1 came the Chairman, Honorable deputies, gentlemen of the diplomatic corps, friends and guests. I must say the senator's place. The Albanians were decided for the first time last night. Ao e fitues[?] vesha aq kohë që në Republikën e Shqipërisë do të përcaktohej kreu i shtetit. Kush do të pranohej dhe ka cilat kompetenca. Këtë ua bëri të ditur Kryetari i Kuvendit popullor, pas zgjedhjes së Kryesisë së Kuvendit, e cila ka propozuar dhe emrin e z. Ramiz Alia, dhe deputetët dhanë me 90 vota pro e një kundër. Ajo që ishte e parashikuar, u bë fakt. Strong and prolonged applause. Thus, in the election of the successor to the president of the Republic and in continuation of the country's political reform, the People's Assembly elected the first President of the Republic of Albania. In the speech he delivered on this occasion, Mr. Ramiz Alia declared that he was being elected to the high office of head of state with full awareness of the heavy burden ahead of him. He will be the head of the entire people. This will be defined by him on the basis of the new constitution. It will guarantee and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, accelerate the process of democratization, strengthen the rule of law and lead to the building of a juridical and pluralist state. After assessing the election of the president as an important act in the political life of the country, Mr. Alia said that his election expresses the will of the people to move forward on the path of democracy. He stressed that today the country faces major economic and political tasks. One of them is overcoming the severe economic crisis and creating the foundations for the country's revival. He emphasized that economic reform must go hand in hand with political reform and with the creation of democratic institutions. This requires dialogue, understanding and cooperation among all the political and social forces of the country. Below we give, in abbreviated form, the speech of Comrade Ramiz Alia delivered at the session of the People's Assembly: Turks and the rest. We need healthy unity at the top to carry out the reforms and successfully face the difficulties our country is going through. On this road, we are united by the aspirations of the people, the desire to make Albania a country where advanced economy and culture, democratic life and the rule of law move forward in step. The words for the state were being defined in the days we live in. This means that our institutional activity will be accompanied by deep changes and reforms. The path of building a democratic state and a market economy is not easy, but it is necessary. We have many problems ahead of us. To solve them, all the creative energies of our people must be mobilized, we must find a common language, avoid unnecessary confrontations and preserve civil peace. It is also required that every political and social force show maturity and responsibility. Only in this way will it be possible to overcome the difficulties of transition and open up the country's development prospects. ( Continued on page 2 ) (Photo: ATSH)