We have gone through a period of unusual burdens. We had plenty of everything: political issues, economic difficulties, and hopes. The only thing that fell apart was the work in the departments, where people are paid a basic salary. Enough. We are at a stage of development where the initial impulses and initiatives come from above. Old norms, laws and practices are being overturned; powers are being devolved to the grassroots. But this is not enough. The working methods in the departments need an overhaul, a major shake-up. Unfortunately, we observe stagnation, a state of inertia that is justified and concealed by the circumstances of general uncertainty. A department is the state; it implements the laws of the state. Any partisan stance, before which we must not close our eyes, is harmful and impermissible. The sooner this turnaround is made, the better it will serve general democratization.

— An observation at the Ministry of Transport — Three directions dictated by the times: economic reform, the market economy. - Privatization of taxis, interurban transport routes between districts, and transport depots. - Transfer of technological transport activities and workers’ movements to the producers (oil, minerals, forests, agricultural enterprises, etc.). The study that has been carried out is being submitted for review by the departments. - Privatization in transport requires support with fuel, spare parts, aggregates, etc.—that is, from repair workshops, to assist the vehicles... What about the others?... These are the main directions on which working groups set up at the Ministry of Transport are working carefully. There are deadlines and rigor. We must be ready by the end of April. Excessive centralization makes you turn back on yourself to take another look at arrangements that until yesterday were considered perfect. But the day’s work is not limited to morning studies. Employees who have ‘forgotten’ their offices are now rushing from office to office. How much have the staff been on the move, and what have they resolved? In a word, where are the department’s employees? We have felt the concern and commitment to dispatch the food aid that has arrived at the Port of Durrës. This is the main objective, and words of praise are deserved for it. At the same time, work is under way to move export goods. Working groups, including the head of this department, can be found almost every day in Durrës, and others in Bulqizë, etc. But that is not all. There are other forces that cannot be budged from their daily home-to-office itinerary. It seems that nothing has changed for them. To do only two or three days of field work in a whole quarter means that you have merely ‘sniffed out’ the work and its problems. This issue was discussed with full seriousness, criticism and accountability at a meeting held by the department’s staff that day. We speak of business activity, yet the Directorate of Foreign Relations is holed up in its office, buried in papers that, one wonders, it does not set in motion. Enterprises and districts need ideas, suggestions, assistance, etc. Here they are, right down to the lower levels, where the text in the image is cut off. The districts bring their views, explanations, suggestions, etc., just as they also need the advice of a lawyer, which is judg- (Continued on page 2) of the Ministry of Transport. There are deadlines and strict requirements. They makes you return to the previous situation. Credit to the employees who have «forgotten» the offices and are grappling with everyday obstacles; the others should learn from them. A break is needed. Economic reform calls for a different way of working. Daily transport cannot be con- The reorganizations carried out in the countryside and in the food-industry enterprises called for a new approach from the employees of this ministry. New partners emerged: Enterprises in this system have inherited responsibilities in this field, such as collecting milk, pllaqi beans, fruit, etc. But under the new conditions, this experience needs to be expanded. Some immediately responded by changing contracts, which included— (Continued on page 2)

The beginning of the year seems to constitute a quiet period for the food-processing industry. Preparatory work for the new processing season is demanding. For example, the food industry is facing a decline in agricultural and livestock products, an increase in household plots in the countryside, changes in responsibilities, and the reorganization of enterprises in the relevant sectors. Clearly, the period cannot be called quiet. The steps taken to adapt to these changes depend on the activation of employees in the departments and at the grassroots. It is difficult to examine the work of a department in each of its constituent units separately, from the directorate down to every individual specialist. But conclusions can be drawn in certain specific areas. The reorganizations carried out in the countryside and in food-industry enterprises called for a new attitude from the employees of this department. New partners entered the picture: small cooperatives and individuals with produce from their household plots. Enterprises in this system have inherited experience in this field, such as collecting onions, plaki beans, fruit, etc. I ask my democratic comrade whether, regarding this categorical decision expressed in the article «After the Elections», Dr. Sali Berisha consulted the Democratic Party, whether a conference, an open meeting, or a meeting was held; this is not a simple issue that warrants an individual or group decision. What do the 80,000 members of the DP think, assuming they have counted them correctly and asked them? My comrade shrugs. He has read it in the newspaper, just as I have. At least RD does not report that the founding fathers, Mikel Foshnjari, speak...

