Yesterday morning, under the chairmanship of the President of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly of the PSR of Albania, Comrade Ramiz Alia, a joint meeting of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly and the Presidential Council was held. At this meeting, participants were informed of the results of the democratic elections of March 31. They heard a brief report from the chairman of the Central Election Commission, Prof. Dr. Rexhep Mejdani. It was emphasized that popular participation in the voting was almost total. The elections were held in full accordance with the electoral law in force. The results obtained have been accepted by all the political forces that took part in the elections. were also informed about the assessments made by foreign observers, official parliamentary delegations, specialized institutes and press workers regarding the conduct of the March 31 elections in Albania. The delegations of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament, of the parliaments of the Americas and European countries, as well as observers who had come from dozens of countries around the world, described these elections as exemplary and fully free and democratic. Minister of Internal Affairs Gramoz Ruçaj then reported on the public-order situation after the elections. It was pointed out that, although the parties had expressed themselves in favor of the legitimacy of the elections and their results, there had been illegal gatherings in some cities, such as Shkodër and elsewhere. authorized the law-enforcement bodies to use all lawful means to stop unauthorized demonstrations and protect public institutions. They stressed that in this matter, without exception, the people’s will and its exercise must be respected. During these gatherings, groups of terrorists in the city of Shkodër attacked and set fire to the building of the Party of Labour Committee and stoned that of the Democratic Party, shouting slogans such as “Shkodër Republic,” etc. Law-enforcement forces intervened to restore calm. appeal to everyone to remain calm and get back to work. No one can impose anything on the people or correct their political will. Any such attempt is antidemocratic and anti-national. The country needs unity and stability. Whoever plays with this is playing with Albania’s fate, and the people will not forgive them. Everyone should return to their work. The only support that can be given to the pluralist democracy developing in Albania is respect for the sovereignty of the people, acceptance of the will they expressed in the elections, and the creation of normal conditions for the functioning of parliamentary democracy. call on all political parties and other social organizations to make a concrete commitment to stabilizing the situation so that life in the country can proceed normally. They supported the public position of the Party of Labour of Albania, whose deputies won an absolute majority of seats in the Assembly, in favor of constructive cooperation among all political forces in governing the country. PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY PRESIDENTIAL COUNCIL Tirana, April 2, 1991

ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE RESULT OF THE MARCH 31, 1991 ELECTIONS FOR DEPUTIES TO THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY The Central Election Commission for deputies to the People’s Assembly held its meeting on April 2, 1991. Having carefully examined the results reported by the constituency election commissions and found them accurate and complete in accordance with the election law, it announces that for the March 31, 1991 elections, 1 977 516 voters were registered at 5480 polling stations. A total of 1 956 139 voters took part in the voting, equal to 98.92 percent of them. Of the 250 electoral districts, elections were held in 249 districts. In district 166, which is part of the Pogradec district, elections were not held because only one candidate remained in the district after the other subjects withdrew their candidacies. Under Article 34 of the law on elections to the People’s Assembly, voting in this district will take place on April 7, 1991. Examination of the election documents shows that the following comrades, men and women, were elected by free vote and by the will of the people as deputies to the People’s Assembly in the first round of elections, by district and respective subject, as follows: BERATI FI ERI 65 Ylli Sokrat Bufi Party of Labour 7 Dhimo Vangjel Dundo Party of Labour 8 Asqeri Qemal Shehu Party of Labour 9 Flamur Musa Abedini Party of Labour 10 Tomor Haxhi Beqollari Party of Labour 11 Fadil Ramo Nasufi Party of Labour 12 Xhemal Iljaz Dauti Party of Labour 13 Nadire Baftjar Prifti Party of Labour BG FD 14 Abdyl Tafil Pilafi Party of Labour DIBRA 15 Fehmi Haziz Abdiu Party of Labour 16 Ali Seit Kaza Party of Labour 17 Xhemal Xhavit Gazidede Party of Labour 18 Huzrif Ramadan Hoxha Party of Labour 19 Vehap Selim Daku Party of Labour 20 Osman Nezir Murati Party of Labour 21 Fisnik Izet Hyka Party of Labour 22 Xhelil Ali Gjoni Party of Labour 23 Haxhi Halit Lleshi Veterans’ Committee 24 Bujar Halil Pata Party of Labour 25 Ahmet Sulejman Kamberi Party of Labour 26 Arif Sefedin Hasani Party of Labour DURRËSI 27 Bardhyl Mustafa Balteza Democratic Party 28 Spiro Vlash Doraci Democratic Party 29 Vangjel Petro Stamo Democratic Party 30 Bashkim Bahri Kopliku Democratic Party 31 Ervin Hamit Musliu Democratic Party 32 Bardhyl Bexhet Reso Democratic Party 33 Naim Demir Kariqi Democratic Party 34 Sali Ram Berisha Democratic Party 35 Fiqret Risvan Hallulli Party of Labour 36 [?] Aristidh Mingoli Party of Labour 37 Agim Egerem Fishta Party of Labour 38 Ibrahim Mehmet Kalemi Party of Labour 39 Pëllumb Bajram Dema Party of Labour 40 Sulejman Bajram Disha Party of Labour 41 Skënder Ramazan Dika Democratic Party 42 Petrit Hazhi Llaftiu Democratic Party 43 Lindita Ylli Prifti Democratic Party ELBASANI 46 Argjin Jorgji Panariti Democratic Party 47 Neritan Hasan Ceka Democratic Party 48 Fatmir Rushit Manushi Democratic Party 49 Arben Ali Demeti Democratic Party 50 Qazim Hamdi Radoniqi Democratic Party 51 Daniel Pandi Karanxha Party of Labour 52 Muharrem Ramadan Kajolli Party of Labour 53 Baki Gani Shehi Party of Labour 54 Hysen Shefqet Meta Party of Labour 55 Skënder Sali Dubali Party of Labour BP 56 Haki Selman Hysa Party of Labour 57 Ndriçim Qamil Pepa Party of Labour 58 Sulejman Xhemal Cerri Party of Labour 59 Ismail Zenun Lushi Party of Labour 60 Moisi Venantin Qerimani Party of Labour 61 Xhemal Abaz Jance Party of Labour 62 Murat Idriz Balla Party of Labour 63 Ligor Kovi Kurt(i) Party of Labour 71 Dhimitër Joti Dhamo Party of Labour 72 Shyqyri Dalip Rexhepi Party of Labour FD 73 Napolon Sami Mërtiraj Party of Labour FD 74 Engjëll Hair Beshaj Party of Labour 75 Pëllumb Laze Shpata Party of Labour 76 Xhevair Hekuran Tahiraj Party of Labour 77 Bardhyl Neki Faskaj Party of Labour 78 Faik Resmi Memushi Party of Labour 79 Spiro Petro Lule Party of Labour 80 Bilbil Jashar Jaupi Party of Labour 81 Kastr(i)ot Selman Islami Party of Labour FD 82 Xhevair Sulo Bregu Party of Labour 83 Ali Gjysho Lamaj Party of Labour GRAMSHI 84 Hysen Tare Godole Party of Labour 85 Ajet Bilal Baçi Party of Labour 86 Mecan Kodhel Hoxha Party of Labour FD GJIROKASTRA 87 Elvira Hadër Shapllo Party of Labour FD 88 Adil Haki Çarçani Party of Labour 89 Flamur Shyqyri Çani Party of Labour 90 Jani Kosta Jani OMONIA 92 Panajot Niko Barka OMONIA KOLONJA 93 Shkëlqim Islam Cani Party of Labour 94 Sotir Misto Kokeri Party of Labour KORÇA 95 Petrika Perikli Minga Democratic Party 96 Natasha Petro Lako Democratic Party 97 Stavri Spiro Frashëri Democratic Party 98 Petraq Ilo Kolevica Democratic Party 99 Ilir Spiro Manushi Democratic Party 100 Theodhoraq Vangjel Bello Party of Labour 101 Stavri Thanas Kallço Party of Labour 102 Mylazim Haxhi Matraku Party of Labour 103 Ahmet Baftjar Hoxhallari Party of Labour 104 Lutf(i) Halim Dautllari Party of Labour 105 Bujar Vait Seferkolli Party of Labour 106 Pëllumb Tosun Nedelko Party of Labour 107 Mitro Pando Sherifi Party of Labour 108 Vasfi Ramadan Agolli Party of Labour 109 Dritëro Riza Kastrafillaku Party of Labour 110 Gjergji Ndreko Gupil Party of Labour 111 Meleg Neim Gupi Party of Labour KRUJA 112 Sadedin Shaqir Balla Democratic Party 113 Sulejman Dervish Disha Party of Labour 114 Fadil Abdulla Daci Party of Labour 115 Gëzim Mustafa Haxhiu Party of Labour 116 Hajdar Ismail Sinani Party of Labour 117 Agim Asim Mero Democratic Party 119 Mark Martin Nokaj Democratic Party KUKËSI 120 Islam Sinan Gjana Party of Labour 121 Gazim Ali Laçi Party of Labour 122 Muharrem Rexhep Mezini Party of Labour 123 Qemal Mustafa Elezi Party of Labour 124 Feim Dervish Tota Party of Labour (Continued on page 2)

