Blended into one greeting: “Happy New Year, and many more!” - KORÇË - On the morning of 1 January, there in the main square of the city of Korçë, where Enver’s monument stands, one of the first people I greeted was Dhimitër Bellovoda, the photographer known to everyone. For him, this was one of the most beautiful moments. With his camera he captured the joy of children and adults. How many other events await him! In the year that has passed, he captured the joy of workers speeding up their work, the joy of cooperative members who fulfilled their tasks, and the joy of the residents of Korçë, which earned the title “Heroine of Socialist Labour.” On 1 January, the newspaper distribution room was buzzing with distributors. Wasn’t it a special honour for them to deliver the newspaper carrying comrade Ramiz Alia’s greeting to every home as quickly as possible! “Even though we all heard comrade Ramiz Alia’s greeting on television,” postman Vangjel Çamçiku tells us, “we eagerly awaited the newspaper. That warm, optimistic greeting heightened our emotions on this beautiful day.” Many people received the greeting while on duty. For instance, steam flowed warm through the pipes to all the apartment blocks on 31 December and 1 January, because the workers at the Korçë Thermal Power Plant did not interrupt their work for a moment. The crew led by foreman Llazi Sotiri worked in the boiler room, Shpëtim Haxhia in the turbine room, and Ilir Poreci in the control room. The shift supervisor was Anastasi Nikolla. Communist Vaskë Cezmaxhiu worked in the boiler section. During New Year’s night, the Korçë Thermal Power Plant produced 250 tons of steam and 40 thousand kilowatt-hours of electricity. During the evening of 31 December and on 1 and 2 January, work also continued at the glass factory. Workers of the “Morava” shift kept the melting furnaces ready, including communist melters Shpëtim Qelemeni and Ali Dede; while communist Avni Gjonoma-dhi worked in the crystal glass department. “In 1989,” says Liljanë Rehova, chief engineer at the glass factory, “our employees fulfilled their tasks. Comrade Ramiz Alia’s greeting emphasizes that this year priority will be given to further increasing the people’s supply of food products as well as industrial and broad-consumption goods. As glass workers, we have a special burden: their production target for broad-consumption goods is increasing by 30 per cent, and packaging production by 9.3 per cent.” People come and go in the square by Enver’s monument. Greetings of “Happy New Year, and many more!” blend into one. Can a photograph really capture all this joy and optimism?!

- PËRMET - After celebrating New Year’s Eve, more than 3,000 young men and women, together with specialized teams, began a campaign to tend fruit trees, vineyards and pergolas, fulfilling the pledge made by the youth to increase achievements in the fruit-growing sector. With the work carried out yesterday, the planting plan for 40,000 trees was completed. Meanwhile, the work completed brought the treatment programme to 61 per cent, vineyards to 40 per cent and pergolas to 50 per cent. Fertilizing had reached around 50 per cent of them. The youth organizations in Zhepeovë, Piskovë, Ogren, Kreshovë, Topojan, Kosinë, etc., which have been at the forefront of this campaign, distinguished themselves through their good work.

The miners of Mborje-Drenovë are optimistic about the plan for the final year of the five-year plan. The miners of Mborje-Drenovë are optimistic about the plan for the final year of the five-year plan (Photo: L. Lika - ATSH)

The distinguished innovator at the “M. Laze” Mechanical Plant in Q. Stalin, with new pledges to work with high productivity and quality (Photo: L. Lika - ATSH)

- SHKODËR - As a leitmotif, the message given by our beloved leader, comrade Ramiz Alia, in his New Year’s Eve greeting to our people prevailed everywhere in the district of Shkodër at the start of this year: work, persistent effort, a creative spirit ... The work of the first shifts and the first day of this year was devoted to this. At the dairy factory, the bread factory, the outlets selling these products, etc., their employees worked to supply the people quickly and well with the most essential goods. Drira Rakici, head of the first shift at the dairy factory, tells us that the shift got off to a good start processing the milk delivered by the agricultural enterprises. At the same time, she says, we also fulfilled our targets for condensed milk and cheese production. Foremen Maliq Tahiri, Zija Dekovi and Saimë Tafili, with their teams, made the planned targets a reality from the very first shifts. Other collectives in the non-production sector, but serving the people, such as those in healthcare and postal services, etc., did not stop working; they remained continuously ready to serve people and meet their needs. Thus the new year got off to a good start in Shkodër, where the aim is that not a moment of precious time be lost, hour by hour and day by day, in fulfilling our tasks.