— By Sedat Braja — A few days ago, a comrade from the Democratic Party came to the editorial office. Once, our views on many issues almost coincided. Even now, unlike some other comrades, I enjoy debating with him. Naturally, he respects his own convictions, but it seems to me that he respects others as well. I do not want to portray him, but I see in him a capable comrade, with a strong logical mind, knowledgeable about life, able to rise above a multitude of examples and draw general conclusions. The point is that both of us think things can be better as we discuss political, economic and future prospects in general. He is the same comrade he has always been; nothing special has happened to his character or his outlook. He continues to keep his distance from pettiness and the use of pressure, violence and vandalism. Of course, we disagree on many things. We both give way to each other, sincerely and without hypocrisy. We leave it to life to put things to the test, and when the opportunity arises to meet again, we will have one more or one less argument... Taking my comrade as a point of departure, I wished the opposition to the Party of Labour were like this too. The day after the Democratic Party was formed, we experienced a somewhat strange feeling of amusement. A second party alongside the existing one was not as unacceptable as we had thought. Other parties were formed after it. Now the «social-democratic» party is expected to be approved too, but it no longer provokes the feeling of opposition and anxiety that the Democratic Party did. It seems people get used to pluralism. It is true that tensions and pressures have increased along with it, and arguments have spread even into families. Calm has been disrupted, but it is in the hands of all sides to restore it to the people as soon as possible and not let this last. This may be counted as a loss, but we think, on the contrary, that it is a great victory for pluralism and democracy. Continued calm only makes one fat and sleepy. The point is to tire our nerves and muscles, but through fruitful and useful work. In this process, in these efforts, let the most capable, the best, win. This is what our people wish for their deputies, regardless of party affiliation. Let the calm of the Assembly be disturbed so that the country’s situation may improve. Yet, on the eve of this eagerly awaited event, the view is being propagated through Dr. Sali Berisha’s article that the DP cannot form a coalition with the Party of Labour. Mikel Foshnjari, speak for the stance of the Democratic Party, or of the DP. Is this democracy?! The arguments given below can also serve only someone’s careerist interests or the malicious advice of those who wish to destroy the Party of Labour. Dr. S. Berisha made these statements before the elections too, before the «manipulations» and the events in Shkodër had taken place. It seems that, then, confident of victory and a majority in the elections, he was seeking the complete elimination of the Party of Labour. Now, with this statement repeated, he is seeking the same thing, but from a more difficult position. We think this is not opposition but confrontation—not against the Party of Labour, but against the highest body of state power and the voters who cast their ballots. This game is now being played with the laws, with morality, and with the people’s minds. Everyone is an eyewitness to how the elections were held. But above all, the official records were signed as valid by hundreds of members and sympathizers of the Democratic Party who served on the commissions. Does the DP not even trust its own representatives, relying instead only on the wishes of certain leaders who do not want to share power but want all of it? Pluralist experience may be lacking, but the people’s decency and honesty are not. Someone may think they are insulting the Party of Labour by accusing it of manipulation, but forget that they are offending the people even more gravely by calling them «ignorant» and «uncultured», as though they could not understand that they were being deceived (1). The opposition certainly has the right to object, but not to speculate, insult and accuse. Nevertheless, after the words have been spoken comes the true test of the devil: the work. We think this is the opposition’s weakest point, and from here its disappointment will gradually arise. Every day the conviction grows stronger that the DP leaders take on no responsibility; on the contrary, they seek to bring work to a halt. Is that what people elected them for, or did the people cast their votes for them?! As is clear, in a race to win there are only two possibilities: to move faster so as to overtake the other, or to trip up the comrade who is ahead so that you yourself come first. These two paths distinguish the moral struggle of the opposition. We say moral, not honest, because the latter represents a narrower, more restrictive concept of pluralism. We are beginners in this struggle and are learning with difficulty. We look for mistakes in others and not in ourselves. We are convinced of something ourselves and seek to persuade the other person too, often with explanations rather than convincing arguments. We think this is not opposition and brotherhood, but confrontation. Such attitudes do not serve progress; on the contrary, they become an obstacle to work and to the democratic climate itself.

