At the invitation of the CDU President At the invitation of the president of the European Christian Democratic Union, the Secretary for International Relations of the PDSH, Mr. Albert Brojka, left to take part in a joint meeting of this Union, the European People’s Party and the World International Christian Democrats. The meeting is expected to address problems currently affecting the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and the support and encouragement that developed countries will provide them to foster the political conditions for their further integration into Europe.

At the invitation of the PPI Political Secretary, Mr. Gerardo Bianki (a member of the European Parliament), the PDSH Political Secretary, Mr. Ferdinand Xhaferi, left to attend the Second Congress of the PPI. In response to Mr. Bianki’s invitation, Mr. Xhaferi will follow the proceedings of this Congress. During his stay in Italy, Mr. Xhaferi is expected to meet with the leading figures of Italian politics.

The presidium of the parliamentary group proposes to the PD’s governing bodies: Students exclude Hajdari’s cousins, the Margjekajs, from representing them The presidium of the PD parliamentary group has decided to propose to the PD’s governing forums that MP A. Hajdari be removed from the parliamentary group. The reasons that led the leaders of the PD parliamentary group to seek Hajdari’s removal concern his open opposition to the program of the PD and the democratic government. Hajdari had been warned several times by PD leaders that his actions ran counter to the political line followed by the Democrats. Although he was removed as chair of the parliamentary group for Public Order and SHIK, and later also removed from the PD National Council, Hajdari has continued his attacks on the PD, the government and its leaders, using the crude language of common people. Hajdari began his opposition to the PD and its structures by attempting to force his way into the post of head of the Independent Trade Unions. Having proclaimed himself president of these unions and receiving strong support from the far left, Hajdari called for strikes, seeking to create political tensions. The so-called “trade union” strikes failed when Hajdari managed to gather only 15–20 people around himself. Nevertheless, persistent in his adventure and loyal to the patrons of the left-wing clans whom Hajdari has agreed to serve, he has not stopped opposing the PD. Through his nephew, Sh. Margjekaj, whom A. Hajdari has placed at the head of a student association, he is now trying to organize gatherings to serve his own interests. It is truly worrying to think that students from the capital’s faculties might follow Hajdari’s nephew. Hajdari is trying to exploit students by advancing several other economic demands for his own political purposes against the PD. But at a meeting held on the initiative of President Berisha with members of the government and the Mayor of Tirana, a series of decisions were made aimed at immediately improving students’ living conditions. Hajdari’s latest efforts to use students for his own interests appear likely to end in the same way as his so-called “trade union” movement. Students do not recognize Hajdari’s cousins, the Margjekajs, as their representatives. And, independently of that, students’ legitimate economic demands will be met in Tirana just as they were in Gjirokastër. With the decision of the presidium of the PD parliamentary group proposing the expulsion of MP Hajdari from the group, the break between him and the PD is once again made final. As an independent MP, Hajdari will find it easier to oppose the PD and join the left-wing clans in pursuing the same goals as they do. K.D.

A few days ago, the sixth anniversary of the publication of the first issue of the first opposition newspaper in Albania was celebrated, after half a century of terror and the shackling of freedom of expression by one of the darkest and bloodiest dictatorships known to postwar European history. The publication of the first issue of the newspaper “RD” marked the beginning of the program of free expression; it was the birth of hope for hundreds of thousands of Albanian intellectuals, who had suffered the stifling of the spirit and the stifling of speech, and who had been pursued, persecuted, imprisoned and even killed for defending freedom of expression. For it is clear that freedom begins with freedom of speech and ends when speech is shackled. Six years in the history of a newspaper is, of course, not a long time. But because of the role played by the newspaper “RD,” because of its contribution to exposing and overthrowing the dictatorship, while also becoming a powerful platform for free thought and for national, human and civic values, its history has become bound up entirely with the history of Albania over these six years—which is also the history of democracy in Albania, a history of profound transformations, of reform, and of the country’s transformation into a democratic nation with a market economy, open to and fully integrated into Europe. Over these six years, the newspaper “RD,” as well as other newspapers in general ... have evolved considerably; Albanian journalism as a whole has acquired the characteristics of a free Western press. It is undoubtedly this free press, protected and guaranteed by law, that has made and continues to make every day a valuable contribution to building our democratic society—a contribution made daily that will become even more solid and valuable in the future. These achievements of the Albanian press, viewed as a whole, make me believe that Albanian newspapers will continue to grow and draw closer to their readers. But for newspapers to achieve this, they must base their work on two fundamental criteria: truth and responsibility—criteria that some newspapers have not only failed to respect, but have misused. It is a fact that Albanian newspapers face many difficulties, primarily financial ones, but a journalist’s work and a newspaper’s integrity can never be built on short-term gain, the day’s expediency, brazen deception, or the fabrication of nonexistent events. It is regrettable that some newspapers have repeatedly been forced to retract their own claims, while hundreds upon hundreds of speculative, entirely untrue articles are published solely to boost circulation through invented sensationalism—or, worse, to use fabricated news or cynical, malicious lies to help political forces or certain political factions seeking to profit from falsehood and the most blatant distortions. Such conduct not only puts the journalist in a wretched position, but also discredits the newspaper itself, turning it into a shameless rag; and, most importantly, it seriously undermines freedom of speech, its sanctity. The great Fishta himself wrote: “In our opinion, then, the most dangerous element—or, rather, Albania’s greatest danger—is the vagabonds... The rowdy, uncouth people, devoid of humanity and good upbringing, without any worthwhile education, who were never able in their entire lives to build anything... low and dead inside, without an ideal to uphold, yet wanting to be noticed everywhere, wanting to meddle and meddle in Albanian politics... with a few empty, foolish words, unfinished nonsense...” Unfortunately, the element Fishta describes—these vagabonds and rowdies, these indescribable and irresponsible people, devoid of humanity and good upbringing—is present in Albanian journalism, especially in the newspaper “Koha Jonë,” through which Albanians see what Albania is not and should not be, and all the more so what its people of intellect and the pen should not be. The lack of morality, irresponsibility, manipulation of the truth, and the presence in the press of rowdies with no moral or human principles is the worst disease that has infected the Albanian press during these six years of its freedom.

