Operational data from the Central Election Commission Last night, at around 22:00, we received the following operational data on the results of the elections for candidates to the People's Assembly held on March 31: — cent of the areas. — PD candidates for deputy won in around 27 per cent of the areas. — Candidates of the «OMONIA» organization won in 3 areas. Elections will be repeated next Sunday in 14 areas, because none of the candidates won the required majority of votes. In another electoral area, in the district of Pogradec, the elections were not held because only one candidate appeared on election day. Elections in this area will be held for the first time in two weeks. By 22:00, the Central Election Commission had received accurate data from 14 districts. In the districts of Gramsh, Pukë, Tepelenë, Kukës, Librazhd, Përmet, and Pogradec, PPSH candidates for deputy won in all areas. Correspondent of «Zëri i popullit» The Party of Labour of Albania won a majority of seats in the next People's Assembly. Even in those areas where the PPSH did not win, around 40 per cent of voters voted for its candidates. This once again proved that the PPSH, with comrade Ramiz Alia at its head, is the country's leading Party and enjoys the people's confidence. The victory in the March 31 elections, he stressed, is important for the Party of Labour; it demonstrates its strength and vitality, and its ties with the masses. It will work energetically to justify and fully merit this victory by carrying out the electoral program with which it presented itself to the people. The candidates who lost on the PPSH side came mainly from three or four major cities. This reality shows that the Party's work in this area, especially with the working class, young people, and the intelligentsia, has been weak. Encouraged by this victory, the Party of Labour will pursue a course of comprehensive effort, including work to prepare the Program and Stat... ... for improving the overall situation in the country, express the will of our Party, comrade Xhelil Gjoni stressed, and place great responsibilities upon it. Regarding the work to overcome economic difficulties, comrade Xhelil Gjoni said that the foremost priorities are solving the problems of employment, food security, investment, etc. Asked how he explained the contradiction that the people voted for the Party of Labour and not for Ramiz Alia, he replied that the aim in this election had been to strike at the Party of Labour, but, as he had explained above, this was a victory for the Party of Labour of Albania with comrade Ramiz Alia at its head, the thinker, inspirer, and implementer of the deepening of the processes of democratizing life in Albania. Answering a question from the TG.2 correspondent (Telekhor-nale2), comrade Xhelil Gjoni stressed that our people love freedom and have contributed directly to peace by removing foreign military bases and denouncing the betrayal of Warsaw, etc. In response to a request for a message to our compatriots who recently left for Italy, comrade Xhelil Gjoni said: first of all, we send a message to the Italian people and government, who treated them humanely. We thank you for this. We feel sorry for them. Our state will take an interest in ensuring that they, too, can join our life. (ATSH) The victory of the Party of Labour. The candidate won an absolute majority of the votes. There were villages such as Vër-cishti, Seropulli, Delvina e Shqerisë, Komaraku, Beduqasi, etc., that voted 100 per cent for the candidates of the Party of Labour. These are the sons of Përmet who, with their ideal of true democracy, will represent the people of Përmet—the ideal that was conceived at the historic Congress of Përmet and has continued to develop and grow stronger. The people of Përmet also came to the March 31 elections with good achievements on the production front. The planned output of goods was completed at 105 per cent, export goods at 130 per cent, and repair services for the public at 103 per cent. Production and deliveries of milk, eggs, and vegetables have been increased. Likewise, the cooperative farmers are meeting their daily schedules for planting vegetables, tobacco, and beans, and for tending the crops in due order. PERPARIM MUSTAFAJ

— PPSH PRESS CONFERENCE — The Secretary of the Central Committee of the PPSH, comrade Xhelil Gjoni, held a press conference yesterday at the press center in Tirana for representatives of ATSH and Radiotelevizioni, journalists from press organizations and news agencies, newspapers, and foreign television stations that had covered the pluralist elections of March 31. At the beginning, comrade Xhelil Gjoni greeted the participants and said: I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak with you about some preliminary election results. In this electoral campaign, the ... which the next Congress will approve. The Party and its Central Committee, with comrade Ramiz Alia at its head, considering the stabilization of the political and economic situation an essential precondition for improving the overall situation in the country, express their willingness to cooperate with the opposition in the interests of fulfilling the people's interests and aspirations, and safeguarding the freedom and independence of the Homeland. The Party of Labour will work to use political pluralism for the benefit of the people, to open up a more optimistic future for a free society without exploitation, in which people can enjoy the fruits of their labour and happiness. Asked about its attitude toward the opposition, he replied that the PPSH supports cooperation with it and with all political forces working for the good of the people. The victory of our Party, comrade Xhelil Gjoni stressed, places great responsibilities upon us. said that the first priority is to solve the problems of employment and ensuring supplies of

