Mr. Gensher visited our country for the third time. He met with the highest-ranking new Albanian leaders, spoke with them, and addressed the Albanian parliament. Some people saw him up close; thousands of others, of their own free will, had come out into the streets of Tirana to greet him. In Elbasan, thousands upon thousands cheered him and the democracy that had come to Elbasan. After his visit to Elbasan, Gensher left our country. He left, but his clear words have remained in the memories of many, along with promises—not European, but certain—of Albania’s progress in the future on the road to Europe. On this road of hope for a better future, Gensher assured us that we would not be left alone, that we would have Germany at our side as a good friend, helping with advice and concrete action. He declared that Germany was on the front line in helping Albania. Such a solemn promise from a statesman like Mr. Gensher filled people’s hearts with hope that Albania is not a cursed country, and that we Albanians, too, have concrete prospects for development and new hopes right here in Albania. In his meetings, at the press conference, and in his address to parliament, he demonstrated concretely that Europe and Germany have not forgotten Albania; that the European Community and its most powerful member, the Federal Republic of Germany, already have a concrete, realistic plan for the path Albania must follow in order to become a member of the European Community in the future. Gensher emphasized that the Agreement on Trade and Cooperation between Albania and the EC, reached a short time ago, is a decisive step toward linking Albania more closely with the Community’s development dynamic. At its core, this agreement contains the prospect of association with the EEC. Gensher pledged to further involve Albania in political cooperation with the European Community. Association is the path to becoming a member of the EEC, Gensher emphasized. The road is long, he warned, but the aim is to make it a speedy journey. Another encouraging statement for us Albanians was his view that it was essential for the Group of 24 to help Albania, and for the latter to become a member of the Council of Europe. In his meetings, our friend from Germany made it clear that these are official commitments that will soon be put into practice. He announced that a group of German experts would soon come to Albania to examine the possibilities for cooperation, with the aim of making it as effective as possible. On this occasion, we cannot forget Mr. Gensher’s first visit and his offer to send such a group of experts to work quickly and make up for lost time in relations between the two countries. At that time, the corrupt officials of the communist dictatorship cared more about preserving their power than about Albania’s development and improving the welfare of Albanians. That dark chapter has now been closed forever; Albania and the Albanians have clasped the generous hand of friendship extended by the German people, offered once again through Mr. Gensher. The road to Europe

For pilots, length of service is determined by multiplying the number of calendar years served by two. And, in fact, this is what appears in the service record of every pilot who is retired. Almost all have more than sixty years of service, despite being fifty years old—the age of the youngest among them. Before the Military Personnel Status law was enacted, there was a glaring paradox. A pilot (regardless of the special qualities attributed to him by official propaganda in the name of national pride) received a smaller pension than any average official. The paradox began for a pilot at around age 35. By then he had completed 15×2=30 years of service. So, since he had not yet turned fifty (the age up to which our country counts pilots’ years of service), he continued to serve and perform even more difficult, even more stressful duties (considerable experience, especially given our limited and restricted conditions), for only 40 percent of his salary (!!!), with no credit whatsoever toward his pensionable service. Clearly, according to the logic of the Labour Code, this constituted a violation of his rights concerning compensation. If this 35-year-old man’s position were filled by someone else, it would cost the state an additional 60 percent of a salary, besides wasting the fifteen years of experience he had accumulated. Now, with the enactment of the Law on the Status of Military Personnel of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Albania, the problem has been more or less properly resolved for our circumstances. Article 16 of this statute states: «Officers and non-commissioned officers with length of service in the army: men 155 years and women 12 years, are entitled to ... a partial pension amounting to 50 percent of their monthly salary. For each additional year of service beyond the limit

A painful account People, do not leave graves open! Disputes over land have opened another grave in the district of Elbasan. This time in the village of Polis i Vogël. A village marked by a calamity, a mourning such as has never been remembered. Even the children could not look one another in the eye without bursting into tears. Never before had so many people come to this village to accompany a deceased person to their final resting place. Never before had these hundreds and hundreds of men, who had come from all the surrounding villages, left you alone with tears welling in your eyes. A criminal hand cut short the life of the village’s most honest and hardest-working man, a [unclear] and the most compassionate fellow villager. Four truly beautiful children, beautiful just like their father, all innocent angels, with a heart-rending appearance that tears at your soul! In addition to the heavy burden of grief, from now on they will be called orphans. But why must it be this way? To whom can they complain, and to whom can they appeal over this terrible calamity? Can they keep the poison locked inside their little hearts? As if poverty were not enough, the dreadful shadow of death has been hanging over the village for some time. It is a daily anxiety caused by disputes over LAND. We do not know how many people have been killed over land so far, but, as many villagers say, disputes over LAND and WATER have left many graves open. Have you heard these words from ordinary people about deaths foretold, you honourable government officials and political party leaders? Even if this warning has not reached your ears, ask around and you will learn that, unfortunately, it is true. If you listen carefully, you will also learn that many land-distribution commissions have left quarrels and disputes unresolved. Worse still, over a plot of land, in some cases (though rarely), two villagers have both been granted the same piece. What we are saying is true, but now killings have occurred. So would it not be right—would it not be right to take a strong preventive measure? In these circumstances, both from the standpoint of the law and of humane principles, should the land-distribution commissions not return once again to review disputes wherever they exist? If the commissions do not begin (since not everywhere have they done their work properly), why should they not be compelled to do so by law? Every dispute is a warning of the evil that could happen at any moment. We believe and hope that, beyond the legal aspect, every possibility exists to stop this evil. Perhaps the time has come to establish some kind of people’s institution or association to address this issue. Our clergy, too, drawing on their words and authority and working together with believers and wise people, can do much about this and stand up for the protection of life. Let us not forget that every killing, every open grave, calls forth revenge. (Continued on page 3)

