NOTES FROM A DISCUSSION WITH EMPLOYEES OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, MANY OF THEM MEMBERS AND SYMPATHIZERS OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY. One of the most urgent tasks of the SPP, founded at the 10th Congress, is to present the public with concrete alternatives to the most fundamental problems currently troubling the country. The New Program adopted at the Congress serves as a compass. A discussion with employees of the Academy of Sciences, particularly members and sympathizers of the Socialist Party, organized in recent days by the Socialist Party Committee of the capital in cooperation with the Presidium of the SPP Steering Committee, also serves this purpose. (This was the second meeting with employees of the Academy of Sciences within this week.) For science to be true and objective, it must be ideologized. It is known that during the period of Albanian party monism, the future was determined not only by Marxist-Leninist ideology but also by the policy of the SPP. Now, following the creation of opposition parties, many scholarly articles published in the opposition press have undertaken to clarify historical truths, but in most cases they function as political slogans of the day. In this case, as before, science and objective truth are harmed. That is why the SPP will insist and fight for Albanian science to be honest and objective, and therefore truthful. The SPP will soon present a sound platform for science, said Dr. Xhevhat Lloshi, member of the Presidium of the SPP Steering Committee, in his remarks. We will also ask the People’s Assembly that science be “ideologized.” It must tell only the truth, especially about the historical figures of the past 50 years. We stand for a science that does not serve party interests. The Academy of Sciences’ intellectuals who are members and sympathizers of the SPP, it was said at the meeting, welcomed the decisions of the 10th Congress enthusiastically. “But I cannot remain silent any longer,” Dr. Muin Çami stressed, “about the fact that science’s problems were not given their proper place at the Congress. All the more so when we know how many problems science has faced in the past.” “The Socialist Party itself,” Doc. D. Shapllo stressed, “needs to come to terms with its own history.” Let us cooperate with the world, while firmly preserving our national identity. It was stressed in the discussions that the Socialist Party needs to clarify its position on what is national and what is its opposite in culture and science. The policy of isolation from the world brought cultural and scientific isolation. Today, however, it is essential that we insist on preserving our national identity in culture and science more firmly, because foreign culture and science, to which we are open, could harm us. As it opens itself anew to the world, the Socialist Party must fight to preserve Albanian identity and prevent what is Albanian from being transformed. Doc. Anastaso Doli stressed that the social sciences in particular had been extremely isolated from the world. Yes, the extreme isolation went so far that we could not cite an American or Soviet scholar, even when they spoke favorably about our science and culture, simply because they were seen as American or Soviet. In the face of competition from foreign science, we should strive to affirm our scientific achievements, Doc. Niko Pano stressed. For example, we have very strong design capabilities. Our specialists can produce modern projects, not only for our country but also abroad. Therefore, there is no reason why all tourism projects should be designed by foreigners alone, especially when projects account for 25 percent of an investment’s funds. The SPP must fight to strongly support the development of our Albanological sciences, Dr. Myzafer Korkuti stressed, because in this way we preserve and strengthen our national identity. Other speakers also underlined the need to protect national cultural and scientific values in the face of foreign competition. What place will science have in the future? The report to the 10th Congress stressed that the SPP took a clear historical position, one demanded by the times. For its goals and ideas, and the paths it will follow in the future in implementing the adopted program and statute, to be properly understood, everyone is required first and foremost to bring understanding, appreciation, and a new mindset. A position is needed that definitively breaks with the mistakes of the past and embraces the pluralist and democratic processes we are living through. These were precisely the reasons why, that day, a discussion was held in one of the halls of the Socialist Party committee of the third district with Party members from the city’s Academy. Sympathizers of the Party were also present. Details were given about the proceedings of the Congress, the very important decision made there a month ago to establish the SPP, and the tasks that lie ahead, with the aim of restoring the wavering confidence in the Party among some employees, and so on. (Continued on page 2)

