– Comrade Ramiz Alia arrived in Korçë to celebrate May 1 with the workers of this district – (Photo: ATSH)

The First Secretary of the Party’s Central Committee and Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Comrade Ramiz Alia, arrived in the city of Korçë during the morning as well, where he was warmly welcomed by the people of this district. At the District Party Committee, he held a meeting attended by Communists, cadres and veterans, specialists from the sectors of the economy, culture, education, etc., as well as guests and leading cadres from the Party and state organs of the districts of Pogradec and Kolonjë. Those present applauded as Comrade Ramiz Alia entered the hall. “I decided this time,” said Comrade Ramiz, “to spend the May 1 holiday together with you here in Korçë. Since Tirana decided to celebrate May 1 with a picnic, I wanted to go on a picnic with the people of Korçë, because they have traditions in organizing them. “I have heard good things about you, so first let us hear from Comrade Vangjel.” The First Secretary of the District Party Committee, Comrade Vangjel Çerava, expressed the joy of the Communists and people of Korçë at having Comrade Ramiz Alia among them for this holiday, spoke about the sound political and moral situation in the district, and dwelt at length on the work being done to implement the decisions of the 9th and 10th plenums of the Party’s Central Committee. This is reflected in the achievements of the first quarter: exceeding the targets for total industrial production, exports, transport volume, budget revenue and the state’s centralized net revenue; reducing production costs; saving electricity; accelerating spring planting; supplying the people, and so on. “Only a short time has passed since these two plenums of the Party’s Central Committee, but the changes have been great,” says secretary Avni Bilbili. “This fills us with pride in the Party, in everything it has done and is doing for the good of the people and for the freedom and independence of the Homeland. It has also inspired us, the creators of Korçë, to reflect this concrete reality in our works.” Veteran Communist Lako Polena speaks about the enthusiasm stirred in the district’s villages by the decisions of the 10th Plenum and the discussion on keeping livestock in private yards. “This is a very sound decision; it will significantly improve the supply of the rural population,” he says. “Previously, we were used to viewing problems concerning relations in production as issues involving five or six well-known individuals, or a few specialized institutions. The Plenum stimulated our economic thinking. There is now great interest in putting enterprises on a more independent footing. Starting in the second six-month period of this year, we will implement this in several enterprises, sectors and departments,” says Adam Karamelo, head of the planning section at the Executive Committee of the District People’s Council. Then Comrade Ramiz Alia took the floor. Comrade Ramiz Alia’s speech was listened to with great attention and interest by those present.

