VATICAN CITY, 5 March /AFP/ - The Pope invited the 20,000 pilgrims gathered on Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square in Rome to recite with him a special prayer for Albania. On Saturday, the Pope received at the Vatican the new Albanian ambassador to the Holy See, Pjetër Ndoc Pepa, and called for dialogue among “all the responsible forces of society,” in favor of democracy in Albania. He assured them that the Catholic Church supports “the path of the new democracy in Albania, so that it may achieve very soon the objectives of human and social development.”

Before the Albanian people, and especially before those who suffered and continue to suffer the terror of the red rebellion, the faces of the Socialist leaders are etched, bearing on their backs the gravest crimes that any Albanian could have committed against his fellow countrymen. The red rebellion is the latest large-scale terrorist act by Albanian Socialists implicated in crime. It will be very difficult for them to replace what they did in Vlorë, Sarandë, Gjirokastër, Tepelenë, and earlier in other southern cities with some other political activity. People have begun talking about Kico Mustaqi and Gramoz Ruçi, who were reportedly seen in Vlorë and Sarandë. Whether it is true or not, what matters is that Albanians now know who carries out terrorism in Albania. Whenever it is spoken of, or whenever it occurs, the names of the Albanian communists who lead—or used to lead—the Socialist Party will immediately be mentioned. It is entirely natural these days to picture Kastriot Islami with a Kalashnikov or machine gun, and Zabit Brokaj setting fire to the still-living bodies of SHIK employees. People have now clearly determined who favors armed insurrection in Albania and who favors peace and development; who favors destabilizing the country and insulting Albanian values, and who favors the affirmation of the nation and its democratic and economic prosperity. are etched the faces of the Socialist leaders, could have committed against his fellow countrymen. The Socialists, from whose ranks such terrorist individuals have not been absent, bear responsibility before the country for destroying several of its cities and for the curses of dozens of mothers who have been left without their sons in recent days. Those who carried Neritan Ceka or Pandeli Majko on their shoulders a week ago have fired the guns and machine guns of Albanian officers on duty, or set fire to their still-young bodies. One of those who tortured to death each of the people who survived, or who killed the four-year-old girl in Vlorë, has surely embraced Jorgo Namik Dokle when he came to tell them, among other things, that the Socialist Party would give them even the money from the pyramid schemes. The punishment Albanians have received from their own Socialists in recent days has no parallel in all the democratic countries. The punishment is severe. This is because their seed is, in itself, the ideology of revolution through violence. It is also punishment for the vote they lost in both elections last year. This is the form of punishment Albanian communists resort to when they lose power. This is the way they have chosen to deal with people, and the only quality they have developed to any great degree. Deceiving people with the hunger strike of the playful students, who jumped around on the second day of the hunger strike as if it were the first hour, and shouted louder and harder than those who had blindly believed there was a hunger strike in Vlorë, was not enough for them. Burning several state institutions in several cities was not enough for the communists. Nor was killing state employees and subjecting them to cannibalistic slaughter enough. The rebel and terrorist communists, together with their leaders in the leadership ranks of the PS, destroyed military facilities and every possible institution in cities that had not shown support for them, killed whoever they could in the streets, and spread crime on a massive scale. This loyal Socialist electorate looted shops, seized the Pashaliman military base, destroyed warships, seized thousands of weapons and munitions, and threatened to take Tirana. Power cannot be handed to this electorate. The only relationship that can be established with them is one of suppressing them by force, for the sake of the more than three million other Albanians who seek none of the acts of retribution carried out by the terrorist henchmen of Zabit Brokaj or Kastriot Islami.

President Berisha calls for limits on curfew hours and on the operating hours of vital sectors . Restrictive measures on press freedom must be limited. Berisha calls on all journalists and representatives of media organizations to commit fully and continuously to their mission of freely informing citizens. The President of the Republic, Sali ... from 22:00 until 06:00; the restriction should apply only to ... 06:00, while the operating hours of trade, services, and public administration sectors should be restricted from 20:00 until 6:00. President Berisha also requested that local emergency headquarters apply restrictive measures on press freedom and information in a limited manner, with the priority objective of ensuring continuous and regular information. The restriction should apply only to material that incites or openly calls for violent acts against national security, the constitutional order, public safety, and the life of the individual. At the same time, the President of the Republic citizens.

