For the series: THE SECOND FACE OF THE DP - An unofficial coalition of the DP and the Party for the Union of Human Rights. - A reality, a mistake, or a deception? - The paradoxes of Saliberishian democracy follow one another. On the front page of the newspaper “RD” dated March 11, 1992, the DP’s candidates for members of parliament were announced by electoral district. I—and everyone else—was astonished when we read that in two districts of the Sarandë region, specifically district 69, where the Greek minority is located, and district 68 (with quite a few members of the minority), the word “coalition” was written instead of candidates’ names. A genuine paradox, like so many others that the opposition troika has been churning out these days from the kitchens of RD, Republika, and Alternativa. Should we believe RD, or the DP, or the announcements posted on Wednesday by the electoral district commissions? Officially, the candidates for parliament in district 69 are Anastas Angjeli of the PS and Thoma Miço of the Party for the Democratic Union of Human Rights. The DP’s Sarandë branch could not gather 400 signatures to put forward its own candidate in this district. In district No. 69, the early-hours democrat Leka Toto has also put forward his candidacy; for the past 10 days he has been wandering around the villages to collect (buy) votes. What is astonishing is that the other parties in the opposition family have also nominated candidates by name, and they have been announced. Thus, the Party for the Democratic Union of Human Rights has announced its own candidate in district 68. So where is the coalition? What is this? A mistake or a deception? It is, of course, an unofficial coalition of the DP with the Party for the Democratic Union of Human Rights. People of the Greek minority! For some time now, politicians and political opportunists, parties and associations, unseen Albanian and non-Albanian forces have been playing with your beautiful dream. And in parliament, the DP democrat Baleta unsheathed the sword of “patriotism” to defend the nation against the Hellenization of the (minority); today, however, Baleta’s DP announces a coalition with a so-called party representing the interests of the Greek minority. Members of the minority, wherever you are in district 69, ask the candidate presented to you today (yesterday, of Omonia), a representative of the Party for Human Rights: when and how did he reach an understanding with Mr. Lutfi Bajrami and the DP leader Sali Berisha? Under what circumstances is he staging the drama of the Greek minority in Albania? Has Thoma Miço told you, the candidate for parliament, that he is in union and coalition with the DP? If this alliance is real, why has Mr. Thoma Miço not been announced as a supporter and collaborator among the DP candidates? If it is not true, why are the electoral tricks of the DP and the party that nominated him not exposed? PANAJOT ZOTO

. Yesterday the first issue of “Lissus,” the newspaper of the PS in the Lezhë district, came out. The new democratic history felt the need for a new Eurosocialist vision to appear in Albanian letters. Among the large number of newspapers, readers will also hear another sincere voice, conveyed by the ancient name “Lissus.” With what mission does this newspaper present itself to its readership? “Pluralist democracy has now created great opportunities for us to communicate with one another. Albania today is like a Swiss-made watch that waits and waits for its own children to reject it and set it in motion... Let us hope that ‘Lissus’ will make a modest contribution to ‘assembling’ the Albanian watch and to fostering democratic culture among people. In ‘Lissus’ you will find coverage of the great concerns of our time, with its ‘sights set’ on the evident everyday problems and the prospects of Lezhë, in both town and countryside. Its pages are open not only to members and supporters of the PS, but also to the various social groups, workers, Lezhë intellectuals, and young Eurosocialist men and women.” These are some words from the head of this publication, “Lissus,” another platform from which the alternative of democratic socialism will be presented. One more voice in the pluralist chorus. “The more voices there are, the stronger the case for the truth,” writer D. Agolli greets the newspaper. We join our good wishes to the greetings and hopes that have reached the newspaper from various supporters and readers: “May it live as long as the beautiful name it bears!”

