WHY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PENSION LAW IS BEING DELAYED On 22 January 1992, the People’s Assembly approved the law “On pensions for members of agricultural cooperatives,” a law that was signed a few days later by the President of the Republic. In this way, a right sought by the peasantry, and one that had seemed unattainable, was established. Ultimately, this had not been taken into consideration by either the country’s highest or lowest authorities. In fact, with the “lightning-fast” dissolution of the cooperatives, farmers found themselves in a terrible predicament. Without land, without income, without money to meet even life’s most essential needs. Nevertheless, the pension law helps somewhat to improve these conditions. It clearly defines the criteria on which a farmer’s right to receive a pension is based. The qualifying ages were reduced from 65 to 60 for men and from 60 to 55 for women, with 25 and 20 years of service, respectively. Certain entitlements are also granted to members whose cooperatives were formed after 1 January 1966, as well as to people with disabilities living in the countryside. In addition, a separate provision stipulated that the minimum pension for former members of agricultural cooperatives must not be less than 80 percent of the minimum pension for employees of agricultural enterprises. Well then, said the poor farmer. Perhaps it is necessary to clarify how many people will receive pensions under this law. Specialists have made the calculations and say that their number is around 120,000—people who had already been receiving pensions but whose amounts must be recalculated under the new law, as well as 30,000 others who became entitled to pensions when the cooperatives were dissolved. The minimum amount for a full old-age pension, previously 375 new lek, rises to 528 new lek. To show some humanity toward the hardworking and patient farmer, the financial benefit was to begin on 1 October 1991. The government headed by Vilson Ahmeti—so many governments have changed that people now remember only the prime ministers—allocated 580 million new lek by a special decision at the beginning of March. It seemed that things were finally turning in the needy person’s favour. But, as the old saying goes, a poor person remains poor. So it is with the farmers. Now we are obliged to note with concern that three months have passed since this important law was issued, yet few of those who were to benefit have enjoyed its provisions. This is due to various reasons, including the endless delays in getting work done, as has also happened in previous years. When the law was passed, the heads of social insurance institutions complained that they had no funds for payments. The government did as it pleased and approved the funds more than a month late. Once the funds were approved, it turned out that the employees working in the districts, who are responsible for calculating and recalculating these pensions, had not only the farmers’ problems to deal with, but their own problems too. They were unable to calculate the individual pensions of former members of agricultural cooperatives. It took a good deal of work to draft the law, but even more to implement it. This is happening at a time when we all know that our farmer is the one who suffers most in every respect: the largest part of the population, left with empty pockets. But that matters little when the administrators responsible for enforcing the law do not have empty pockets themselves. Now they say that the farmers are not taking the initiative to bring the necessary documents to the cooperative, proving their age and years of service. Can that really be true? Faced with the fact that they do this in order to obtain these documents, travelling to the city with a heavily loaded sack, the above claim seems absurd. Others are creating obstacles to payments: the heads of the former cooperatives, who do not seem to care about this work or about providing the necessary documents; the chairmen of the people’s councils, who say nothing because they do not function for the people in the villages; and other office-holders. The villagers, according to them, are left to make state policy themselves. Could it be that, amid the smoke of political storms and the commotion of events moving back and forth, people are waiting for everything to be buried and for the new parliament to pass the law again? Could it be that they are waiting for the law to be approved by the Republic’s newly elected president, and only then will it be considered valid? No, esteemed officials. The law “On pensions for members of agricultural cooperatives” was approved by the former president, but it is a new law and there is no reason to leave it by the wayside. DËDE KOLA

CHRONICLE As part of connections and cooperation with foreign firms, the establishment of joint enterprises in agriculture has begun. By the last few days, four agricultural enterprises had received authorization to operate as joint ventures, specifically: the Bolo agricultural enterprise in Gjirokastër with a Greek firm; the “Shtova-Kavajë” agricultural enterprise with an Italian firm; the Torovica-Lezhë agricultural enterprise with a Cypriot firm; and the Kavajë Poultry Farm with a Greek firm. They have established the internal regulations, begun bringing in capital and importing various kinds of machinery. In addition to these, the Ministry of Agriculture is also pursuing the establishment of 15 other enterprises. They still need to be set up, since representatives of the foreign firms have raised objections to the procedure for establishing these enterprises, which is delaying approval until May or even later. Religious activity in Shkodër — A religious ceremony was held at the mosque in the Kiras neighbourhood of the city of Shkodër, attended by hundreds of Muslim worshippers. A group of representatives of religious institutions from Saudi Arabia was also present. The chairman of the Albanian Islamic Community, haxhi Hafiz Sabri Koçi, spoke about religious morality in the service of people’s spiritual development. The guests from Saudi Arabia also recited passages from the Quran. On this occasion, a concert was held featuring children demonstrating their knowledge of the Islamic faith. At the end, the children’s choir, conducted by Kujtim Alia, sang salawat and ilahi. European Charter of the Rights of the Child To protect children in the future European Union, the European Parliament asked the European Commission to draw up, as soon as possible, a “European Charter of the Rights of the Child.” In a resolution adopted by a majority vote, the Assembly’s Committee on Justice called on all member states of the EC to establish “a defender of children’s rights,” who would support the incorporation of these rights into national legislation. (ATSH)