Midnight, June 10, a suspended moment. The tragicomedy “The Block” is being played out on the stage of the 10th Congress. An unprecedented spectacle. To satisfy your curiosity, those of you who were not in the hall, remember Švejk and his innocent humor: “The Emperor doesn’t know, apparently, that there’s a war going on. Perhaps they were ashamed to tell him…” The idols are left behind. A new page was added to the prologue of democratization born with pluralism. Three governments in three months. We welcomed the Coalition for the new atmosphere it brought, at home and abroad. Leaving all the idols behind, we believed that the people had plenty of capable leaders. We welcomed it because in this way the parties would gradually separate themselves from political idols and enter the furrows of everyday life. People are eagerly waiting for declarations of responsibility to be matched by action, and programs to be sown like seeds in a field. It is not hard to notice how the opposition politician in government changed his vocabulary; the tone began to soften: there is talk of sacrifices, commitment to work, austerity measures, taxes. The government needs time to implement its program… Quite naturally, we should have said the same honestly to the preceding government: we want you to be pluralists. There was no need to make excuses for its incompetence. The people cannot live by endlessly chewing over past mistakes. But one question troubles us: will the party burdens fall away from the people? Will people now divided be brought together in the same arena? This is not about a political vacuum; the parties must remain, because they make up the real coalition of life. This expresses the great need to move forward into a more mature pluralist situation. The forbidden mystery, the public nakedness of Adam and Eve, will slowly lift the curtains and dispel the gloom. The new government—all intellectuals, most with academic titles. After 45 years of dogma, the “intellectual” replaces the social and class category. Ability dominates blind faith; the classic slogan “the leader must be a worker” is set aside. But what can you do? With a monist upbringing, who can tell? We have all been formed in Albanian schools, but our demonstrable legacy reaches the heights that show we have the talent for progress. We ourselves will build Albania with a new mindset. Time nourishes everyone. Let us believe the great Voltaire when he says: “We suffer from the sickness of the future. Nature, which has overwhelmed us with good things, helps us recover from them, if we wish.” The transition period is the trial by fire for every political force. The parties’ acceptance of the coalition challenges their egotism. This position is believed by someone from the staff of “suicide pilots.” The people are hardly going to erect monuments now. When promises hang by a thread, nothing is more fragile than governments. A hunger strike, a train that fails to arrive in a district without bread can shake its foundations. But is that what we need? Compare the programs presented by the parties and the government. To a competent eye, they are twins, like two drops of water. We cannot sell poverty. In this stark economic reality, wage reform goes hand in hand with price reform. A wage increase is nothing more than advance payment. People will ask to change governments, but we will come back to this political solution. Good luck to the new government! It should simply be cautious with its promises, so it does not “walk into the thorns” on its own. The harsh poverty constrains its ambition to be a government of grand projects. A rhetoric lesson on the market economy? On convertibility, when we still do not know the extent of the currency’s devaluation? The poor stomach cannot digest these things. The people need bread and peace. This government will enter history simply for social peace with the parties and trade unions. It will be remembered if it establishes the legal basis for privatization, if it opens the way to intensive relations with the world, if it calms people’s troubled consciences… for the “white calm” which, as our colleague Mitro Çela puts it, “must not turn into rebellion, discontent, or distrust.” It is up to the new government to put an end to the political mission imposed on Albanian art, which is exhausting creative talent and keeping thousands of people in anguish as they hope, in their poverty, that they may suddenly become rich—especially those who were expropriated. The people demand the truth, however bitter it may be. SHYQYRI MEKA

The creation of the Socialist Party was a historic step, a demand of the times. For its goals and ideas, and the paths it will follow in the future in implementing the adopted program and statute, to be properly understood, everyone is required first and foremost to bring understanding, appreciation, and a new mindset. A position is needed that definitively breaks with the mistakes of the past and embraces the pluralist and democratic processes we are living through. These were precisely the reasons why, that day, a discussion was held in one of the halls of the Socialist Party committee of the third district with Party members from the city’s Academy. Sympathizers of the Party were also present. Details were given about the proceedings of the Congress, the very important decision made there a month ago to establish the SPP, and the tasks that lie ahead, with the aim of restoring the wavering confidence in the Party among some employees, and so on. Under the headline: “Restore the people’s confidence” — KORÇË — Restore the people’s confidence… The creation of the Socialist Party was a historic step, a demand of the times. For its goals and ideas, and the paths it will follow in the future in implementing the adopted program and statute, to be properly understood, everyone is required first and foremost to bring understanding, appreciation, and a new mindset. A position is needed that definitively breaks with the mistakes of the past and embraces the pluralist and democratic processes we are living through. These were precisely the reasons why, that day, a discussion was held in one of the halls of the Socialist Party committee of the third district with Party members from the city’s Academy. Sympathizers of the Party were also present. Details were given about the proceedings of the Congress, the very important decision made there a month ago to establish the SPP, and the tasks that lie ahead, with the aim of restoring the wavering confidence in the Party among some employees, and so on. — KORÇË — The creation of the Socialist Party was a historic step, a demand of the times. For its goals and ideas, and the paths it will follow in the future in implementing the adopted program and statute, to be properly understood, everyone is required first and foremost to bring understanding, appreciation, and a new mindset. A position is needed that definitively breaks with the mistakes of the past and embraces the pluralist and democratic processes we are living through.