Meetings of Comrade Fatos Nano You are a symbol of honesty and a kind heart - KUÇOVË - The chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania, Fatos Nano, held several meetings in the Kuçovë district. At the meeting with war veterans, enthusiasm surrounded him. The chants “Socialist Party, Socialist Party, the Socialists will win” continued without interruption. Taking the floor, Fatos Nano said that this enthusiasm clearly expressed trust in the Socialist Party. “I am honored to be here and meet with you, fighters in the liberation of the Homeland. The Socialist Party has valued and honors your outstanding historical deed, which brought freedom to the people. No one can trifle with your wounds or your blood. How shameful are the actions incited and inspired by certain opposition forces, which destroy the memorials of the comrades with whom you fought and formed bonds— (Continued on page 4) The Socialist Party made you lawful owners - BERAT - The chairman of the Socialist Party, Fatos Nano, also held a meeting with residents of the villages of Kozarë and Havaleas in his electoral district in the Berat region. Hundreds of residents from these villages of all ages attended the meeting: young men and women, women, intellectuals, veterans, and others. Amid the applause of those present, Fatos Nano took the floor. “I feel especially pleased,” he emphasized, “that the leadership of the Socialist Party, expressing your wish, appointed me as a member of parliament for this district. I will know how to deserve your trust by representing you honorably in the new parliament, convinced that the Socialist Party will win.” Fatos Nano then spoke about the difficult situation in the countryside, the difficulties in increasing production, the non-functioning of agricultural machinery, and other economic and social problems. Naturally, these are difficulties of the transition period that will surely be overcome, but Fair competition between alternatives - TIRANË - On 11.3.1992, at 7:00, Fatos Nano held a warm meeting with economists, economic officials and specialists, and party members and supporters from government departments and local branches in the capital. In his speech, Fatos Nano addressed several key issues related to the Socialist Party’s program for economic reform and for a market economy with a social dimension, fully consistent with the alternatives of the European left. In this connection, he also discussed the conclusions of the Trieste meeting, attended by representatives of left- and right-wing parties from East and West, held under the auspices of the Italian Socialist foreign minister Xhani De Mikelis. Fatos Nano also emphasized the role of the state as a strategic center for drafting macroeconomic and microeconomic programs to avert major disparities between disadvantaged and privileged groups. Fatos Nano said that the Socialist Party—

The Socialist Party made you lawful owners - BERAT -

Fair competition between alternatives - TIRANË -

People had been anticipating Mr. Berisha’s arrival in Kuçovë for days. Every wall and shop window had been “decorated” with colorful banners as never before. For the first time, the chairman of a major opposition party was coming. And that raises [??] the leadership of the monist party, with your [??], and you do not say a word. Who did he have coffee with? After that “magnificent” rally

Not even in the grave can one find rest ... Oh God! I was grieving at the news of my brother Selman Sadiku’s death in Pukë, but I was to witness a fact that shook me to the core and made my hair stand on end. I set out from Durrës and, after a long journey, arrived in Pukë. What did I hear among the people gathered around the body? Until noon on the day of the funeral, the grave of the deceased had still not been dug in the cemetery. What was this unheard-of thing? It turned out that the owner of the land where the cemetery is located had emerged and was not allowing the grave to be dug. “This is my land,” he had said, “and there is no room here for anyone.” Oh Lord! The former owner is now laying claim even to the cemetery. With this logic, might this gentleman tomorrow exhume all the dead to reclaim the land? They spent several hours going back and forth between the police authorities and the district’s pluralist executive committee, trying to resolve the matter as quickly as possible, because the people were waiting to take the body to its final resting place. And for the first time, I witnessed a scene in which police forces had come to protect the deceased’s right to be buried. Indeed, not even God Almighty would forgive the act of a man who seeks to prevent someone from being buried because, apparently, the land there once belonged to him. People! Can you see the logic of the former owners whom the DP supports? If they do not let the dead rest in peace, what will they do to the living? Judge for yourselves, people! VLADIMIR KAMBERI. Resident of Durrës Echoes of the DP’s program:

