From 15 April to 15 May, meetings to report on work and hold elections will take place in the Party of Labour's basic organizations and at its conferences in regions and districts. This is the principal current activity, which will help bring about the Party's comprehensive reform and renewal and strengthen it. As has been the practice until now, elections in the basic organizations of the Party of Labour are held annually. From this perspective, it may seem that there is nothing particular about them. But that is only the outward appearance. At the last elections, we had only one party, the Party of Labour. Now there are several, around which their members and sympathizers have gathered. Until just a few months ago, we were the only political force; now we are not only no longer the sole one, but we interact with the opposition. We are therefore in the particular political conditions of a multiparty pluralist democracy. But even beyond the most obvious differences, these are not the only particulars. Perhaps the most important of the others, and the one that will determine the Party of Labour itself, is the sum of the internal factors in the Party, its structures, especially its substance and, then, its organization. The Party of Labour, with Comrade Ramiz Alia at its head, embarked some time ago on the path of reforming itself, as a condition for undertaking democratic reforms much more quickly. The Party entered this path determined to achieve profound renewal, as a first condition not merely for adapting to the development of life, but for confronting life and preserving the place it is entitled to in life and society. Today it is indeed no longer the sole political force, but there is no reason why it should not retain a place of honour among the others. Nothing, objectively or subjectively, stands in the way. It is enough for Party members and basic organizations to understand these changes in life deeply, to fight for them as democrats, with particular determination and a readiness for change, accompanied by complete conviction and faith in the Party of Labour. This is the path the Party of Labour will follow in the elections that are about to take place. The new elections for the Party of Labour's organizations and conferences bring with them the hope of its reform and renewal. The question arises here of where this electoral process will lead and what conclusions will emerge from it. This is an important matter, of which we must all be aware and about which we must be resolute. The Party of Labour's organizations can therefore do a great deal. In their analyses they will learn more clearly what responsibility they have to act collectively, in their villages, in the city neighbourhoods and elsewhere, so that a situation of work—and work alone—is fully restored. This is the only absolutely essential condition for bringing benefits, filling the market, increasing incomes and improving well-being. Nothing prevents Party of Labour members from doing this forcefully and without hesitation, and from opposing those forces, whoever they may be, that not only fail to call for work but instead call for its opposite, and that not only fail to call for order and discipline but submit petitions for disorder. The whole people want work, whichever political force is in power. The people want order and peace. The people have no better way of showing their confidence in the Party of Labour than through the elections to the People's Assembly. This is well-deserved trust, but two new, much greater challenges are emerging. During the election campaign in some districts, we saw that some Party committees had worked poorly, with a faint and delegated programme and serious shortcomings. Is this how things will continue? No, they will not. These elections are a general undertaking for the entire Party and all its members, wherever they are, in accordance with the very clear and advanced programme of the Party of Labour. This year, the Party organizations in enterprises and cooperatives will be reorganized. This will help consolidate the forces of the Albanian Party of Labour in these units. The practice of decentralizing and dispersing them among enterprises, brigades, etc., is something that needs to be corrected, since it is not serving its purpose adequately. What matters, however, is that the Party of Labour organization in every enterprise and industrial complex, made up of elected people with an unblemished standing in social life, should see itself as an organized force and shape opinion in accordance with state regulations, which express the will of the people, and with the programme of the Party of Labour. This is a primary task that Party of Labour members must and can fully accomplish. This time, on 30 May, we also await the 10th Congress of the Albanian Party of Labour. This too is a distinctive feature. It will be an extraordinary congress because of the answers it will give to today's political and social circumstances. It will serve to strengthen the Party further by establishing new ties between it and its members; it will help sustain the Party's sense of responsibility, thought, initiative and action. Soon we will also become acquainted with the draft programme and draft statute of the Albanian Party of Labour. These two documents will be discussed responsibly in the basic organizations so that they may truly become the property of the whole Party before their final approval at the Congress. Let these six weeks serve to prepare for these historic events through very, very hard work and genuine dedication, as committed citizens inspired by ideals of a free, democratized society with equality and social peace. Let us, then, await the Congress by rising to our feet as one to restore civic life and stability to the people; to put the economy right by applying ourselves to work; and to clarify people's vision of the future. The Party of Labour, together with its members and the honest, ordinary people of the country, has every opportunity to do this.