I thought it appropriate to send my letter to the newspaper “Zëri i Popullit”. I am a mother like many others in the city of Tirana, concerned for the lives of our children. We all want democracy in our country, but first and foremost we want it with peace and order, something that still has not been established here, while we observe indifference in this regard. Establishing peace and order is the first point in the PD’s plan, even though the days are passing. Don’t we see what is happening in the city of Tirana? Girls from secondary school have become afraid to go to school or leave it because groups of 3–4 boys gather outside the school gates, on motorbikes or in unregistered cars. In broad daylight (let alone going out in the afternoon), in the middle of the boulevard, they cunningly grab them by the arm, pressure them, and, if necessary, use force to put them into cars; no one knows where they end up. Are our girls, at the most beautiful age of their lives, supposed to arm themselves with guns and knives to defend their lives and honour from these bestial hooligans—the dregs of society—who move about so openly under the police’s very nose, without a single one of them being caught and made an example of for everyone? One thing must be said: when our children are grown up, we parents will be at ease too. We are fed up with talk; we want public order to be restored. We have been poor and still are, but at least let us have peace and quiet. Tirana, 23.4.92 Respectfully, BURBUQE SELIMI

On the eve of the Party’s First Congress — 40 new members admitted during April — On the eve of the Party’s First Congress Let us choose the campaign objectives — 40 new members admitted during April — On the 21st, the steering committee of the PS in the district of Gjirokastër held discussions about the party election campaign with organization chairpeople and activists from the villages and the city. The exchange of views focused on these topics: organizing and strengthening the party; gathering the party membership’s views for the First Congress; completing the party’s development as the main opposition force; and learning the tactics and strategy required to be in opposition. Recent developments have disrupted the party’s old organizational structure, the new style of activism is not being properly adopted, and new members are being added and drawn in with discipline. All this has made life difficult for many organizations. The election campaign can be used for another, more realistic and accurate assessment, which will lead to the consolidation of the organizations. Where necessary, the organizations can also be brought to maturity through reorganization, the dissolution of those that have in fact already disintegrated, and the formation of new ones. Renewal and qualitative improvement are above all achieved by bringing in a new wave of energy through the admission of young people. This could be a principal task of the campaign. In Gjirokastër, for example, during this first month after the elections, despite the heavy defeat, 40 new members have been admitted. This spirit and pace must be maintained and increased during the campaign, because the PS has sympathizers and supporters. Views were also expressed on merging organizations where they are small and inactive, and where their profiles and the nature of their members’ work are similar. It was also proposed that, for the good of the work, an almost complete change of the chairpeople and their deputies in PS organizations should be considered. Revitalizing the party as the main opposition force is an unfamiliar mission. This mission must be learned and carried out with initiative and seriousness. But it is a fact that people still know little about what democratic socialism is, about the socialist and social-democratic alternative, how it lives and thrives in Europe, and how it can and should be «imported» here as well. Jorgo Mandili, a lecturer at the «Eqerem Çabej» University, proposed that a group of intellectuals be established alongside the steering committee to publicize these ideas by translating books and obtaining contemporary literature. The proposal was considered appropriate. It was also said that the political style and arguments used by the PS group in parliament should be adopted—a stance that has aroused sympathy among our supporters and among the public as well. There are occasions when party members say: why do you call us to meetings? We have our own troubles at work, at home, in our surroundings, and so on. Their dissatisfaction is justified; it is real: the farmer cannot get paid, the worker has no raw materials, the private business owner lacks supplies, and the intellectual seems to have been pushed to the margins of life. The PS must understand these problems and help solve them, because that is how it serves its members and sympathizers, and how it broadens its influence. Reform will make these problems even more visible, so the organizations must come forward and take the initiative in new forms of activity, both cultural and economic. The PS must position itself firmly in defence of people’s interests. At the meetings, duties relating to the local elections were also discussed, and it was said that we should be the first to begin the campaign, so that we do not end up lagging behind events, as happened in some cases with the 22 March elections. The organization of the PS district conference was also discussed. That same day, the district PS leadership admitted the tireless activists and comrades Sabri Zilaj and Petrit Danaj as party members. THANAS DINO