For days, the people of Kuçovë had been anticipating Mr Berisha’s arrival. Every wall and shop window had been “decorated,” as never before, with brightly colored banners. The chairman of a major opposition party was coming for the first time. And the people of Kuçovë, who are rather discerning, know how to appreciate culture and those who embody it, and so they welcomed him. The people’s disappointment, perhaps... The residents of Kuçovë (DP members, supporters, etc.) had set out to attend the discussion Mr Berisha was supposed to hold. But, strangely, there was no discussion—there was a rally. That was how Sali wanted it: the people were only to listen and be convinced by what he said, not to talk things over. But there is one thing you have going for you: when it comes to those patriotic gestures you put on, you are prepared; you have a strong voice, a tele-journalist to cover your tricks... well done! You have never lacked experience. All right, then, it was to be as you wanted—a rally. So, let’s have a rally. And the people were waiting for you to talk about the program, your party’s work, easing people’s troubles, and so on. Ah, my dear fellow citizens. What can be said in five minutes, other than the things we heard, which sounded more like the words of a vote-collector than those of the chairman of a major party? We heard on the radio that Berisha answered six questions put to him by the people. But can these lies be swallowed? He left almost as soon as he arrived. What could the poor chairman discuss in the five minutes he spent in Kuçovë? But don’t be angry—you have seen the Lënkas and their companions puffing themselves up, feasting at the table of the monist party elite with your sweat, and you don’t say a word. After that “grand” rally, coffee was in order. And when a guest comes to your home, the host leads the way. But what happened? The guest went in for coffee while his companions were banging on doors. Was that Sali’s order?! Following the Albanian tradition that a guest must not be left alone, the chairman of the DP in Kuçovë headed for the table. But as soon as he set foot in the doorway, two hands grabbed him by the chest. At that moment Qemal Braho, secretary of the DP in Kuçovë, appeared and edged his chairman aside (as if the moment had come to take his place, which he dreams of so much), saying, “Excuse me a moment,” and moved to go through the door. This time the two powerful hands did not grab him by the chest, but by the face; his eyes bulged and his mouth fumbled over the words: “I’m the chai... chair... man of the DP.” Oh God, thank goodness my opposition brother made it out safely—he was lucky. But why did this disaster happen?! They say the great chairman had coffee by himself just to show the leaders of the DP in Kuçovë that, with such poor organization of the rally, they did not even deserve to have coffee with him. What a spiteful chairman, it turns out. But, please, don’t withdraw even those few promises you made to the leaders of the DP in Kuçovë. Poor things, they suffered so much under monism.

A coalition leaving them with their fingers in their mouths The opposition’s trumpets about a coalition can no longer be heard. The voices of Sali, Sabri and Skënder can no longer be heard. They want to say in a faltering voice that the coalition is “alive,” but let us look at this claim a little more concretely: where have parliamentary candidates been put forward in the name of the so-called coalition? In Sarandë there are three candidacies, in Tepelenë (village 1), in Fier (village 1), in Elbasan (village 2), in Korçë (village 1)... Aren’t these allocations laughable? Of course, because they—and the coalition itself (SSS)—are convinced they will lose; indeed, they are convinced they will suffer a crushing defeat. But, for the sake of the “pledge given” by Sali Berisha, the PR and PSD had to be given something “to lick.” Go ahead and drink! You’ll be left with your finger in your mouth! That is why I say and write in big letters: THE COALITION HAS FAILED PETRIT JONI

