– Meeting of Comrade Ramiz Alia with activists and elected representatives of social organizations – Yesterday morning, the First Secretary of the Party’s Central Committee and Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Comrade Ramiz Alia, met at the Presidium of the People’s Assembly with the leaders, activists and elected representatives of the central mass organizations, the Democratic Front, the Trade Unions, the Union of Women, the Youth Union, the National Committee of Veterans of the War of the Albanian People, the Academy of Sciences, the League of Writers and Artists, and representatives of other bodies and institutions. At the beginning of the meeting, Comrade Ramiz Alia delivered a brief speech, stressing that in the new situation taking shape in the country, more work needs to be done to democratize life in the country. Speaking about continuing the Party program, Comrade Ramiz Alia praised the contribution of the mass organizations in dealing with the current situation. “As always, the fundamental task has been that our entire people must respond with more vigorous work, improving the methods of work in the Party and state organs at the centre and in the districts,” he said, among other things. After listening to the views and suggestions of the participants, in dealing with the current situation. These are important areas for the activity of social organizations. “At the centre of attention everywhere,” Comrade Ramiz Alia continued, “is the implementation of the decisions of the recent plenums of the Central Committee on democratizing life; at the centre and in the districts.” (Photo: ATSH) “…of the country in every direction. As is known, these decisions, which are a demand of the times and a necessity for the country’s further socialist development and progress, aim to invigorate the economy by encouraging initiative and increasing workers’ material interest; by strengthening economic management and implementing the laws of the economy. They aim to perfect social relations, increase the role of the masses, improve relations between the individual and the state, etc., etc. These goals have been and continue to be served by the measures to introduce the new economic mechanism, reorganize handicrafts and services, provide livestock and the land needed to keep it to the peasantry, invigorate the market, and attract foreign investment. Changes to our legislation are connected with these measures, including the law on issuing passports, the establishment of the Ministry of Justice, etc. The implementation of the above measures is not going smoothly. There are obstacles and difficulties, which are also understandable. The measures taken over the last six months are advanced in relation to the education of our people, their experience to date, and their psychological preparedness. They affect existing rules and instructions that need to be corrected; they require new laws and orders suited to the new relations; they disturb the tranquillity of some offices, as well as the bureaucratic routine of managers of enterprises and Party or state organs, whose methods of work need to change substantially. …People’s Assembly with the leaders and elected activists the “Enver Hoxha” University of Tirana and the Union of Journalists of Albania. Also present were Comrade Adil Çarçani, member of the Political Bureau of the Party’s Central Committee and Chairman of the Council of Ministers, and members of the Political Bureau and secretaries of the Party’s Central Committee, Comrades Foto Çami and Xhelil Gjoni. At this warm meeting, they discussed the activities of the mass organizations in connection with implementing the decisions of the recent plenums of the Party’s Central Committee and the measures the Party has taken to further democratize every aspect of life in the country, as well as the issues that concern them. The many participants who spoke stressed the need for them to do more to provide political education and mobilize the working masses for the comprehensive fulfillment of tasks, for initiative and self-activity in resolving problems on time, and for a better understanding of the essence of the new economic mechanism, etc. They also spoke about problems arising in practice from the implementation of the new economic mechanism and of laws and orders recently approved by the People’s Assembly in the field of legislation; the organization of services and handicrafts; the democratization of internal life in enterprises and institutions, etc.; and the need to intensify efforts to overcome the various difficulties that arise. During the meeting it was said that the enthusiasm sparked by the Party’s recent decisions among… dit Popullor with leaders and selected activists Unions, the Union of Women, the Union of Youth, and Artists, the University of Tirana «Enver Hoxha» the and Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Comrade Adil Çarçani, organizations in connection with implementing the decisions of the Party Central Committee’s recent plenums all aspects of the country’s life, participants who spoke emphasized the need for greater efforts on their part the comprehensive fulfillment of tasks, for initiative and self-action in resolving problems in a timely manner, new economic mechanism, etc. They also spoke about the problems arising in practice from implementing the new economic mechanism and the laws and regulations legislation; the organization of services and crafts; as well as intensifying meeting, it was said that the enthusiasm stirred among… by the Party’s recent decisions These are important areas for the work of social organizations. Work by social organizations must also be improved in these areas, enhancing the role of public opinion and the strength of criticism by the masses. This work is essential because, in implementing measures to democratize life, both in the economy and in social relations, we encounter not only bureaucratic concepts and practices but also liberal concepts. Individuals with such views want to use various Party decisions to divert the processes of development onto the wrong path. In practice, they reject the course followed so far and criticize everything. They take the provision of livestock or the land needed to keep it as far as calling for the sale of private property; they extend the easing of private crafts into a desire to privatize the entire economy; they interpret the law on issuing passports as a process of opening the borders and justifying escape; they accompany concern for improving welfare with demands to lower the retirement age or secure undeserved benefits, etc. We must combat these phenomena not by retreating, but by moving resolutely along the path we have set, consistently advancing the democratization of the country’s life and taking sure, measured steps. With this aim, Comrade Ramiz Alia further emphasized, the Presidium of the People’s Assembly is working on the electoral law, which will be submitted to the People’s Assembly for approval at its next session. The aim of these laws is not only to democratize them, but also to pave the way for improving the political system itself, the functioning of elected bodies, the improvement of relations between them and the administrations, the resolution… (Continued on page 2) … obstacles we encounter cannot be avoided. These are the areas in which the work of social organizations must also be improved, the administrations, the resolution… (Continued on page 2)

