The Ansa news agency reports that: • The agreement, as concluded between the TPE and Albania, was reached in September 1992 and provides for the facilitation of exchanges, guarantees for investment and support for economic development projects. • At Italy’s initiative, Albania was included last year among the countries benefiting from the «Far» operation for the restructuring of former communist countries, and has so far received aid from the TPE amounting to 63 million ECU. • The European Community will help Albania consolidate its democratic political system, as well as develop in accordance with the rules of the market economy. • Prime Minister Meksi requested aid of 40 million ECU (around 65 billion lire) for the import of raw materials and semi-finished goods to resume production in Albanian industry. Italy expressed its support for granting this loan.

The Albanian public learned on Monday of the signing of the cooperation agreement between the European Community and Albania in the economic and trade fields. The importance of this agreement is extraordinary, since it opens up the prospect for Albania of emerging from the severe economic crisis, recovering and joining the currents of European development and integration. Every Albanian should understand clearly that this signature heralds a brighter tomorrow, with the hope of improving their life. The signing of the TPE–Albania agreement is not the result of a day or a month. Nor is it an unexpected gift from the TPE to Albania this spring. It is the fruit of long work, including that of previous cabinets. The TPE government established diplomatic relations with Albania in June 1990, and the comprehensive cooperation of our country with the Twelve created favorable conditions for it to provide direct aid to the suffering Albanian people. So far, the European Common Market (Continued on page 4)

On Friday, 8 May 1992, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Aleksandër Meksi, accompanied by advisers to the PSSH Presidium, held a special meeting with PSSH Chairman Fatos Nano and Deputy Chairman Sajmir Pëllumbi. At the center of the unstructured discussion was the concern and preoccupation caused among the majority and throughout the country, especially among the PSSH Steering Committees, by the unfair way in which the government decision of 25.4.1992 on disarmament and the consolidation of the pluralist Executive Committees in the districts is being interpreted and put into practice. In places where the PS emerged as the leading political force in the first round of elections (Përmet, Librazhd), the government’s appointees are insisting not only that the PS be denied the chairmanship, but that it have no representatives at all on the Executive Presidiums of these Committees. In the PSSH district, the district [unclear] (in the town), the villages and above, on the other hand, there is no representative on the Executive Presidiums of these Committees. The positions described by the PS representatives constituted, they stressed, a serious violation of the law and of last year’s political formula for the establishment and operation of pluralist Executive Committees. They are also entirely at odds with the new government’s recent decisions to normalize relations between party representation at that level and each of the parties in the 22 March [elections]. The appointment of heads of the Executive Committee sections exclusively from parties that have come to power (mainly the PD), and the removal from these sections of those representing the PSSH, is also contrary to the spirit of the law, last year’s practice and consensus among political forces. Although last year’s appointments, like the current ones, are temporary, Comrade Fatos Nano stressed, as long as a political formula is being followed it must be applied rigorously and impartially throughout. A fair and equal solution to this problem, both PSSH leaders emphasized, would undoubtedly facilitate the fundamental reform of local government and administration, which will culminate in the organization of Local Government Elections. The Socialist Party, its Steering Committee and its Presidium, aware of the importance of this issue, insist that the platform for Local Government Reform be resolved as quickly as possible. The Local Elections Law should be examined as soon as possible, within the shortest and most practicable timeframe, in view of the General Local Elections. Prime Minister Mr. Aleksandër Meksi, after listening attentively to the concerns and suggestions of the PSSH Presidium representatives, stressed that he was aware of the concerns brought to his attention, among other things, through petitions and protests by several PS Steering Committees in the districts. He acknowledged the difficulties that had arisen at the grassroots, the possibility of misunderstandings and misinterpretations, and stressed that he would [unclear] to examine them more closely and make efforts ... PSSH Spokesperson Tirana, 11.5.1992