On April 2, 1991, at around 7:30, various groups of people gathered in front of the headquarters of the Democratic Party branch in Shkodër and began shouting slogans , setting the building and its documents on fire. Two automatic rifles belonging to the operational guard and a police officer’s pistol arrived there. Thirteen police officers were wounded, two of them by firearms. Three people were killed and 11 others wounded. Employees of the Party of Labour Committee were also beaten and wounded, including the secretary of that Committee. and wounded, including the secretary of that Committee.

Yesterday, Albania’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sokrat Plaka, received U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Ivan Selin and the people accompanying him. During the meeting, satisfaction was expressed and the restoration of diplomatic relations between Albania and the United States of America was welcomed, along with the wish that Albanian-American relations advance and grow stronger in all areas of mutual interest. They also expressed their governments’ readiness to take steps as soon as possible to open their respective embassies in Tirana and Washington, and their conviction that this would play an important role in making bilateral relations concrete. Also yesterday, Deputy Minister Sokrat Plaka hosted a dinner at the “Dajti” Hotel in honor of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Ivan Selin. (ATSH)

Yesterday, the secretary of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Sihat Topi, received in one of the halls of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly the delegation of Romanian parliamentarians, who are in our country these days to observe the March 31 elections. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania in Tirana, Geor(ge) Miku, also took part in the meeting. After emphasizing the seriousness and propriety with which the March 31 elections were conducted in Albania, the Romanian parliamentarians extended to Comrade Sihat Topi an invitation from the Romanian Parliament to a gathering of parliamentarians from the Balkan countries, which will be held in Bucharest in May. The reception took place in a friendly atmosphere. (ATSH)

Yesterday, the foreign parliamentary delegations that had taken part in the pluralist elections of March 31 in Albania left our country: the parliamentary delegation of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, the Hungarian parliamentary delegation, and the delegation of the European Parliament of the European Community. They were seen off at Rinas Airport by senior officials of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and government departments. (ATSH)

STATEMENT Of the Central Committee of the PPSH Our Party will work to strengthen and further increase its ties with the people and the trust it enjoys among them in the struggle to put into practice the electoral program with which it came before the people. Some of our Party’s candidates did not win in several areas, particularly in the large cities. This reality shows that the Party’s work in these areas, especially its ties with the working class, the miners and the intelligentsia, have been weak. Among the candidates who did not win in Tirana was Comrade Ramiz Alia. This is an unexpected and unforeseen loss. But the fact that the majority of voters nationwide voted for the Party of Labour indisputably demonstrates that in the figure and personality of Comrade Ramiz Alia, the communists and the overwhelming majority of the people see and highly value the distinguished leader of the Party of Labour and the political personality—[text cuts off] program with which it came before the people. Our Party, within the framework of the functioning of the rule-of-law state, and for the stabilization of the political and economic situation in the country, expresses its willingness, alongside its total commitment and that of state bodies and organizations and the masses, to cooperate with all political forces in the interests of realizing the people’s interests and aspirations, and the freedom and independence of the homeland. The country needs unity, work, calm and vigilance. Therefore, the Central Committee of the PPSH calls on all those who have faith in the future to put all their strength into action and commit all their material and spiritual resources to the country’s development and progress. CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PPSH Tirana, 1.4.1991

Yesterday, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Administrative Affairs Ivan Selin arrived in our country for a visit. The delegation also includes Dagllas Langan, director of the Office of European and Canadian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, as well as Stjuart Spod, assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. They were received at Rinas Airport by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sokrat Plaka and officials of the ministry. Also present was Dejvid Suorts, head of the group of U.S. Department of State officials. (ATSH)