- LEZHË - Today, on the second of January, I see Luigi Kini, Hero of Socialist Labour, tractor driver at the Balldren Agricultural Enterprise, in the district of Lezhë. His hair is flecked with grey and he has a broad forehead, his back slightly bent by the weight of the years, yet there is always an inner smile in his eyes and on his face- ... Zef Marku. These are two collectives distinguished by their persistent work and creative spirit in keeping machinery and equipment at a high state of readiness. The importance of supplying the people, emphasized once again at the People’s Assembly meeting and in comrade Ramiz Alia’s New Year’s Eve greeting, was this devoted to? Luigi Kini, the day after returning from Tirana, where on 25 November ’89 he received the high title of Hero, threw himself into work with even greater energy; the morning found him at work on the second route with his tractor and his decoration, since on the second day of 1990 he would begin working toward the account for the year 2020. He kept it. So, today Luigi Kini begins the last year of the second decade and the next century. We all raised our glasses to this celebration, wishing

- GJIROKASTËR - Yesterday morning, everyone was at work at the Bulo livestock complex of the “Muzhafer Asqeriu” Agricultural Cooperative: the milkers and stable hands, the workers of the forage brigade, the managers and the specialists. - Like some other kinds of work, livestock farming is what it is: its process cannot be interrupted, say stable hands Myzejeni Demiri and Erosina Jorgaqi. - Let us be at work on this day too, said the milkers Aspasia Jorgaqi and Rajmonda Guga, as long as we are well. For them, being well means exceeding the targets. And, in fact, they began doing so. On January 1, the daily target was exceeded by 1 quintal. They produced 27 quintals and 70 liters of milk. The morning milking on January 2 yielded an increase of 25 liters of milk: 12 quintals and 55 liters were collected, compared with the 12 quintals and 30 liters collected on the morning of January 1. - You ask how we celebrated? - says livestock worker Merzo Çobani. - Through work. She herself is one of those who makes a month last 37 days. She never leaves her work undone and also replaces a colleague in the stables when they are absent for a valid reason. - But these two days I didn’t replace anyone, Merzo explains. Groups of livestock workers who take turns covering one another’s workdays will begin working toward the 2020 account. So Luigj Kini kept at it; today he begins the final year of the second decade of another century. We all celebrated this holiday for a long time, wishing one another, “Happy 1990!” While he, with the same greeting, “Happy New Year!”, speaks from other heights. Qerim Vedra and Lefter Kalca say that now, when society has turned its attention more firmly toward livestock farming, those who have this work in their blood cannot help working without feeling tired. Wasn’t the new Council of Ministers’ decision to speed up the population’s supply of meat tremendous support for livestock farming? Comrade Ramiz Alia said in his New Year’s greeting that this year priority would be given to further increasing the population’s supplies and that agriculture’s material and technical base would be strengthened. How could they not devote themselves wholeheartedly to the work? That is right, say these talented specialists, who through their daily work give even greater weight to the fine words they rarely speak. Brigade leader Eli Stiri seems to put the seal on the conversation when she sees them off, saying: “At this pace, we’ll keep going all year.” A good start really does help throughout the year. It was not for nothing that people said: a good beginning is half the work. With this mobilization, this work ethic, and this high morale, the whole year is going to be just like this—a good one. THANAS DINO