— PËRMET — After returning from the 10th Congress, delegates are meeting members and sympathizers of the Socialist Party, intellectuals, and young people. Such meetings have been held in Ballkan, Këlcyre, and the town of Përmet, at the hospital, library, NPN, and elsewhere. Many questions, observations, and proposals have been raised at these meetings. They concern the strategy of the new Socialist Party, its distancing from the mistakes of the past, competition and cooperation with other political parties, its theoretical foundations, and so on. Reflecting on the issues raised in the Congress materials, concrete matters have also been brought up concerning shortcomings and mistakes that need to be corrected. Shkëndër Këlliçi, Spiro Simaku, and Lipe Peçi criticized the leadership of the district Party committee for its inertia, particularly in its work with young people and intellectuals and on rural issues. Unlawful actions aimed at securing as many privileges as possible for oneself while evading sanctions are rightly criticized and condemned. Those who have distanced themselves from such actions are also criticized for not yet having fully reflected on them and for failing to move beyond these privileges toward progress. The division, financial crisis, and other predictions are accompanied by various administrative reorganizations. But how can we speak of fair limits when, although it has been increased several times, it is still not growing? Let us take a concrete example raised by the citizens of Përmet. The rest home, whose construction was approved with an investment of 500 thousand lekë, has hardly had 50 people stay there from 1975 until today. But let us leave the past aside. During the first six months of this year, even though it has been agreed that it should be put to use, it continues to be paid for “without work”—and this solely to guard it. Why is no action being taken to put it to use through bodies that can generate revenue, so that the investment can pay for itself and the employees who are not receiving their wages can justify their jobs? Bureaucracy is not easy to shake off. But the losses it causes the economy must not be overlooked: these hundreds of thousands of lekë are real and clearly documented, and those responsible must be held accountable not only morally but materially. Studying the materials of the 10th Congress, meeting with the delegates, and reflecting on the demands being made is an issue for the entire Socialist Party in this district. PËRPARIM MUSTAFAJ

The People’s Assembly continued its work in a plenary session yesterday at 12:10. At the beginning of the session, Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly Aleksandër Meksi said that the day before yesterday the Presidium of the Assembly and the presidiums of the parliamentary groups had reached a common understanding regarding the speaking time for each decree: specifically, 30 minutes would be allotted to the Socialist Party, 15 minutes to the Democratic Party, and 5 minutes to Omonia. This, he stressed, is in accordance with the rules of parliaments around the world. He then informed the deputies that Mehmet Loci, chairman of the Mass Communications Committee, had requested the floor to provide information. At the request of a group of deputies and the general directorate of RTV, he presented the following: 1) The parties and associations hold many national and district-level activities. Broadcasting all of them, as is being demanded of television, would undermine its work. Therefore, television and radio news programs should broadcast only activities of national scope. Weekly segments should be opened for broadcasting local activities, at 15:30 and 22:30–23:00. 2) Parties, associations, and others make many statements; broadcasting all of them as they are made would turn television and radio into a megaphone. Therefore, only those of national importance, and those concerning issues of exceptional importance, should be broadcast. In this case too, their content should be broadcast under RTV’s responsibility. 3) The congresses and national conferences of all parties should be broadcast according to the practice followed for the 10th Congress of the SPP (SP). 4) The general directorate of RTV was instructed to task Radio “Korçë” with organizing a daily news program in the language of the national minority, at 18:00. (Continued on page 2)