• An armed Serbo-Slav infantry unit of 12 soldiers was stationed at the police school in Vushtrri. It is said that these forces are made up of Serbian police officers and military personnel. They must … • Shyqip Duraku, secretary of the Assembly for the Political and Territorial Autonomy of Albanians in Preshevë, Bujanovc and Medvegjë, was arrested. Shyqip Duraku was sentenced to 15 years in prison. • The Human Rights Counsellors in Shkodër made an … • It is said that two young men from this municipality, Enver Kosta and Ismail Koti from the village of Polac, were arrested near Vishegrad. After their arrest, they were forcibly mobilized. It is suspected that other Albanian citizens who were travelling have also been forcibly mobilized.

GOVERNMENT CHRONICLE Yesterday at 11:30, President of the Republic Sali Berisha received at his offices the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Olivier Ginjobade, and the head of the joint programme on migration information for Albania, Mr. Aleksandër Kasela. The meeting discussed the problems of Albanian refugees and concrete solutions to their problems, such as family reunification, legalizing those living illegally in the countries where they are residing, and concrete assistance by organizations in intervening with various governments regarding the emigration of Albanian citizens. President Berisha told his guests: “I will insist with the governments of European countries and the European Community that they help us with temporary and seasonal migration quotas. This will have an impact not only economically, but psychologically as well.” The President also asked representatives of these organizations to help make it easier for Albanian citizens to obtain visas, giving particular priority to young businesspeople, who currently do not have an easy right to freedom of movement. “We thank the Italian government,” the President continued, “for the great assistance it has given us during this period of transition. We also thank the Greek government for employing our citizens there. But this is not the final solution. Jobs must absolutely be created here so that Albanians can work in their own country. The gentlemen said that next week in Geneva they would raise … … the issue of loans to be provided to small enterprises here in Albania to create jobs. We are pressing ahead and hope that European governments will soon set migration quotas for Albanians. We will also seek three-to-four-month training courses for skills development, followed by the opening of credit facilities for those going into business. They stressed that they were optimistic about resolving these problems quickly because Europe’s response to Albania, now after the victory of democracy, is very positive. At the conclusion, President Berisha expressed his willingness to assist them in their activities here in Albania. Tirana, 23 April 1992 Press and Information Office of the President

Chairman of the Council of Ministers Aleksandër Meksi yesterday received, in a separate meeting, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic in our country, Torquato Cardilli. During the meeting, which took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere, views were exchanged on the current state of political and economic relations between our two countries, Italy’s significant contribution and role in reviving Albania’s economy, as well as the Italian aid allocated so far and that planned for our country in the future. Particular attention was also given to Italy’s political support for Albania internationally, within the framework of the European Community, the G-24, the IMF, the World Bank, etc. Yesterday Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi also met with representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration: Messrs. Olivier Ginjadore and Aleksandër Kosela, who is also head of the Joint Migration Information Programme for Albania, as well as Klaudia Ottolenghi, responsible for the Migration Development and Technical Cooperation Programme for Europe and the USA. Among the specific issues discussed at the meeting were assistance that could be provided to our country in setting migration quotas, arranging temporary employment abroad, and organizing participation in various training courses, particularly in new professions. For his part, Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi emphasized the importance of organizing migration as one of the priorities of the government programme, and asked the senior UN representatives to intervene actively with European governments to create the conditions for organized migration for our citizens. The senior UN representatives responsible for migration pledged to make a serious contribution to helping Albania during this important period of social change as well. (ATSH)

Fear or indifference? … did not deign to find out the truth, but immediately slapped the resident of this block, then attacked him with stones, sticks, and bricks—whatever came to hand—causing him serious injuries, so much so that his family, greatly worried, took him to hospital for help. Many residents of this block watched the scene from the windows of their apartments, but not one dared to intervene; even some who happened to be nearby walked away for fear that they might— … (Continued on page 3) … which took place on 19.4.1992 in Block 4 of Neighborhood 30 in the city of Tirana. A resident of this block kindly asked a young boy to leave the area where several residents of the block were collectively playing dominoes and cards. The boy not only did not leave, but called an older relative of his. This one not only… What prompts me to write these lines is a bitter incident that an older relative of his. This person not only did not deign to learn and then used stones, pieces of wood and bricks against him—whatever his family, deeply worried, took him to hospital for treatment. windows of their apartments, but none dared to intervene; even some who were nearby moved away for fear that a- … (Continued on page 3)