Yesterday in the People’s Assembly — FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS — Yesterday’s session began at 10:00. At the outset, deputy Gramoz Rucaj asked to speak. He asked the members of the Presidium to allow him, at the end of the morning session, to inform the deputies at this meeting of the People’s Assembly about several events that had taken place in recent days in the cities of Shëngjin, Lezhë and Shkodër. Then PD deputy Agim Mero made another request, concerning the deputies’ being given access to the letters, telegrams and other materials that had arrived in recent days from the people and individuals, addressed to the People’s Assembly. Before discussion of the articles had even begun, another point was raised: during the previous day’s proceedings, more than three hours had been lost to interventions and issues unrelated to the approved procedure. As can be seen, despite the good efforts and spirit of understanding prevailing at the meeting of the People’s Assembly, there is room to speed things up without in any way undervaluing the opinions of the deputies, which are being reflected, faithfully and accurately, in the articles being approved. Making rational use of time does not mean undervaluing—deputies of the Party of Labour, Femi Avdiu, Ismail Lleshi, Halil Elezi, Dritëro Agolli, Xhelil Gjoni, Fatos Nano and others, discussed their duties and made observations. Valuable views and suggestions were also offered by PD deputies such as S. Berisha, E. Mysliu, Y. Vejsiu and others. Speakers dwelt at length on the duties to be assigned to the commissions attached to the People’s Assembly. Regarding the issue—already discussed at almost every Assembly session—of which body RTSH, ATSH and the other information media would be subordinate to, the deputies agreed that a separate addition should be made to Article 15. The article in question was approved after being worded as proposed by deputy Y. Vejsiu. Deputies also proposed and formulated views on Article 20, which concerns the duties of a deputy of the People’s Assembly. Deputies Namik Dokle and Femi Avdiu of the Party of Labour, and G. Pashko, F. Ferizaj and A. Mero of PD, engaged in a debate marked by disagreement. The first session ended with this article, which was approved by a majority vote. At the second session, Articles 21 and 22 were discussed. The separate paragraph concerning the deputy’s immunity was discussed; the views expressed were in principle in agreement. When put to a vote, it was approved by more than two-thirds of the votes. Comments and observations were also made on Article 26. They were not fundamental. The interpretation given by Party of Labour deputy Fatos Nano was considered correct by an absolute majority of the deputies. Article 27, which sets out the powers of the President of the Republic, was debated point by point. The suggestions of deputies V. Doda, Sh. Korbeci, S. Berisha, N. Roshi, A. Shqalësi, M. Mezini, F. Avdiu and others were approved. Article 27 was approved with the relevant amendments. At the close of the session, deputies Gramoz Pashko and Fatos Nano proposed that proceedings be suspended and resumed on Monday. Quite a few PD deputies supported this proposal. However, most deputies did not agree. It is not right, they said, to take things slowly in these circumstances. The people expect us to work more and resolve the problems before us as quickly as possible, so that the country can get onto the right track. When the proposal was put to a vote, most deputies agreed that the Assembly should continue its work. It will resume today at 10:00. BASHKIM KOÇI MUSA ULQINI … not to deal with it in the same … [damaged line] … thing was entirely correct. The debates and the putting forward of opinions over more than an hour on Article 24 show that, in general, the proceedings were moving slowly. The deputies then moved on to discuss Article 25. Deputies including I. Lleshi, G. Ruli, S. Berisha, Xh. Gjoni, Q. Disha and others expressed their views. … of the trade… [the text at the upper edge is cut off] … permeates speed things up without in any way underestimating the opinions of the deputies, which, in their truthfulness and accuracy, are being reflected in the articles being approved. Using time rationally does not mean underestimating the issues being raised. This is especially true when a request to be more productive is viewed as ill-intentioned, as was that of PD deputy N. Ceka, who called it an attempt to put the Assembly meeting under «barracks rules». Discussion of Article 18 began with two proposals, by PD deputies N. Kariqi and A. Hajdari, the latter suggesting that it be put to a vote for approval. However, opposing views emerged on the matter. Deputies A. Baleta, A. Imami, J. Ferizaj, and others raised objections, one of which also concerned the procedure for putting proposals to a vote. It is clear that time was being spent—realistically speaking. The intervention by Ahmet Kamberi, a Labor Party deputy, urging that the same issues not be revisited so many times, seemed justified to us, despite being opposed by PD deputy T. Molasi, who asked deputies to show more «cool-headedness and wisdom», since they were dealing with laws. Article 18 was, of course, approved by more than two-thirds of the votes, but some of the views put forward by the deputies made the time unproductive. Discussion of Article 19, which concerns the Permanent and Temporary Committees of the People’s Assembly, and… … was approved by a majority vote, and the first session was adjourned. In specific paragraphs concerning, for example, deputies’ immunity, legislative initiative, etc., the deputies came up with apt formulations, which led to their approval by… … the discussion of Article 25. Deputies such as etc., expressed their views,