Yesterday, the Commission of the European Community, in a note addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of our country, established diplomatic relations between Albania and the European Community. The note states, among other things: “The Directorate-General for External Relations of the European Community presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania regarding the establishment of diplomatic relations with the European Community.” “The Directorate-General would be grateful to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Albania if it would inform its Government of the above.” (ATSH) — On March 11, 1991, it was announced that the Commission and the Council of the European Communities had favorably resolved the request of the Government of the Republic of Albania to establish diplomatic relations with the European Community. (ATSH)

Yesterday, the delegation of our country returned to Athens. It was headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Muhamet Kapllani, and had taken part in the meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the participating states of the CSCE, held in Berlin on June 19–20, 1991, where Albania was admitted as a full member of the CSCE. Also returning were the leaders of the political parties: the chairman of the Socialist Party, Fatos Nano; the chairman of the Steering Committee of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha; the chairman of the Provisional Steering Committee of the Social Democratic Party, Skënder Gjinushi; and a member of the Steering Committee of the Republican Party, Hysen Çobani, who were part of the delegation. Those present to welcome the delegation at Rinas Airport included Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly Aleksandër Meksi; Deputy Secretary of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Economy Gramoz Pashko; State Secretary for Education Paskal Milo; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sokol Plaka; senior representatives of our country’s political parties; officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and others. (ATSH)

To discuss the demands of the miners of the Bulqizë mines, which had been brought to the attention of government leaders, the chairman of the Council of Ministers, Ylli Bufi, was in the town of Bulqizë yesterday, together with the Minister of Mineral Resources and Mines, Mr. Xhevat Mezini, and the Minister of Domestic and Foreign Trade, Agim Zajmi. At the meeting, Prime Minister Ylli Bufi said that the talks with the miners had taken place in a calm and understanding atmosphere, and that the matters raised in their demands had been discussed from different points of view. The Minister of Mineral Resources, Pashko? ... ... representatives of the trade unions, mine and geology managers, and representatives of the authorities of the districts of Dibër and Mat. The miners and government representatives held a lengthy discussion on transport, the wage scale, housing, and other issues. To resolve the problems of transporting miners and minerals, it was decided that the mine transport departments would be placed under the authority of the mining enterprises. It was also agreed that 60 percent of the foreign-currency earnings from chromium sales in the second half of the year would be used for the needs of the chromium production and processing sectors, cement, and the miners’ work and transport needs. (ATSH correspondent’s office)

— TROPOJË — Party members are interested not only in the proceedings of the Congress, but also in how the adopted program of renewal will be made clearer and easier to understand, how its ideological and organizational foundations will be further explained, and what other demands and tasks arise from them. People see the Socialist Party as a natural socialist political force in the European tradition, but, still unaccustomed to this orientation, they want to know as much as possible in order to clarify their approach. The question has been raised and has dominated the discussions precisely in this regard. In other words, this period will be a test for the Party’s delegates and organizers, as well as for its members and sympathizers at every step. Everything needs to be put in order as well as possible, but the surface has not yet found its proper place. Party members are concerned, but also courageous and determined to establish themselves as a dignified, active force on the stage of Albanian political life. They earnestly seek to know what they should do to clarify the new path they will follow from here on. It is true that this party came into being as a natural renewal of the Party of Labour of Albania, but a complete distancing from the mistaken theoretical and practical errors of the monist period, and from other political mistakes and errors in its practice, is neither easy nor immediately understandable to everyone. It is therefore everyone’s duty to work to find their bearings on the new path and to help their comrades wholeheartedly, so as to support everything the Party undertakes. The new perspective of socialist reality is still not entirely clear to everyone. This is what people think, and work is being done in the district Party organization to advance this understanding further and further. HALIL BUÇPAPAJ

...determined to establish themselves as a dignified, active force on the stage of Albanian political life, they earnestly seek to know what tasks they should undertake to clarify the new path they will follow from here on. It is certainly true that this party came into being as a natural renewal of the Party of Labour of Albania, but a complete distancing from the mistaken theoretical and practical errors of the monist period, and from other political mistakes and errors in its practice, is neither easy nor immediately understandable to everyone. It is therefore everyone’s duty to work to find their bearings on the new path and to help their comrades wholeheartedly, so as to support everything the Party undertakes. The new perspective of socialist reality is still not entirely clear to everyone. This is what people think, and work is being done in the district Party organization to advance this understanding further and further.