“I came to your city,” Comrade Ramiz began, “wishing to celebrate May Day together with you, with the workers of Korçë.” – FROM THE SPEECH AT THE MEETING WITH THE DISTRICT’S LEADING CADRES – “I came to your city,” Comrade Ramiz began, “wishing to celebrate May Day together with you, with the workers of Korçë. On this occasion, I greet the Communists and all the people of Korçë for the successes mentioned at this meeting, and wish them new victories. “Our country,” Comrade Ramiz continued, “is caught up in a creative atmosphere and great revolutionary enthusiasm. The 10th Plenum has awakened new energies and opened up clear prospects. encourage the role and initiative of the masses. “With the introduction of the new economic mechanism and the other measures, the center of gravity of our work is shifting to the grassroots—to enterprises and to cooperatives of the working masses. “Comrade Ramiz went on to emphasize that realizing the tasks before us requires everyone’s contribution. No one should remain outside this great revolutionary campaign. Everyone’s thoughts and actions must be linked to the tasks the Party sets today; each person’s creativity must merge with the movement of the popular masses to expand socialist democracy, which is led by the Party. Writers and artists, too, must draw inspiration from this, and through their creative work, while becoming part of the revolutionary movement of the masses, must engage in implementing the Party’s decisions. This is the right path, the only path, to revolutionize the life of the country and the Party, raise the level of the economy and socialist culture, and strengthen the freedom and independence of our beloved homeland. “Speaking about the need to strengthen the Party’s political and ideological work, Comrade Ramiz said: “‘I wish to draw attention to the Party’s educational and propaganda work. It must be intensified, but also radically improved, so that it properly meets the demands of the times and the changes that have taken place. Our propaganda must be more agile, persuasive and well reasoned. The Party, the youth, the Front—all mass organizations—must go on the offensive. “‘Various enemies have set their sights on socialism and want to deny its victories and effectiveness. They base themselves on the experience of the countries of the East, where a corrupt social order that had long departed from the socialist path was identified with communism. “‘In Albania,’ Comrade Ramiz stressed, ‘only people’s power and the socialist order can bring about the revolutionary transformation that has radically changed our country. Only this just society, under the Party’s leadership, could transform it within a very short time. In recent years the country has undergone dynamic development. During the past ten years (1980–1990), around 11 billion lek more was invested in our national economy than during the preceding decade (1971–1980). The increase in investment during this period is equivalent to three previous annual plans. Since our trade with the world began to be conducted on entirely commercial terms, exports, on an annual average, have nearly tripled. In the 1980s, more than 1 billion dollars’ worth of goods were imported than in the 1970s. “‘What do these few figures tell us? They speak precisely of the vitality of our social order. This development shows that, for others, the decade has been one of decline, debt and bankruptcy, whereas for our country it has marked progress. And this has been achieved by relying solely on our own strength. “‘Do we have difficulties, do we have shortcomings? Of course we do; otherwise we would not be adopting the measures proposed by the decisions of the 10th Plenum. But our path to overcoming difficulties is entirely different from that of the countries of the East. They are entering a dead end; one might say they are going from the frying pan into the fire. At present they are engulfed in an all-encompassing political and economic crisis. “‘Our path,’ Comrade Ramiz continued, ‘meets the conditions of our development. It takes into account our national characteristics, the possibilities of our economy and the cultural level of our people, our historical past and our prospects. We see our progress as closely linked to safeguarding the freedom and independence of the Homeland. “‘For us,’ he stressed, ‘to follow the socialist path or to open the way to the degeneration of people’s power and the socialist order means either to remain free and independent or to become dependent on others and endanger our Homeland’s freedom and independence. Every Communist and every patriot must understand this clearly. Therefore, implementing the Party line and consistently fighting along the socialist path is the only alternative and the only guarantee for securing and defending national freedom and independence as well. “‘The strength of the Party,’ Comrade Ramiz pointed out, ‘will be demonstrated in the struggle to implement the decisions of the 10th Plenum and to organize the work well—tasks that are not easy. “‘The Party wishes Korçë always to be in the vanguard and its Communists at the forefront. “‘Tomorrow,’ Comrade Ramiz concluded, ‘we will celebrate May 1, International Workers’ Day. I am very glad to be here in Korçë on this important day, among the people of this distinguished district of our country. “‘I take this opportunity, here in Korçë, a veteran center of the workers’ movement, to send greetings and heartfelt wishes for May 1 to all the workers of our country; to greet our working class, the peasantry and the intelligentsia, and all our heroic people. “‘Happy holiday, dear comrades! “‘Forward to victory in every field! “‘Long live our people and our Party of Labour! “‘Long live the people of Korçë!’”

– From the meeting with the cooperative members of Lumalas – The village of Bulgarec, near Korçë—a village that is like one of its neighborhoods, not only because of its proximity but, above all, in terms of its standard and culture of living—was especially joyful yesterday. Comrade Ramiz Alia came among the cooperative members. Other villagers from the Lumalas cooperative also came to Bulgarec, from Porodina, Melçan, Biranja and Lumalas, as well as from Vincani and another farming enterprise. They welcomed the leader enthusiastically. Comrade Ramiz Alia met and greeted cooperative members, veterans, young men and young women. There, in the square in the middle of the village, (Continued on page 2)

– Every step taken by the Party – “Every step the Party has taken,” Comrade Ramiz Alia said today at the meeting in Korçë, “has been taken with this land and this people in mind.” “Every step the Party has taken,” Comrade Ramiz Alia said today at the meeting in Korçë, “has been taken with this land and this people in mind. Our path has always taken our characteristics into account. “You hear this and say to yourself: how easily counterarguments can be made using examples from among all these comrades, men and women, here in the hall, themselves full of value for today and tomorrow. This is why Korçë’s achievements—and not only Korçë’s, but those throughout Albania—did not come about through the people’s own awareness in government? It is the Party, with its correct policy of developing and making use of the village and supporting the peasant with beekeeping, that enables greater use of the peasant’s initiatives with the land: to make it flourish and prosper, and to ennoble life. “‘You are right,’ Comrade Ramiz told us,” says Festim Pishtari, chairman of the Dishnicë cooperative. “We did not copy the world in the transformations we made in the village…” Here, the words “we did not copy…” are expressed by a comrade as an interpretation, an explanation of the tasks set by the 10th Plenum. These tasks themselves are such as to convince us that we have copied no one. But I know that this thought of Comrade Ramiz also prompts me to consider something else: let us not copy our own routine methods from the past; let us improve our thinking so that we can implement this plenum. Why do I say this? Well, some comrades have rushed to do what we commonly call “planning” or “work programmes,” with deadlines and designated persons responsible (Continued on page 2)

The Party’s aim is to advance the economy and culture, increase effectiveness in every field, further democratize social relations, and encourage the role and initiative of the masses.