AND SO FEW VEGETABLES. Spring has now arrived, and the trees have blossomed and are setting fruit. The farmer waits for days like these. It is a fact that nature is helping us too. Let us make use of it. People work on their own private plots; they do not need mobilization calls. Yet in the cooperatives and agricultural sections, the managers and specialists are still asleep. Meanwhile, in the Ministry of Agriculture, in its corridors and offices, some continue to «sleep» over documents and reports. Who will wake them, I wonder? There is no abundance, nor is there more than a year ago. Queues follow you almost everywhere, in every private and state outlet. In the days covered by this article, we were pleased to get (those who got them) two kilos of refrigerated plums, one or two kilos of spinach or chard, a bunch of lettuce, onions or garlic. High prices seem not to suit us city dwellers. We will complain for a while longer, until production increases. These are the first signs of a miniature market economy. But who is producing more vegetables? Anyone can see: the villagers, on their private plots. They are not waiting for advice or mobilization calls from the heads of farms, the agricultural sections or the Ministry of Agriculture. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture’s offices continue to buzz with political debate. Many agricultural enterprises and agricultural sections are tied up in offices! Where there is the least work, the loudest voices are heard about bureaucracy and bloated staffing. But where are these people who go unnoticed? Later we will look more specifically and try to find them together. I glance at the Ministry of Agriculture’s figures and see that sunflower sowing has still not been completed. In the district of Sarandë, only 13 percent has been sown! Meanwhile, the deadline has passed. Only 24 percent of beans have been sown, while in their own gardens the villagers have almost finished planting. They were not held back by bad conditions, the prolonged drought, or even the lack of material supplies so often cited as excuses. In fact, the excuses are made by managers and specialists in the agricultural enterprises, then by the agricultural sections, and all the way up to the directorates of the Ministry of Agriculture. This attitude has been noticeable in this department for some time. During the last five or six months, many of its employees have done little beyond lingering over the ploughing; nothing could better excuse the marked backwardness in ploughing and the sowing of corn and tobacco, which is only 9 percent complete. There are not just one or two, but dozens of reports prepared by the agricultural section and the trade section in Tirana, by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade, all and solely about vegetables. So many letters, so many files, so many salaried employees. If only the vegetable market were just as plentiful. In the Ministry of Agriculture alone, three or four specialists deal with vegetables; in the districts and elsewhere there are two each. One of the reports at the Ministry of Agriculture says: «To overcome this unsatisfactory situation, the Executive Committee of the Tirana District People’s Council, Region No. 4 and the departments have not done the necessary work...». For a moment I think this conclusion was drawn by a higher body, by the Government. But only for a moment, because the report was prepared by specialists from the department and the Tirana Executive Committee. Once again, the same thing and the same practice continue to be used to excuse failures to meet targets: «The heads of agricultural enterprises have not properly assessed the problem of production and supply, they have fallen short on two tasks, and have not assigned specific responsibility,» it is said in the replies and at meetings. But who needs all this? Will this continue to be the case— (Continued on page 2)

As part of the general reform of the BPSH, yesterday the national conference to establish the Trade Union Federation of Transport Workers was held in the hall of the «Niko Bellojani» workers’ rest home in Durrës. Participants included delegates and representatives from all districts, elected by the trade union councils of transport depots, seaports, railway regions, road-maintenance enterprises, the merchant fleet, vehicle workshops, etc. The Federation was founded at the conference. It is tasked with seeking improvements to the laws; guaranteeing its members’ right to work; securing their wages and other compensation; reducing working hours; and ensuring and improving their working conditions, living conditions and health. At the conference, questions were raised and discussions held about the draft statute, the duties of the Federation’s trade union councils, their powers, and relations with other federations within the country and abroad, etc. The conference elected the Federation’s governing bodies. Engineer Luan Luzi was elected Chairman of its Council. (According to ATSH)