Now, after the rains ... At last, the long-awaited rains have begun to come. In some districts, as much as 30–60 mm has fallen, even causing floods. But in the lower Shkumbin they are still eagerly awaited. Yet the road has opened up along with autumn, which has come knocking. Only now they call it “rain and cape.” This makes you stop and think, prepare yourself to quicken your pace. The final quarter is approaching. Time waits for no one. This is the foremost theme everywhere these days. • • • We climbed the stairs of the Ministry of Agriculture. There we learned that there is still rye left to thresh. The sunflower can no longer remain in the heads, because it may shatter and go to waste. Cotton is not like maize, wrapped in seven layers. The potato crop has now severed its ties with the soil. (Strange—in some districts, such as Kukës, preparations to dig it up are still lagging.) Every day the tobacco has less time left to dry, while the rains are causing new leaves to sprout for picking. Nothing can tolerate delays or excuses. The farmer is summoned by the dampness of the soil. Come on, men, get ploughing! Rain means production; it means savings. But the advantage goes to whoever hurries. How long will “today or tomorrow” go on for the chain harrows, which have become an odyssey in themselves? How long will the chemical industry, which in the eight-month period has produced only 55 per cent of the plan for phosphate fertilizers, take to make up the shortfall? Agriculture needs support, not words and promises. The rain in the districts where it fell is enough for the forage crops sown in dry soil to sprout. It will do the late-sown maize and forage cabbage, the second crops of vegetables, and the orchards a great deal of good. And livestock all the more. But this does not mean we should sit idle. Where hoeing is needed, do not wait for an order. New-minded schedules are needed for every task, including ploughing. • • • At a meeting of the inter-ministerial staff on energy: the situation remains unchanged and extraordinary. The Drin’s flow is as low as on the coldest days. The reserves in the Fierza reservoir do not exceed 9–10 per cent. As a result, 3–5 million kWh of electricity continue to be imported every day. The Fier power plant burns up to 400 tonnes of mazut a day, above the planned amount, which has to be imported. These alone account for $180,000–240,000 in imports per day. Such facts speak for themselves. Conservation is—and must be—on the agenda. There is no room for any kind of complacency, especially when the worsening consequences of the drought have been evident for a long time. After listening to the views and suggestions of the meeting’s participants, in dealing with the current situation. “Our fundamental task, as always,” he said, “has been and remains to strengthen the moral and political unity of the people, explain the situations we are going through, and mobilize the masses to meet the demands of the times. The situation in the country is stable. It cannot be shaken either by events such as those of July 2, which the enemies incited, or by the weather difficulties we are facing. “We must learn lessons from everything. We must keep reality, our successes and shortcomings—especially our shortcomings—in better view, and improve our work by moving away from routine and formalism. Unity is not strengthened with words, much less with orders. It depends on a complex of factors: political and economic, administrative and educational. The work of the Party, state bodies and mass organizations creates the framework within which the enemy finds room to act, confusing people and obscuring their prospects. “We must increase our efforts at work to achieve the greatest possible results. The drought is causing us very serious harm. The issue is not only electricity: agriculture has been affected, exports have been affected and, as a result, imports will inevitably be affected too. How will these difficulties be overcome? The government will make every effort to ensure that industry is not left without raw materials and the people without food. But this will require a great deal of work, even sacrifices. Special mobilization will be needed in every sector, especially where there are untapped reserves, to exceed production plans and thus somewhat offset the losses in sectors affected by the consequences of the drought. The most organized possible conservation of raw materials will be needed—