After an initial disappointment (let the reader judge whether I am right or not), at last we have seen a real assembly, equal to the will of our long-suffering people. Never has the People’s Assembly been more serious, more competent, more emancipated, more united. Yes, united, because there are no applause or slogans; instead, it seems to me that a desire prevails: from a diversity of viewpoints emerges a shared outlook, even unanimity. In making these assessments, I do not forget that there, as representatives of the people, are people with entirely different political convictions. Nevertheless, they manage to agree on what matters most to an Albanian: they are making the laws of the Albanian state as sons of this country, casting off their political convictions and holding firmly to one north star—today’s and tomorrow’s Albania, ready and eager to enter the European currents. Never have I seen an assembly so young, not only in age but especially in its thinking. When has a deputy come to “fight” in the assembly even over a word, even over a sentence, over a clarification or correction? When has one come to the assembly “armed” with foreign constitutions and well-known documents of international law, to compare everything against them as a representative of the people, in order to be as convincing and as contemporary as possible? Have we not, in the past, heard in the assembly so many standard speeches, in whose rows of words perhaps even the deputy reading them in front of the hall and the cameras was looking for the first time? When, then, have we seen an assembly like this one, which … our … and Zylot and Demkat? It is not for me to evaluate one deputy or another—their culture, convictions and perseverance, tolerance and clarity of explanation. They have come with great seriousness to lay the first foundations of the rule of law, of the democratic Albania we want to build. It is understandable that, among others, the lawyers stand out. What a pity that this first pluralist Albanian assembly has so few legal specialists. This is the only criticism I can barely bring myself to voice, because I know: where the law reigns, those who violate it are suffocated. But it seems to me that there are many politicians with civic concern there, and very few bystanders or sleep-inducing armchair-sitters. As in a real war, where tactics and strategy are devised, when reconnaissance is carried out to take every hill and every ridge, every problem and every path, so it seems to me that the deputies, with the will of the people, are laying, in an Albanian spirit, the foundations for the new basic law of our state—beloved Albania. And I have one conviction: this is how it will continue! Above every order given to them stands the order of the nation’s conscience. ALBERT SHALA

As you enter the village of Vlanë these days, a real renewal of the village catches your eye. I was here a few years ago, and now it seems many things have changed. You see new houses going up everywhere; the neighbourhoods have been beautified with new buildings full of large windows. This is a sign that people want progress, seek it and achieve it. It is a rapid transformation that catches the eye not only of visitors but also of local people. Together with the director of the Kukës repair and services enterprise, who has come to inspect the carpentry, shoemaking and other workshops, we go inside them and notice that good work has been done, although the premises where these services are provided are more modest than the services themselves. “We’ll fix them up,” says the director. “I am sure of it, because the rapid developments in this village call for it, and livestock farming supports it. That is why it is right that even today he should receive more from the cooperative, so that the person who works better and takes greater care benefits and increases livestock production as well. Even though we are in this remote village in the Has area, we find the force of industrial development. The chrome mine has opened; work continues on the main … and on the excavation of the new shaft by the mining-construction enterprise. We meet the head of the mine section, engineer Ramazan Bajraktari, a modest, calm young man who is competent in his work. He says matter-of-factly: ‘For the period, we have fulfilled the production plan by 106 per cent, while mining works are at 111 per cent. Things have gone well for us. People are working. Here is the work team led by Miftar Sokoli, a secondary-school-educated foreman who has been in the mine for 10 years. They work as well as anyone could. I can tell you about the miners Sherif Gradica, Zekë Ahmetaj, Shagir Kraja and others. They work because they love their work.’ I interrupt the engineer and ask him: what is the pay like for these workers? He says, ‘It is satisfactory; I can say they earn as much as a minister, or more, in addition to the free food provided here.’ This encourages work and the organization itself. Also in the bri- … properly, the director says. «I am convinced that the rapid developments in this village call for it.» Everyone in this village is delighted these days. We speak with several cooperative members. They are pleased with the measures taken to improve the household plot. Something sets this village apart from others and catches our attention. The cooperative members tell us that each family has been given as many small livestock animals by the cooperative as it had contributed to the collective flock of small livestock. They explain that the person who contributed more not only gave more to the cooperative, but also proved that… (Continued on page 2)