Like a leitmotif, the message given by our beloved leader, Comrade Ramiz Alia, in his New Year’s Eve greeting to our people prevailed everywhere in the district of Shkodër at the start of this year: work, persistent effort, a creative spirit and a revolutionary outlook—these are what the fulfillment of the plans requires. Like and a revolutionary outlook—these are what the fulfillment of the plans requires. And collectives such as those at the Koman and Vau i Dejës hydroelectric power plants kept this message firmly in mind from the first hours of the first day of 1990. Their readiness to give the homeland as much light as possible is closely linked to fulfilling the tasks set for them this year. When we speak with engineer Mark Gjoni, he tells us that the first unit to begin producing electricity for 1990 was the one headed by engineer Nazmi Galica. This shift straddled both years, without stopping work on New Year’s Eve. Engineer Nazmi and technicians and workers Gegë Guri, Mark Ahu, Lekë Gera, Mark Mëhilli, and others worked together. On January 1, in accordance with the requirements of the energy system, 3 billion and 358 kilowatt-hours of electricity were produced, with only one turbine in operation. At the Vau i Dejës hydroelectric power plant, we were told that work was carried out with four turbines. The shift headed by engineer Mateo Kraja took special care to ensure that the turbines operated normally, responding as well as possible to the requirements of the energy system. Technicians and workers Idriz Ramekaj, Gjovalin Kraja and Zef Marku set a good example through their work. These are two collectives distinguished by persistent work and a level of readiness. The work of the first shifts on the first day of this year was devoted to supplying the population—whose importance was once again emphasized New Year’s Eve greeting. At the dairy, the bread factory, the units that distribute these products, and elsewhere, workers worked to supply the population head of the first shift at the dairy, start processing she says, we also fulfilled our production targets for condensed milk and cheese. Brigade leaders Maliq Tahiri, Zija Dekovi and Saimë Tafili, together with their brigades, population—such as those in healthcare and postal services—did not stop work. They remained on duty for the people, meeting their needs. Thus the new year began well in Shkodër, where the aim is to ensure that not a single hour or day of precious time is lost in fulfilling the tasks.

- MIRDITË - While other people sat around family tables wishing one another a Happy New Year, the drillers of the geological teams and expeditions marked the passage from one year to the next at their drilling rigs, hard at work. Dodë Shabaku, chief driller in Brigade 36, went to the rig after watching Comrade Ramiz Alia’s warm greeting on television. - Through work, our interests—the interests of society and our own—are served best, he says, and the results of the first day of the year for this brigade amounted to 110 percent of the target. The first shift to work toward the new year’s quota in Brigade No. 8 was the one headed by chief driller Nikollë Marku. Here is the result: the drilling target was achieved at 130 percent. This brigade has also made a significant contribution to mineral exploration and to increasing copper reserves. The latest pledge for 1990, says Mark Marena, is to fulfill the monthly targets by January 26 and the annual targets a month ahead of schedule. Geological engineer Mark Ndoci, although it was a holiday, did not leave work and production. So it is not difficult for him to give an overview of the progress made in drilling during the first shifts of the new year. Here is one example: “The 7th brigade, where chief driller Ndue Gjoni works, fulfilled the first day’s tasks (Continued on page 2) Work was not interrupted at the exploration enterprise either.

- VLORË - The years have changed; another one begins, the final year of this five-year plan. The overfulfillment continues. Through struggle and work we have arrived at days like these, free and independent; through tireless work, as Comrade Ramiz urged in his greeting, we will make life better and more prosperous. [The source text is unclear here.] Especially in recognition of the value of its work, the collective of this factory combined family celebrations with the satisfaction of meeting its production targets. As on every other day, everyone was at work, but with greater mobilization, and the new year found the collective of the soda-PVC plant ready as well. The bicarbonate, caustic soda, calcined soda, carbide and electrolysis departments, among others, worked at full capacity. The largest enterprise in the city’s industrial zone thus entered the new year with renewed strength. The plans were drawn up by the collectives themselves and are broadly based; the good results achieved at the outset show that (Continued on page 2).

- DURRËS - The beginning of this year continues, at a faster pace, the major work we did last year, the even greater work we will do this year, and the new joys that await us. In Durrës, the first signs of this work were given by railway workers, the merchant fleet, the seaport, the freight depot, the glass factory and many others. Dilaver Hoxha, Shaban Domi, Tigrena Llogo and Flamur Dollaku were beside the equipment during the night leading into the New Year, equipment that kept them in contact with our ships sailing abroad. Dilaver tells us: “After listening attentively to Comrade Ramiz Alia’s greeting, I got up...” (Continued on page 2)

Work was not interrupted at the exploration enterprise either. (Photo: N. Xhufka)

● 1990 BEGINS WITH RHYTHM AND INSPIRATION (p. 1). ● LET US SAY “STOP” TO ROUTINE, STARTING NOW... (p. 2). ● AFTER THE NATIONAL MEETING IN DURRËS (p. 3). ● DEEP CRISIS OF THE REVISIONIST PARTY (p. 4).