We all have the highest patriotic duty to our voters As one of the oldest members of parliament, a seventy-four-year-old elected at the proposal of the entire population of electoral zone No. 191 Koplik-Buzë-Ujli-Loke-Lug i Shkrelit-Bogë, in the first pluralist legislature of the People's Assembly in the history of the Albanian people, under a fully democratic electoral law, I believe I must make an appeal arising from the most legitimate demand of the entire Albanian people: that the People's Assembly, in this historic session, act with the greatest possible sense of responsibility and, in the shortest possible time and with the fairest consensus of all sides and all deputies, fulfil—both collectively and individually—the sublime obligations imposed on it by the exceptional moment in which we live and the path of democratization we have embarked upon and must pursue together. and to the entire Albanian nation: we must not allow any of us to join factions that would obstruct and disrupt the normal work of this session. Instead, we must open the most democratic paths for them to choose, in the most pluralist manner, the constitutional, governmental and legislative measures so urgently needed to normalize as soon as possible the functioning of productive, educational and institutional processes. For the sake of party ambitions or any programmatic disagreement, no deputy should allow himself to join factions or obstruct the work of this body and thereby block the work of the People's Assembly. No pretext can justify an intention to hinder, block or sabotage the adoption of the first democratic Constitution through the normal process, because it will regulate the pluralist life of our country, a new way of life introduced into our processes of Europeanization and internationalization, which are so vital and necessary to us, and will establish for these achievements our own constitutional state governed by law, the only state suited to this solution. All disagreements and all alternatives should be left to the rules and procedures established for that purpose. Nevertheless, these figures are by no means the first and only measure of a trade worker's duty. Ensuring a variety of food and industrial goods, quality, and a culture of service are the main criteria. [column text is unclear] No deputy or parliamentary group should be prevented from raising the most varied issues and seeking solutions to them through the appropriate channels. The continuation of parliamentary proceedings is itself a demand of the entire Albanian people, so that we may fulfil our fundamental task of establishing that sacred constitutional state governed by law, capable of normalizing our political, economic and social life. I consider this the fundamental duty of the 250 elected deputies, and I appeal to them all not to hesitate for a moment, but to set to work with all our energy as responsible representatives, each answerable both to the electorate of their own district and to the entire people and nation, without distinctions between parties or political groups. At this moment, and on these fundamental issues, cooperation and collaboration stand above all other programmatic or ideological, partisan or social considerations. I repeat this as the most sublime demand of the whole people and the whole nation: let us gather in the Assembly, in our twelfth legislature, each deputy in their place and each with their own conscience, as the voice of their electorate and of the whole people, and as the voice of history itself; let us adopt the Constitution and establish our constitutional state governed by law; let us give Albania, at this decisive moment in its destiny, what our voters entrusted us with their votes to accomplish. CUN JONUZI, deputy for electoral zone No. 191 - Shkodër

“Please; I am speaking to you as the director of these institutions and as a citizen. My colleagues, doctors, and all of you assistant doctors and nurses: in the morning, as soon as you cross the hospital threshold, take off your party coat and put on the white coat.” FROM ONE DISTRICT TO ANOTHER The white coat “Please; I am speaking to you as the director of these institutions and as a citizen. My colleagues, doctors, and all of you assistant doctors and nurses: in the morning, as soon as you cross the hospital threshold, take off your party coat and put on the white coat. The sick are all people of this nation, and all of them need your care, without distinction. Whether you belong to the Party of Labour, the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, etc., should not make even the slightest difference in the care patients receive. This is advice, and even more than that, an order that must be obeyed.” That is what the director of the hospital unit in the Korçë district, Gaqo Kane, said to his colleagues and the entire staff a few days ago, following several reports of unacceptable conduct in caring for patients. I heard these words and they stayed in my memory. On 15 April, as I followed the first session of the People's Assembly, I made this analogy: “You members of parliament, members of political parties, do not forget that you are representatives of the people. They, and they alone, decided that you should go there. As a citizen, I ask you, in the name of this representation, here in this great and important assembly, to observe parliamentary hygiene and put on the white coat, because Albania, like a sick person who needs fresh blood and renewal, needs your care, without exception.” KOSTAQ DUKA