— Decision of the Steering Committee of the PSSH — Yesterday, a meeting of the Steering Committee of the Socialist Party of Albania was held. The agenda included discussion of holding the First Congress of the Socialist Party of Albania and the relevant documents connected with this important event for our party. Calling the first congress of our party is an eagerly awaited event for its members and supporters. The idea has been raised for some time, and the need to convene its highest forum has been felt both at the grassroots and within the Party leadership. At recent meetings of the PSSH Steering Committee, it was considered essential to convene the Congress. The Socialist Party’s move into opposition and the development of a new strategy for the Party at this new stage in its work and in the life of the country made holding this Congress necessary. Thus, unanimously, at yesterday’s meeting the Steering Committee decided to convene the First Congress of the PSSH on 20 June 1992. The Steering Committee also discussed the Congress’s basic documents, prepared by the PSSH Presidium. These included the report of the PSSH Steering Committee to be presented to the Congress, entitled: “The Socialist Party—a constructive political force and an indispensable factor of democracy in Albania.” The outline presents the main points of the report to be delivered to the Party Congress: 1. The report to be submitted to the First Congress of the PSSH; 2. The SP—a growing political force with new, contemporary social-democratic characteristics; 3. The socialist opposition, a guarantor of democracy and pluralism in the current conditions of our country; 4. The Socialist Party moving toward integration into the Socialist International, etc. The many speakers who took the floor at the meeting expressed their concern that the First Congress of the PSSH should become an important event for our Party. It should not be a ceremonial, grandiose congress, but a working congress and a forum for debate, to find solutions to the new problems the Party must face at this stage in the development of the country’s life. Along with their assessments of the prepared material, they also made valuable observations and suggestions for completing and clarifying the issues to be addressed by the Congress. The speakers’ main concern was the Party’s adaptation to its position in opposition as a completely new party, overcoming disagreements and strengthening its organization. At yesterday’s meeting of the Steering Committee, the draft of the new PSSH Statute was also discussed. Several changes and additions have been made to the existing version, including in line with the statutes of European left-wing parties. These discussions, too, reflected the concern that the Party’s basic document should clearly define the Party’s position, its functioning, rights and duties, governing bodies, organizational structure, relations with other political and social organizations, financial resources, etc. These two important Party documents—the outline of the Congress report and the draft statute to be approved at the Congress—will be sent to the Party organizations and will be at the centre of discussions and debate during the period leading up to the Congress. The period before the First Congress will be devoted to discussing the issues of concern to the Party, from the local organizations to its leadership. It will also be a period of new elections ahead of the Congress. At yesterday’s meeting, the Steering Committee decided that this would take place in two phases: The first phase, which begins on 16 April and runs until 20 May, will include all meetings of the Party’s grassroots organizations. At these meetings, alongside discussion of the aforementioned documents and other issues of concern to the Party, efforts will also be made to increase its membership by recruiting new members, including young people. In general, at these meetings, depending on the particular cases and circumstances, the organizations may or may not discuss the question of people’s suitability for Party membership, including people with a problematic past. This will cleanse our Party of corrupt people and of those afflicted by political servility, hypocrisy, careerism, etc. But this issue requires careful handling—not through intimidation, unfounded prejudice or biographical judgments. The second phase will run from 20 May to 5 June, during which Party conferences will be held in the regions and districts. At yesterday’s meeting, the criteria for electing Congress delegates were also approved, along with the group drafting the report, the group revising the Statute, and the Party leadership representatives assigned to the regional and district conferences. The entire period leading up to the First Congress of the PSSH (Continued on page 3)