The honour of the enterprise begins with the character of every worker “It is the 46th consecutive month, starting from January 1986, that we have met our targets,” explains Ibrahim Çakalli, shift foreman at the “Enver Hoxha” Auto-Tractor Combine. “The workers in the cast-iron foundry are at the forefront. The head of the planning department at NPV also explains the workforce’s mobilization with two or three figures: with the eight-month production plan at one hundred per cent and August alone at eight per cent, you surely have to think that this is a workforce that thinks, acts and produces with organization and discipline. The workers and innovators deserve credit; the cadres and specialists certainly deserve credit too. Everyone. If you ask about the most distinguished people at the “Partizani” plant, they will tell you not only about Heroes of Socialist Labour Kosta Buli and Idriz … explains the workers of the «Enver Hoxha» Auto-Tractor Combine, Ibrahim Çakalli. “At the forefront are the workers of the cast-iron foundry.” the collective’s mobilization with two or three figures: over the first eight months, the gross industrial production plan was exceeded by 12 percent, while the August plan was exceeded substantially. “The workers of the Geological Mechanical Plant, who have now been distributed among other workplaces in the capital, report that the target for sales of goods produced over the first eight months was fulfilled at 112 percent, while the August target was fulfilled at 114 percent,” says director Dhimitër Thanati. It is fair to say that here gross industrial production for the period January–September exceeded 7…

The situation in this period, with its drought and its consequences in agriculture, energy and therefore industry as well, calls for militant action. This action has characterized work during this period, especially at enterprises with export obligations. Thus, the food enterprise exceeded its eight-month targets by 4.3 million lekë. Overall, export targets for the entire district were exceeded by 15 per cent. The collectives of enterprises in the light and food industries have distinguished themselves during this period through an offensive approach to work and creativity in increasing production. Together, they exceeded the industrial production plan by 14 million lekë. Which ones stand out? Among the leading enterprises are the cotton collection and processing enterprise, the food enterprise, the artistic-crafts enterprise, etc. A steady pace has also characterized the work of the district’s enterprise collectives during this eight-month period. In their work, especially at NNI, greater concern has been evident for implementing the task broadly and properly, particularly as regards quality, alongside efforts to speed up the completion of projects. The work at the new bridge plant is a commendable example; this is a model that the enterprise and district authorities are striving to promote, recognize and generalize throughout the construction system. In response to various transport difficulties, workers in this sector have countered with mobilization and concrete efforts to increase the readiness of vehicles. The targets for the period in tonne-kilometres have been exceeded. Targets have also been exceeded in the volume of municipal services and in goods turnover. Meanwhile, it is evident that the situation at oil-extraction enterprises is more backward; some have even seen a decline. What is holding them back? The fact that this situation is occurring at existing oil fields is connected with the inadequate work being done to increase oil extraction. This task calls for more fruitful cooperation among the enterprises themselves, their various organizations, and the Technological Institute and the Geological Institute. At the General Directorate of Oil, concern is expressed more concretely about the assistance that must be provided to these enterprises to solve the problems that arise. VANGJEL STEFA

At the invitation of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, a delegation of the Senate of the United Mexican States, headed by its chairman Alfredo Toxki Fernandez de Lara, arrived in our country yesterday for an official and friendly visit. At Rinas Airport, the delegation was received by members of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Elena Sejko and Kristaq Rama, and officials of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly. (ATSH)

Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Petro Dode, received yesterday at the Palace of Congresses in the capital the delegation of the Senate of the United Mexican States, headed by Senator Alfredo Toxki Fernandez de Lara. Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Petro Dode, received yesterday at the Palace of Congresses in the capital the by Senator Alfredo Toxki Fernandez de Lara. Comrade Petro Dode welcomed the Mexican guests and held a warm and friendly conversation with them. He noted the feelings of friendship and respect that the peo… (Continued on page 4)