A white, snow-filled breeze swept over the mountains of Dibër on Sunday morning. As had become customary over the years, people left their children asleep and headed for the polling stations. Then they returned to their work. In that interval between voting and working, you felt that everyone was lifting something from their shoulders. Tahiri Nezha was in bed. I knew Tahiri from when the SMT was cutting the first furrows in Dibër's new agriculture. The merits of the tractor-driver brigade leader must be acknowledged. “Please,” he told the members of the pluralist commission. “There is no need to get out of bed. I’ll tell you plainly: I will give my vote to the Party of Labour. There are many reasons, but the main reason is that I have great confidence in it; I have confidence in President Ramiz Alia, who is leading the Albanian people toward the democratization of life in the country.” In these elections there were people who “revealed” the secret of their vote. They said they had voted for the PP, the PD, the PR, and the other electoral subjects. There were also people who remained silent, respecting secrecy. Can you stop people from saying what they think or from keeping quiet? Such a fact constitutes a victory. Yesterday we wrote at the food-processing enterprise: the “secret” had got out. Dibër had voted for 11 PPSH candidates and one candidate of the National Committee of Veterans. Indeed, the candidate of the National Committee of Veterans, Haxhi Lleshi, had received the highest percentage of votes among all 12 winning candidates in Dibër's 12 areas. — DIBËR — The people have a wise saying: fruit-bearing trees are pelted with stones. That is what the voters of Gryka e Vogël said when the respected patriot from Dibër formed one of the first detachments of the National Liberation Anti-Fascist War: the Zogjejt Detachment. The people are the masters of the country. Their vote is an expression of this unquestionable sovereignty. At the food-processing enterprise, the quarterly plan was substantially exceeded, and the workers will receive a bonus for the overfulfilment earned through their own sweat. Xhelili, Afërdita, Merita, Festa... They have all thrown themselves wholeheartedly into the work. After victory, work begins. Only work leads to new victories. “The road to Europe,” comrade Ramiz Alia said at a meeting with voters, “passes through work and production.” ABDURRAHIM ASHIKU

— PERMET — Doctor Vangjel Çiçi put it beautifully: the candidates of the Party of Labour in Albania are working people. It was the free vote of the people in power that once again demonstrated our importance and the democracy they love so much. Our power has its roots in the pledge of loyalty we gave to the Party. The people of Përmet gave that pledge back in the Con-

— KOLONJE — Little Erseka has only one square, bearing the great name «Rilindja». All the people of Kolonjë, and all those illustrious men of Albania—Petro Nini Luarasi, Jani Vreto, Themistokli Gërmenji, Muço Qulli, and others—have rightfully brought this name here. This is the Kolonjë whose roots also gave rise to the ardent democrat Fan Noli. But did this small Kolonjë, when it came to the free pluralist elections of March 31, ...? Did Kolonjë’s people not go to every ballot box in all 88 polling stations, conscious also of this old tradition? Everyone voted freely, from Erseka to Radovickë, throughout all the villages included in electoral zone 93, and from Starja to Leskovik, in the villages included in electoral zone 94. On March 31, Kolonjë will see Erseka has just one small square, with a grand name, “Rilindja.” The people of Kolonjë, Themistokli Germenji, Muço Qulli and others—rightfully gave it this name. And it is here, in Kolonjë, that the ardent democrat Fan Noli has his roots. Yet when this small Kolonjë was put to the test of true national resistance during the years of the national liberation war, it had such distinguished sons as Skënder Çaci and Josif Pashko. Is this not a tradition, the same path, aligned with this broad, open road of democracy, of elections... Great beauty, Vangjel Çiçi: the candidates of the Party of Labour of Albania are people of work. The people’s free vote, in its strength, once again demonstrated our unity and the democracy they cherish so much. Our power is rooted in the besa we have pledged to the Party. The people of Përmet gave this besa at the historic Congress of Përmet. They showed it most clearly in the March 31 elections as well. The candidates of the PPSH that voted 100 percent for the candidates of the Party of Labour. These sons of Përmet, of Përmet—the ideal that took shape develop and grow stronger. The people of Përmet the production front as well. The planned production of goods was fulfilled at 105 percent, export goods at 130 percent, and repair services for the public at 103 percent. Production and delivery targets for milk, eggs and vegetables have been met. Likewise, the cooperative farmers are achieving for tending the crops in due order. The people of Përmet the production front as well. At all 88 polling stations, the people of Kolonjë, bearing also the responsibility of this old tradition? Everyone voted according to their free convictions, villages included in electoral zone 94. Kolonjë will mark March 31, like every district and every city, like every Albanian home, as a great day in its calendar. “May the days ahead be better”—a wish every person of Kolonjë makes for themselves and for all Albanians everywhere. PANDELI KORÇANI