WERE THE “OLD” DP MINISTERS MORE CAPABLE? The composition of the new government is now known. Everyone, every Albanian, young and old, is right to give it its full term, not a day less. If it does not serve a full term, that means something has gone wrong; and a poor performance would weigh most heavily on us. So, naturally, everyone offers the same wish: good luck to the new government! And while we wish the government well, something nags at us: did the DP’s National Council, its top leadership, manage to select the best and most capable from the large number of intellectuals it has? It is well known: a good government is made up of experienced and capable people. The DP and its top leadership are undoubtedly very interested in the successful administration of public affairs. Success or failure is their responsibility. In raising this legitimate question, let us not forget that we live in a time when “the capable” are always given a clear path. We are talking about the capable. Let us return to the title of this article: “People have the right to ask: were or were not the six former ministers the most capable people in the DP?” If they were not—if they are the most capable, let the leadership that presented them as such acknowledge it; and if they were not, let it apologize to the people. It should also apologize to the PS, which was accused of damaging the reputation of the DP ministers for personal gain and credibility. If things are even worse, and those who wrote in the newspaper still have something to say, let them explain why they were not chosen. Are we talking about transparency? Otherwise, the saying remains: “Where there is smoke, there is fire.” TOMOR DAVIDHI

A LETTER FROM A MEMBER OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY I waited impatiently to hear the composition of the new government, which, in my opinion, should have been formed on entirely different principles from those to which we had become accustomed until now. I thought that, at last, the vicious criterion of choosing ministers according to “political reliability” and assigning positions according to the degree of political conformity would be abandoned. Then I thought that, at last, all the incompetent people had been thoroughly dealt with and dismissed… But I was completely astonished and disappointed, although I had foreseen many things and had raised the alarm as early as February 1991. Nevertheless, for the sake of what is good, I hope to be among the few who are disappointed. I will not speak about the other ministers, but about “ours,” Safet Zhulali, whom an exceedingly subtle and clever political manoeuvre from Dibër helped to clear a path to the assembly of the nation’s most distinguished men, and now, most recently, to the seat of Minister of Defence. Safet Zhulali, a mathematics teacher who, I believe, knows nothing about military theory and the art of war, will from now on leave our generals, as well as his Balkan, European and NATO colleagues, speechless when he discusses, for example, strategic concepts with them. But, after all, why should he need to be a military man? Aren’t the political principles his Party will serve up to him ready-made enough, for him to put them into practice himself? Indeed, one does not even need to know a foreign language for that. There is so much experience of this from 47 years of communist rule! On the other hand, perhaps it is better that he does not know the profession, because then he will not risk becoming conceited and forming some enemy group in the army, as in Enver’s time! The case of Safet Zhulali is not unique in this government, nor is it an exception for the Democratic Party. On the contrary, it is one example of the kinds of processes that have accompanied this party from its formation until today. Let us take a look. As early as February 1991, the steering council of our DP branch included a group of people who deserved to be candidates… [the source text is garbled here: “kanq… shënjat (shoqërisht së shënu… e kandidaturës, konformizmit e servilizmit)”]. Having been entrusted with several duties, I have had the opportunity to learn about the situation in the DP during these six months. The phenomena occurring within us, I saw everywhere. That is why I raised my voice several times, going as far as sending a report to the Party Presidium on 14 October 1991—a report that went unanswered. I do not claim that many cadres, many DP members, or the people themselves failed to see that there were many things wrong within the DP. But, alongside indifference and passivity, people were also kept inactive by hope: “Let democracy win, then everything will be put right.” I have not shared this illusion. Seeing the tendencies that were shaping the course of events, I thought that the shortcomings and evils would continue to grow. I remember very well the first DP rally and the replacement of A. Hajdari by S. Berisha as Party chairman. In my opinion, the replacement was right and necessary, but the way it was done was wrong. Everyone was upset by the exchange between the two of them and by the low level of the accusations. A party must first ensure order, justice and democracy within its own ranks; only then can it undertake to secure democracy for others. All the concerns of the commune (Continued on page 3)

“GO TO WORK…” Gëzim Kalaja, chairman of the independent trade unions for Tirana, held a meeting on 14 April with the miners of Valias, who are not going to work until wages are raised. For work… TOWARDS THE 100 MARK The dollar exchange rate on the private market is rising. Catastrophically. From morning until yesterday evening, it rose by 3 to 5 lek. 537 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PROSECUTED From 1 January to April, the Financial Police Department of Tirana prosecuted 537 people, involving a total of 361,000 lek (new lek). The largest activities of this … MONEY FROM WATER TOO Since returning to Tirana two weeks ago, many… have been reflected… income of …