The Political Secretary of the U.S. Embassy in Tirana meets with the PDSH Organizational Secretary The PDSH Organizational Secretary, Mr. Vejsiu, met with the political secretary of the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, Ms. Lynn Gurian, in response to her interest in the PDSH’s goals, objectives and aims for 1997. The Gurian–Vejsiu meeting focused on the political pillars that the PDSH will pursue in the year that has just begun. Mr. Vejsiu presented Ms. Gurian with the PDSH’s main party guidelines. Ms. Gurian wished the PDSH success in 1997. The meeting, which was very friendly, was also attended by the PDSH Head of Foreign Relations, Ms. Mira Haxhiu.

Tirana–Durrës Highway “The budget of 34 million USD is the result of cooperation between the Phare Programme and the European Investment Bank; this budget was approved on the basis of the highway project,” said Roland Olli, director of the Cross Border Programme for cooperation and transport at this ministry. “Of this financing, the amount of 16 million ECU, which is approximately 20 million USD, was provided by the EIB,” he explained regarding the highway project. “The Phare Programme provides the remaining 10 million USD, from the EBR,” he explained regarding the allocation of the funds. Until now, the road running through Shijak, Shkozet and then Durrës has served to connect Vora with Durrës. This road will continue to operate as such while work on the highway proceeds. The highway itself, which comprises approximately 21 km of road, is the direct section connecting Vora with Durrës. At the same time, a large interchange is planned at the entrance to the city of Durrës, corresponding to the Dajlan Bridge and connecting to other routes; it will provide separate access in every direction along this road. Of the total amount, 2.8 million USD has been allocated for the interchange alone.

Zhilla of “atsh” is silent about RD The worst consumer of the news happening in Albania, Ilir Zhilla, decided yesterday to boycott one of his buyers, the newspaper Rilindja Demokratike. According to him, the reason was that the news published in the RD newspaper had not been accompanied by the signature of its producer, ATSH, and that this signature had not physically been placed where the supporters and dependents of this institution place it in its bulletin. Ilir Zhilla has thus chosen the RD newspaper to test his ability to communicate intolerantly with the Albanian press. This is the second time this blockade action has been taken against the RD newspaper, and the tenth or hundredth time that the institution he heads has been unable to provide news, or at least to show that it wants to provide news but lacks certain parameters, such as professional ones. Ilir Zhilla can ask the RD newspaper to rise to the level of his amateur edition, and nothing more. Meanwhile, the RD newspaper is obliged to endure as much as it can of ATSH’s style of communication. We should have been self-critical about some news items on which the “atsh” signature was not placed, since there really were some items for which we did not have enough time or the technical means to change, even slightly, the poor writing style of “atsh”. But for at least eighty percent of the news published from Albania, it is impossible not to change even the opening of the item, and we are obliged to tell Ilir Zhilla that this is the most important part of a piece of information. So far, the phenomenon of suppressing the “atsh” signature has not been absent from other newspapers in the country either. If you glance at yesterday’s press, such as the newspaper “Koha Jonë”, the newspaper “Albania”, and “Dita Informacion”, you will notice a clear lack of adherence to this signature. Quite a few items sourced from “atsh”, but rewritten in its style through examples by the director’s chosen deputy, have been published on all the pages of these newspapers. Nevertheless, no one has been cut off. Zhilla knows well that this would not be the right choice for him. Some of these newspapers, which are also among the newspapers “persecuted” by him, may remind readers of the director’s attention to the marketing of the same kind of honey, which has been advertised on the walls of this agency. We do not want to mention these things because it is not good conduct toward Zhilla to do everything he does, or everything one is able to do. In fact, one might even do him an injustice, since he has other commercial merits as well. Nevertheless, director Zhilla, who is capable of understanding clearly, should release the line today, first thing in the morning, and [unclear]. This is simply so, and everything else related to the respect we have for the institution he has headed since this year may also mean taking responsibility for some news that we are obliged to write honestly, directly, and morphologically correctly. The director himself should find more effective ways to “remind us of our respect for “atsh” and not impose it on us through the person in charge, Ali.

24 million dollars for

The newspaper’s editorial staff gives thanks The newspaper’s editorial staff thanks The President of the “Leka” company, Mr. Mustafa Leka, as well as the President of the company Albinterlines Sh.p.k. and Klid Balkan Interbus Sh.p.k., Mr. Bastri Kastrati, for sponsoring the event held on the occasion of the 6th newspaper “Rilindja Demokratike”.