— Is there anything more important in a democratic state than human rights? — — On 11.5.1992, at a meeting organized after a meeting of the management, rather than of the employees, former employees of the Ministry of Finance were informed of an order by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Rexhep Ukë, according to which only the names of those who would stay on the job were read out, while the others would be put on assistance. A total of 44 people were dismissed. No reason was given for those who were to leave the ministry. None of the officials, including the directors who read out the order, responded to the employees’ questions and requests for clarification; this is understandable, since the boss, when he gave them the [unclear], kept the section responsible for dismissals for himself—or perhaps he had nothing to tell them either. With this step, we believe that a new class struggle, begun by the new holders of power, has not only become open, but has also reached a new level in concrete terms. As expected, the main blow was directed against socialists. Of the 27 socialists in this ministry, 20 were dismissed and thrown out onto the street. The seven who were kept on seem to have been retained merely as a pretext for now; who knows what fate awaits them later. We want to stress that, with the exception of 3–4 cases, the socialists have been here for five years and ... Tomorrow there will be more of us! We came. We came like giants, Albania’s Eurosocialists, to carry on a reborn ideal. We Albanians held on to the idea of being prejudged as «irresponsible» about pluralism, as «provincial» people who «will never become cultured Europeans». That is how those who think they have hung great bells on their own [unclear] and the democratic noise prejudge us. No. I say with conviction: no. This is not only about the representatives of Skrapar; it is about everyone who voted for the left-wing alternative. We managed to carry it forward, leaving a trail of thorns stretching from Këlcyra to our neighbors in Gramsh. We managed to tell our beautiful, simple and brilliant truth, something in the organization of the sta-

[He] has declared that «the color of the Ministry of Agri-?culture should be changed». And at the first opportunity he was given, he acted with the same [unclear] as the others. We strongly and publicly denounce these malicious, arbitrary and prejudiced actions. We stress that, regarding this order, our minister not only did not have the [unclear] to meet with the employees and hear their views, but when he was asked, we were told that he was not at the ministry. We find this extremely strange for a democratic minister. Is there anything more important in a democratic state than people’s rights and their protection? We strongly call on the People’s Assembly, the President and the government to stop such actions, to establish common criteria for the renewal of state apparatuses at all levels, and to put an end to orders from above that gravely harm employees’ interests and throw them out onto the street, leaving them without protection. We appeal to political parties, social organizations, trade unions and public opinion as a whole to support the country’s democratic development, condemn these class-based behaviors and put an end to such practices. FROM THE SOCIALISTS OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE PUT ON ASSISTANCE Tirana, 12. 5. 1992

The deputy on the status of a deputy The status of a deputy begins with the article «The deputy is an official». Will our parliamentarians be paid by the state with a fixed salary, and will it be the average monthly wage? Deputies from all parliamentary groups debated this issue at length, putting forward proposals to be as realistic as possible and to set a salary that would be as acceptable as possible in the eyes of the public, given Albania’s current situation. By a majority vote, it was decided that a deputy’s monthly salary should be the same as a minister’s. Ultimately, the government will put the final «seal» on it. 2. «By force and on one’s own» Building a parliamentary residence would finally solve the problem for all Albanians in a more [unclear] way in Tirana. Could this be done? The leaders of the Presidium stated that it would be possible. The leaders of the People’s Assembly [said that] for the time being the structure [would be decided] when the Assembly’s budget is approved. 3. Parliament under the government’s orders The question of what provision should be made for deputies to travel from their workplace to the center was discussed at length. In the end, it was decided to establish a special unit to serve the deputies, so that they could attend and travel around and carry out their work. When this article was put to a vote and approved, the Chairman of the Presidium, Mr. Arbër Shehu, said: — I am telling you now that the government is not ready to implement this. So even from now on, deputies will have to keep their eyes on the government. 4. The «right» of judges Apparently, the serious shortage of telephone numbers means that it is easier to assign deputies a telephone number for their calls. The deputies also received a list of personal telephone numbers. 5. «Health benefits» The state ministers’ [and] deputy’s [benefits] were discussed third, at the end… For the ministers and others. BAShKIM KOÇI

On the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the formation of the Shën-Gjergj partisan unit, a commemorative meeting was held at the National Committee of Veterans and Invalids of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War of the Albanian People in Tirana. Participants included veterans, former partisans of the unit, members and relatives of the families of martyrs, representatives of the PS and PSD in the district, and other guests. The meeting was opened by Enver Be-gjela, secretary of the district Committee of Veterans and War Invalids. Mirdash Dashli, the first secretary, then greeted those present on behalf of the district National Union Council, and veteran Ferik Pema spoke on behalf of the former partisans of the unit. Former partisans of the unit also shared their memories. Participants paid their respects at the graves of those who fell in the unit, in the Martyrs’ Cemetery.