- KORÇË - Seriousness in cooperation, disciplined work and high quality are among the basic conditions for successful cooperation with foreign firms. There are examples in the Korçë district that demonstrate this. Thus, the arrival of work at the shoe factory's department for stitching uppers on behalf of the Italian firm «Adelchi» provides assurance for further expansion of the cooperation and the establishment of a joint enterprise in the future. The Greek firm «Damos» initially brought only 25 sewing machines to a department of the knitwear combine for sewing children's knitwear. Finding the workers serious in their work, and seeing that this also accorded with the city's tradition, it expanded production within a few months, bringing in 200 machines as well. In addition, it set up a printing section, a process the workers have mastered to a high standard. The firm is willing to expand cooperation into other production departments within the combine, too. The workers in the NPA department, who sew women's blouses for the Greek firm «Beul», also deserve high praise. The blouses produced here meet the quality requirements of the foreign market, to which they are sent by this firm. PANDELI KORÇARI

Young female musicians (Photo: N. Xhufka)

This was the picture of Albania's first pluralist parliament the day before yesterday. The Democratic Party deputies were absent. Will it be the same today? This too is a mystery, because the statement by Democratic Party deputy Neritan Ceka confirms the threat that parliament will be suspended until those responsible for the events following the elections at the beginning of this month in Shkodër have been identified. Will the investigative commission manage to examine these matters before 17:00, when parliament is due to meet? Or might parliament not meet at all? If no answer is reached, perhaps the Democratic Party deputies will respond positively to the question put by deputy Adit Carcani in his opening speech, when he said: “...we are well placed in the People's Assembly, in a pluralist Parliament, to consider and seek solutions to other painful and undesirable events as well...” Is this what happened in Shkodër? The mystery remains unsolved, so it would seem like playing the prophet to say that “only this” or “only that” will happen. Perhaps one thing can be said with greater certainty: if the absence of the Democratic Party deputies is repeated, the void will be even greater, not only inside the parliamentary chamber but outside it as well. And there is a simple reason for this: democracy has no time for confrontation; it has time for reconciliation and unwavering commitment to uncovering the facts. As I said, democracy has no time to lose; nothing should remain undiscovered, and those responsible must be identified. The scandal lies in the fact that the accusations are inaccurate and baseless, and not even a drop of blood should be shed. Our democracy, at home and abroad, must not be misunderstood; all political forces have every opportunity to bring others to support them, to make Albania what it deserves to be, to make the lives of Albanians what they want them to be, to carry Albania forward in freedom and with dignity, and to let democracy's wings guide them through life and in honour of the nation. And in Shkodër, there is still not enough brought to light, it seems to me that... The General Party and its chairman must be held accountable. And where better than in parliament to demand accountability from them? Where better than in parliament to learn the practice of parliamentary pluralism? Did you notice the other day the conduct of the Omonia deputy? Did you notice? And did you notice how, on this occasion, a Party of Labour deputy, evidently realizing his mistake, apologized and proposed that he too join the call to the Democratic Party deputies? And rightly so. Let us hope that today will be different from the day before yesterday. Let us believe that all the deputies will be in their places, aware of their historic responsibility to all Albania. Let us hope that priority will be given to the issue of the events in a pluralist parliament, so that the people will know that their representatives have provided clear public service, as well as addressing other matters that have not been singled out, as party members do.

In conversation with Gjergji Basho, head of the trade sector in the Pogradec district, In conversation with Gjergji Basho, head of the trade sector in the Pogradec district The first quarter was completed by the trade employees of the Pogradec district with the target for the turnover of goods—and therefore the supply of the people—exceeded. The newspapers, too, have drawn attention to the premium attached to this assessment of the fulfilment of targets. Nevertheless, these figures are by no means the first and only measure of a trade worker's duty. Ensuring a variety of food and industrial goods, the quality and the culture of service are the main criteria. This is what not only trade employees think. At district level, a headquarters has been set up to oversee supply, especially trade supply, with managers from production enterprises also taking part. Through this, among other things, ... (Continued on page 2)

Yesterday, at the National Historical Museum in the capital, the «8 Nëntori» Publishing House and the Albania-Great Britain Friendship Association organized the presentation of the book «The Burden of the Balkans and Other Works» by the renowned English researcher, historian and publicist Miss Edit Durham. It contains excerpts from six of her books, in which the English researcher writes sympathetically about the Albanians and their ancient history and culture. Those attending the event included employees of the publishing press, members of the Albania-Great Britain association, researchers from the Institute of Linguistics and Literature and the Institute of History, guests from the League of Writers and Artists, the National Library, lecturers at the University of Tirana, journalists, artists, young men and women, etc. (Continued on page 3)