Polli Q. Club, they gathered no more than 120 people, while in Burrel there were only 90. It is even more devastating in the villages. In one commune in Shkodër, the PS has completely disappeared. “There’s nobody left to gather these Reds,” the villagers say mockingly. Their chairman married late in life and has begun to appreciate the pleasures of private life. Nobody takes the Socialists seriously anymore. No one can believe their fairy tales of victory; this is just another fairy tale, like all the stories told every day at the same time and with the same words, without changing even a single word. K.J

The DP spokesperson protests against TVSH In last night’s programs about the political parties’ campaigns for municipal councils, Television violated the approved regulations by favoring the left, in a new process that was started unilaterally, as the DP spokesperson puts it. In the program about the political parties’ election campaigns, the democratic parties. In this party’s program, they were unfairly given time from the allotted time according to ...

In Shkodër, the Socialists display their misery PAGE 3