— At the «Enver Hoxha» Autotractor Combine, Tirana — Three months have passed since the beginning of the year. Nevertheless, in the combine’s factories and workshops, these days feel like a fresh start, like a gathering of strength to get fully to work. The truth is, work is being done here, perhaps as in no other collective in Tirana’s industrial sector. Nevertheless, in the combine’s factories and workshops, these days feel like a fresh start, like a gathering of strength to get fully to work. The truth is, work is being done here, perhaps as in no other collective in Tirana’s industrial sector. It is not that this collective is spared, or exempted from, the major shortages of raw materials. But everywhere you find a shared understanding and a common attitude toward the events that have swept the country and the challenges we must face in democratic development. And everything possible is being done to ease and support this development. A simple fact: Foundry No. 3 is feeling the shortage of cast iron acutely. It comes from Durrës, but of 700 tons, only 180 tons have arrived. This is wholly inadequate. The shortage could leave the foundry workers without work, but also those at the mechanical plants, and then many contractors as well. The effects are felt everywhere, link by link. Yes, there are shortages, as everyone knows. But Mikel Foshjnari, the head of this foundry, speaks of something else. What have they done at this foundry? They set up a team to collect scrap and cast-iron pieces, inside and outside Tirana, to supply the other foundry workers and help them get through this period of shortages. This has kept 60–70 percent of the foundry’s workforce occupied. Workers, as many examples from these days show, want to have as much work as possible and achieve greater output. In fact, a few days ago, when a representative of the PD called for a strike, workers at one department rejected the call. «Are you going to pay us for the workday? No. Then we want to work; we have families to support. The workday is very precious to us,» they replied. Even if it is said that only a small number of the employees in this section were present, this was also seen by the foreign journalists and reporters who came and went at the combine that day. So this collective—and perhaps not only this one—values work for many reasons, and it is entirely unfair to criticize them for not working. At the combine, workers come to work every day and wait for supplies. From March 13 to 27, when there was no shortage of glass sand, as brigadier Riza Masha says, no one was absent from the workshop either. There is a particular concern in what people discuss at the combine, a concern that can be summed up in the words of Spiro Feshti, chief engineer of the steel foundry: «If you sort out the supply of goods to the market, bring me raw materials, and put the incentive-pay policy in order, I’ll concern myself only with work policy. Only this kind of language gets through to the workers,» says the chief engineer. Many others say the same: alongside the market, just as much thought must be given to supplying production sectors with raw materials. The collective itself can do what it can, but the main thing—the large-scale supply of materials—is in the hands of the ministry and the government.

Little movement on supplying the population — KUKËS — As you go around the commercial outlets in Kukës, it is easy to notice the marked differences among them in meeting the needs of the citizens. Without dwelling on every outlet, let us focus on the main fruit-and-vegetable shops. A familiar sight, local residents say: there are only a few jars of compote in the display window. At one of the outlets, the long queue grows even longer as people wait for a delivery of potatoes. Are there no potatoes in Kukës? asks the newcomer in surprise, bearing in mind that Kukës is among the country’s leading producers and is well known for its abundance of this food. How is that possible? They say that in Shishtavec and in the other cooperatives in the highland area, potatoes are in storage, but they are not being brought to the city market. What a shame. Wouldn’t it be only human for trade workers to act swiftly and bring in at least this food, which is available within the district, during these April days when other vegetables are also in short supply? There are potatoes on the «black» market. So the farmer or the city trader gets moving and brings the goods into town, while the state enterprise, with its whole administrative apparatus, gets stuck. I am not saying whether private traders, some of whom are even called profiteers, should or should not be allowed to do this; I feel sorry for the city resident who cannot become a buyer because the trading enterprise has neither traders nor trained staff. Ask at the trade section of the district executive committee of the KP. They say there are efforts to obtain vegetables from the lowland areas. Where will they get them? Apparently, they have no contracts for these. What will tomorrow bring at the shops in Kukës? At the trade section they say the situation will improve, since planting has been done. So be it. There must be action, and the crops must reach the market and go to every family as food for the people. People’s essential needs today demand action.

— KORÇË — In the district of Korçë, the reorganization of enterprises is continuing, with the creation of smaller units. To date, in light and food industry, separate organizational units have been established: the cotton-spinning enterprise, the enterprise for various products in Bilisht, the meat collection and processing enterprise, the milk collection and processing enterprise, the beer production enterprise, the alcoholic beverage production enterprise, and the canned-goods production enterprise. Following approval by the district executive committee of the KP, proposals have been sent to the ministry for the further division of the knitwear combine into three units: the spinning factory, the enterprise for producing platines and qepllëpareve, and the knitwear production enterprise. A proposal has also been sent for approval to divide the grain collection and processing enterprise into two units: the flour production enterprise and the bread-and-pasta production enterprise.

Orientation: toward work — At the «Enver Hoxha» Auto-Tractor Combine, Tirana — Three months have passed since the beginning of the year. Nevertheless, in the factories and ... ... for good reason, and it is quite unfair to direct criticism at them for slackness.