Albanian Foreign Minister Tritan Shehu in the Italian daily “Unita” Page 3

Fanatical communists of the criminal Stalinist ideology

A calm situation in most of Albania’s districts Kucovë — According to residents and authorities in Kuçovë, last month’s protests have caused no disturbance in the town. Even after the state of emergency was declared, police station chief Petrit Bloshmi has observed understanding and civility in the conduct of the town’s residents. According to him, “the law has had its effect; people understand that something has changed and comply with it.” According to Adriatik Çarka, chairman of the District Council, who is now also head of the local state-of-emergency headquarters, Kuçova has [unclear] and there is no bread shortage. Meanwhile, efforts are being made to control increases in food prices and other prices. Çarka said that the headquarters had taken all the measures needed to ensure the normal supply of drinking water to the public and, above all, an ample supply of bread for the people. “I would add,” he continued, “that the Prefecture has also guaranteed all the grain needed to meet people’s needs.” The situation in Kuçovë is calm; people are aware of the need to comply with the requirements and provisions of the state-of-emergency law, and are creating no conflict or problem with the law-enforcement forces. The state-of-emergency headquarters, exercising its authority, has set up a commission to verify and monitor the prices of essential food items and take measures to prevent speculative increases during the state of emergency. Lushnjë — The situation in the town of Lushnjë was calm yesterday. Vehicle traffic on the main roads is sparse. Cars and vans are generally seen, and now and then a truck stops at a checkpoint to be inspected. Police officers from Kuçovë, Lushnjë and Rrogozhinë say that there have been no noteworthy incidents at these checkpoints. Kavajë — In Kavajë, according to Ibrahim Muhalliu, chairman of the Municipal Council, it is difficult to tell the state of emergency from the normal situation. “Life in Kavajë goes on,” he says, “and all its arteries are functioning.” The people of Kavajë have supported the law-enforcement forces, SHIK and the [unclear] in defending the town, recognizing the state-of-emergency situation and complying with its laws. Supplies of food, drinking water and electricity have been normal. However, in Kavajë too, there is a tendency for food prices to rise by 2–5 [percent], with the exception of the price of bread. Korçë — At yesterday’s meeting of the defence headquarters for the Prefecture of Korçë, organized by Prefect Pjetër Kiti, the state-of-emergency situation and the measures taken were reviewed. The headquarters’ members concluded that the situation in this prefecture remains calm. On the basis of People’s Assembly Decision No. 299 of 2 March 1997 and Law No. 1976 of 26/7/95 on the Armed Forces, the Korçë Prefecture Defence Headquarters ordered every district headquarters to mobilize part of its reserve forces. It also ordered and issued a list of ceiling prices for bread, flour, wheat and essential food items, as well as various cleaning products, diesel fuel and its by-products. The ceiling prices were set at the levels prevailing under normal conditions in January. According to the chiefs of the various district police stations, the population is complying with the measures taken for the state of emergency. Tiranë — During these days of the state of emergency, restrictions on the opening hours of commercial establishments have made mornings in Tiranë calmer. The bread panic of two or three days ago now seems absurd. Bakeries and shops selling bread have all kinds of bread, and there are no crowds or queues. Prices remain unchanged and are monitored by the state. Food products are just as readily available as bread—not only in supermarkets, but also in smaller shops selling goods such as cooking oil, flour, sugar, pasta and flour products. Products from domestic production and imports are available, and even fruit from other countries is not in short supply. Thus, in this respect, life is proceeding naturally and quite normally. The state needs to curb speculation in the prices of goods that are in greatest demand, so that artificial problems are not created for the public.

The student creditors whom the criminal caste forced into strikes will never be recognized as achievements of freedom, but only as an advance payment for a crime that sought to seize freedom Page 3