Information given to the People’s Assembly by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Gramoz Ruçi On 25 April 1991, at around 10:00, a crowd of about 700 people surged towards the port of Shëngjin. The border forces at Shëngjin tried to stop them, firing live rounds and warning shots into the air, but they could not halt the crowd, whose members eventually also took simple means of transport with them. Following changes in the actions of the Public Order guards, after 10:00 citizens from Shkodër, Krujë and Lezhë also began gathering in the town of Shëngjin, because they had been informed about the good technical condition of the ships. Rumours circulated in Shkodër that the ferry would come to take the young people of Shkodër. At around 11:00, these groups and other citizens of Shëngjin (including women and children), approximately 1,000 people, rushed towards the port and managed to enter the entire pier area. At the insistence of the internal affairs authorities, people were removed from the ships that were in good technical condition, while they did not leave the other ships, claiming that they had serious defects. Around 300 people seized the ship “Zadrima” and headed towards the ships that were in good technical condition, despite the insistence of the technical forces. With the arrival of the ferry from Lezhë, intervention was carried out energetically, and normal conditions were restored in the port and on the pier. A border vessel went in front of the ship “Zadrima” and prevented it from approaching the ships at anchor. During this time, those aboard the ship shouted: “Freedom-Democracy”, “Communism is over”, “The Army is with us”. At 15:00, large crowds arrived on the Shkodër train and set off for Shëngjin. (Continued on page 2)

These days, a delegation of the Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) of Italy, headed by Senator Andrea Marghieri, a member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and a member of the PDS National Council, visited our country. At separate meetings at the Central Committee of the Party of Labour of Albania, Central Committee secretaries Spiro Dede and Abdyl Backa talked with their Italian guests about democratic developments in Albania, the current situation in the country and, in particular, the process of renewal of the Party of Labour of Albania. They also met with representatives of the ministries and specialists in various fields. At these meetings, the PDS delegation was briefed in greater detail on developments in our country, the problems and the work being done to overcome difficulties, as well as aspects of relations between our two countries and peoples. During its stay in our country, comrade Ramiz Alia received Senator Andrea Marghieri and the other members of the delegation and held a friendly conversation with them. The delegation departed for home. (ATSH)

Yesterday, the government delegation headed by the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, Aleks Luarasi, returned from Italy. It had made an official and friendly visit to the Italian Republic. At Rinas Airport, the delegation was received by the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Shkëlqim Cani, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sokrat Plaka, and others. The Italian Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires a.i. in Tirana, Paolo de Nicolo, was also present. (ATSH)

The World Bank work mission, headed by Adil Kanan, an executive director at the Bank, left our country. It cooperated with the Albanian State Bank, the Albanian State Bank for Foreign Relations, the Ministry of Finance, as well as other ministries and departments. The World Bank work mission, headed by Adil Kanan, an executive director at the Bank, left our country. It cooperated with the Albanian State Bank, the Albanian State Bank for Foreign Relations, the Ministry of Finance, as well as other ministries and departments, to prepare the necessary procedures for Albania’s accession to the World Bank. At Rinas Airport, the World Bank work mission was seen off by Kamber Myftari, deputy director general of the Albanian State Bank. (ATSH)

Deputies of the PPSH during a break between sessions. (Photo: ATSH) Deputies of the PPSH during a break between sessions. (Photo: ATSH)

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