A QUESTION, THE FACTS AND A LITTLE COMMENT: 1. The temporary Pluralist Executive Committee consists of 4 members of the Socialist Party, 1 member of the Democratic Party, 1 member of the Social Democratic Party, 2 members of the Republican Party, 1 member of the Party of Unity, Communality, and 1 member of the Agrarian Party. Thus, of the 15 members in total of this Committee, chaired by the Democrat Mr Tomorr Malasi, only 4 belong to the SP. The other 11 are opposition members, or, as the opposition press puts it, “communist power-holders.” 2. The temporary Pluralist Executive Committee of Region No. 1 has the following composition: 3 SP members, 4 DP members, 1 PSD member, 2 PR members, 1 PUK member. Of the 11 people in total, only 3 are SP members. The other eight are “communist power-holders.” 3. The Pluralist Executive Committee of Region No. 2 1 PSD member, 2 PR members, 1 PUK member. Here too, the ratio is 8 to 3 in favor of the “communist power-holders,” who make up the opposition... 4. The Pluralist Executive Committee of Region No. 3 has the following composition: 3 SP members, 5 member. Of the 11 members in total, the other 8 are opposition members. 5. The Pluralist Executive Committee of Region No. 4 has the following composition: 1 SP member, 5 DP members, 1 PSD member, 1 PR member. The other 3 are opposition members. Of the 15 people in total, 5 belong to the SP and 10 to the opposition. 6. In the neighborhoods of Region No. 1, only 2 are headed by socialists. The other 23 neighborhoods are headed by members of the Democratic Party and members of the Republican Party. So, of the 26 in total, only 2 are socialist, while the other 24 are opposition members. 7. The neighborhoods of Region 2 have the following composition: 5 belong to the Socialist Party, 11 to the DP, 1 to the PR, 1 to the PSD and 1 to the PUK. Of the 19 in total, 18 are opposed to the 5 people the SP has. 8. The neighborhoods of Region 3 have the following composition: the Socialist Party has no chairpersons, the Democratic Party has 14, and 2 belong to the PR. All 16 of the 16 chairpersons are opposition members. These figures have been obtained from Shkodër, Durrës, Korçë, Elbasan, Kavajë, etc. and sent to «RD», «Republika» and «Alternativa SD», because surely they can tell you who the “communist power-holders” are in their respective districts. LUAN M. RAMA

Yesterday, the Chairman of the Socialist Party, Fatos Nano, received the Israeli Ambassador, Mr Avi Pazner, at the headquarters of the Steering Committee. Mr Pazner expressed his satisfaction with the democratic changes in Albania and with the free elections being prepared. “We are two small countries,” he said, “and there are opportunities for cooperation. Israel can help Albania. We have begun with humanitarian aid in the form of medicines, and we want soon to continue by receiving groups from Albania so they can learn from our experience.” He expressed the Israeli Embassy’s commitment to doing everything possible in this regard. Fatos Nano informed the ambassador about the processes of democratic transformation in the country, the difficulties and problems being faced, and the role of the SP in these processes, the development of reform and genuine integration with the civilized world. All the necessary opportunities exist for this: great human potential, with a young average age, and abundant natural and material resources. Our task is to achieve political stability, build democratic institutions and establish the necessary legal conditions to set the economic machinery in motion and foster cooperation with other countries. The Socialist Party of Albania has established fruitful cooperation with many of its partners, Socialist and Social Democratic parties of the Socialist International in Europe and beyond. This has helped it draw up a democratic and social program, which we consider a basis for adapting the principles of the market economy to Albanian realities. Fatos Nano also spoke about the prospects for his visit to Israel and his meetings with representatives of the Israeli Labor Party, as well as with other prominent figures in the country’s political life, including the Likud Party and Mr Menahem Begin. He asked the ambassador to convey his condolences to Begin’s family on his loss. He stressed that Israel could help Albania both in development and in investment and exchanges in the fields of agriculture, tourism and general infrastructure.

Members and supporters of the Socialist Party! The “heroic” struggle of the DP to depoliticize RTV ended comically: they have been usurped by the opposition. The Socialists’ tolerance is being repaid with the denial of every right. Let us also draw from this “democratic comedy” the conclusion about how dishonest the demagoguery is in the opposition’s political struggle. Under these circumstances, everyone must commit to ensuring that “Zëri i popullit” reaches village after village, house after house.

A coalition with all the ...

The editorial office of the newspaper «Zëri i Popullit» has received several phone calls concerning the candidacy of the Democratic Party’s parliamentary candidate, the well-known specialist Ahmet Osja. The newspaper’s editorial office made inquiries with its correspondent in Shkodër and learned: The candidacy presented does not belong to the well-known specialist Ahmet Osja. It concerns Mr Ahmet Osja, a teacher at the religious school in the city of Shkodër. The similarity in their names is entirely coincidental.