We came. We came like giants, Albania’s Eurosocialists, to carry on a reborn ideal. We Albanians held on to the idea of being prejudged as «irresponsible» about pluralism, as «provincial» people who «will never become cultured Europeans». That is how those who think they have hung great bells on their own [unclear] and the democratic noise prejudge us. No. I say with conviction: no. This is not only about the representatives of Skrapar; it is about everyone who voted for the left-wing alternative. We managed to carry it forward, leaving a trail of thorns stretching from Këlcyra to our neighbors in Gramsh. We managed to tell our beautiful, simple and brilliant truth, something in the organization of the sta-?te apparatus through the youngest deputy in parliament. We «provincial conservatives» trusted a young man’s word, such as that of Mj Mete, more than that of a politician of yesterday, who struggles to choose his words to appear contemporary and European, poor fellow, and to catch the last plane, even though his ticket is like a card in the game «Gër». That is how we are made. We are democrats at heart. History says so, and we are its diligent students. We did not know how to perform ordinary political tricks. We took a sure step toward tomorrow. And this is certainly a mature step in the formation of Eurosocialism. They look at us with distrust. Per-

Before the fire from the incident of 19.4.1992, in block 4 of Tirana’s 30th neighborhood, had even been fully extinguished, the public was informed on 4.5.1992 of another, more painful tragedy. The apartment building’s resident, Arben Kallanshiu (Sherdellu), for reasons having absolutely nothing to do with his duties or profession, was deliberately killed by a police worker (a service [unclear]), who forcibly demanded that he drive him to Elbasan in his own vehicle. The murderer was shot by another police officer on duty after he failed to obey the order, but fled in haste, firing and [unclear] toward his companions. Thus, within a single day, two killings took place in broad daylight on the streets of the capital. Alongside the economic hardships endured by people, many unexpected sorrows and misfortunes are added, leaving them with no hope or faith except in an improvement in the socioeconomic situation—and in the security of everyday urban life. It is an understatement to say that Albania is in chaos and anarchy, because every day, early and late, shots ring out from rifles, revolvers, automatic weapons and hand grenades, creating the impression of a state of war. The looting of shops, counters and citizens’ homes has become widespread and a common feature of the times. People have become apathetic and fearful. All these events we are experiencing fill us with nostalgia and anger, naturally turning our gaze toward those who suffer this misfortune and making us wonder where they find the patience and strength to endure such pain and severe emotional blows. Parents shed their heart’s blood; sisters are left without their only brother; a young wife gives her life’s blood, and children are left orphans. MEHMET KASO

On 4.5.1992, President of the Republic Sali Berisha promulgated Law 7559 «On the Bank of Albania», Law No. 7560 «On the Banking System» and Law 7562 «On an Amendment to the Law on Employment Relations». INFORMATION AND PRESS OFFICE AT THE PRESIDENCY

— «With a day’s wages, an intellectual in Albania can buy one bottle of Coca-Cola» or... 10 bricks. How many years would they have to work to build a tunnel or a much-needed apartment? — Today, one tomato costs 200 lek (old lek). It seems to be the only country in the world where its price equals that of a banana. — Do you know the price of a pack of cigarettes? The question «To smoke or not to smoke» is today’s daily dispute in families. — Do you want a color television? You have to work for two years without eating or drinking. Keep these facts in mind too if you want to properly explain the political behavior of the time. Sh. M.

The adventurous journey through the wondrous world of bureaucracies / NOVEL / READ ON PAGE 3 Dritëro Agolli Zylo oder The adventurous journey through the wondrous world of bureaucracies NOVEL READ ON PAGE 3