- TROPOJE - “Who did you give your vote to, o Mal Mulosmani?” “And who else but the candidate of the Party of Labour, o Brahim Kadria?” This dialogue, which took place on Sunday morning, draws me into sitting together with Mal Mulosmani, Ibrahim Kadria and Isuf Haxhia, in the old community of Bajram Curri. The conversation turns once again to the elections. Mal puts it plainly: “The victory of the Party of Labour is beyond question—not because I am a communist, but because the people have long been bound to it by a besa, and this besa has stood the test for 50 years now. Neither has the Party broken its besa with the people, nor the people with the Party. We have plenty of work to do, but it is carried out with mutual fidelity.” As the conversation continues, it turns to the longstanding ties between Mal Mulosmani’s family and the Party of Labour and people’s power. His brother Jah Sali Mulosmani, the brave son of the Gjakova highlands and commander of the partisan battalion “Rinia,” did not spare himself—even giving his life for Albania in 1944. Mal’s father is ... (Continued on page 2)

Yesterday, the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Austrian parliamentary delegation, the Danish parliamentary delegation, the French parliamentary delegation, the German parliamentary delegation, the delegation of the group of American senator James Pell, the Czechoslovak delegation, the Finnish delegation, the Canadian delegation, the Swiss delegation, the Norwegian delegation, the Swedish delegation, the English delegation, the Turkish delegation, the Spanish delegation, and the delegations sent by political parties, who observed the elections held in Albania on March 31, left our country. At Rinas Airport they were seen off by senior officials of the Presidium of the People’s Council, the government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, government departments, parties and other organizations. (ATA)

The 12-14 Children’s Song Festival concluded last night. Songs were performed there ... in ... children... in ... main ... of ... ... At the end, ... song ... of ... our song ... words by Silvana Kabuçi and music by Zamir Brinja. (According to ATA)

A MERIT OF THE PEOPLE, A MERIT OF THE PARTY IN POWER — Impressions of foreign observers at the first pluralist elections — Press conference with the delegation of the Council of Europe, headed by Mr. MARSEL LENC CORNETT, chair of this delegation and vice-president of the Council of Europe, last night, with our editor SOKOL GJOKA. Europe consisted of 6 members of parliament, representing 6 different countries. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe now included 25 countries, taking into account Hungary and Czechoslovakia, which had recently joined it. Question: Mrs. Cornett, which country do you represent? Answer: I am from Luxembourg. Question: How did you learn about the election campaign beforehand, and how did you follow it? Answer: First, we met with representatives of the various political parties in your country, where we learned their views on the issues surrounding the March 31 elections. On the other hand, we also familiarized ourselves with the electoral framework on the basis of which these elections would be organized. Then, the process of ... (Continued on page 4)

Alongside the many foreign parliamentary delegations that came to Albania to observe the elections for the new Albanian parliament was a delegation of members of the Federal Assembly of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, headed by Mr. ROMAN ZELENAL, deputy minister in the Ministry of International Relations of the Czech Republic. SIKELQIM BEQAZI, editor of the Foreign Affairs section, sought to learn Mr. Zelenal’s views, as head of this delegation, on the elections in Albania. The and Slovak Federative Republic is pleased to have taken part as observers in the first pluralist elections in Albania. Pluralism of opinion is a very great achievement for Albania, because it did not exist before—not only in your country, but in ours either. Albanians, like Czechs and Slovaks, are small peoples who must move toward Europe, not by force and violence but peacefully. The changes in Czechoslovakia have been significant, but without the use of violence. I hope that positive changes here, too, will take place without violence. After this electoral process, there are opportunities for developing relations ... (Continued on page 4)

We do not want what is not ours and what we do not deserve. The people's decision, which will be expressed in their vote, is irrevocable for everyone. RAMIZ ALIA

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