WE HIGHLIGHT THE FACTS: - Comrade FATOS NANO, Chairman of the Socialist Party, meets with specialists and officials unjustly dismissed from their jobs, - The Democratic ministers and their Government will begin economic reform with the innocent and uneducated, who are being elevated to positions of responsibility without regard for professional abilities. - Parliament creates a legal basis in support of incapacity, intolerance and incompetence. - The President signs! - Not a single member of the Democratic Party has been dismissed from work, although there are many incapable and corrupt people among them. Many capable specialists and honest people, officials and diplomats who for years have served the people with dedication, are being arbitrarily removed from their jobs and left stranded with no prospects. Their number continues to grow, thus creating a distinct stratum of unemployed: those made unemployed by the partisan mentality of Democratic Party ministers. In no other democratic country does it happen that, at such a difficult time as the one we are all experiencing—when intellectual thought and productive ideas should be given priority—people are thrown out into the street with no hope for the future. “The Socialist Party, as a serious and progressive political force genuinely committed to bringing the country out of the crisis, supports every step by the Government that serves to improve the situation and advance economic reform within the law,” Comrade Fatos Nano stressed at a meeting held yesterday in one of the halls of the SP Steering Committee. “We will publicly denounce and take an appropriate stand against every action that puts the DP first and fails to respect people’s most basic rights to employment and to political opinions and beliefs that differ from those of today’s Democratic officeholders.” Nikolla Gjeci, a former specialist at the Ministry of Agriculture, dismissed from his job without any explanation, but solely by an arbitrary order from Minister Uka, stressed that of the 44 people dismissed, 20 are members of the Socialist Party, 2 are members of the Agrarian Party, while the others are independent, non-party intellectuals. “Neither I nor any of us who have been dismissed know why we were dismissed,” he said. “They talk about reform, but in fact we have been told nothing; we have not been given any competency test. We asked for a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture and Deputy Prime Minister Rexhep Uka, but he did not receive us. We also asked for a meeting with the honorable President of the Republic, the partisan of human dimensions, but he did not receive us?!... Why this conduct? Why these positions?” Meanwhile, as we learn at the meeting, this is not about staff reductions but replacements, because while people are being dismissed on the one hand, others are being hired on the other, without any criteria other than party affiliation. Otherwise, there is no justification for appointing Hasan Dosti’s son as personnel director at the Ministry without a higher education. PS members are dismissed and DP members hired. There are even such absurdities as the case of Alako at the Ministry of Agriculture, whose job has been kept open for him. He has been in Greece for a long time, yet his position is being held solely because he is a member of the Democratic Party. “One of the capable specialists at the Ministry of Agriculture, Myslim Minaj, is being replaced by the Ministry’s DP secretary,” Xhorxhi Thanasi says, “with no regard for ability, or for the fact that he has three children to support and an unemployed wife. He has been dismissed because he has always worked honestly and has not joined any party. Kristaq Preçi, who worked for ten years in Pukë, was replaced by the same logic. The head of the Ministry’s independent trade union was appointed in his place.” Olga Naumi and Zhuljeta Fejzollari, who has been replaced by three other employees (one is removed and three are added?...), as well as Shyqyri Haxhija and Haxhi Shehu, also raised justified concerns in their remarks, ...overwhelmed by work, he stressed. «To carry out reform—but in fact, we have not been told anything; we have not been put through any test of ability. and Deputy Prime Minister Rexhep Uka, but the office with the esteemed President of the Republic, a partisan of human dimensions, but His Excellency did not...»

KORÇË: 250 NEW MEMBERS - 150 joined only after the March 22 elections - The new elections in the Socialist Party organizations in the Korçë district are also accompanied by new members joining. Their number, we learn, has reached 250. Since March 22 alone, 150 have joined. Following the mass admissions in the villages of Pojan and Shkozaj, which are noteworthy for the establishment of new organizations, new members have also joined in the villages of the Moglicë area, such as Dushar, Nikollarë, Gurshqipe and Vrackë; in the Pirg and Zboçerisë area, such as Kakaç, Këmbëthëkër and Beras; in the Prespa area, such as Gorice të Madhe and Kallamas; in the Devoll area; in the town of Maliq; and in the villages of the agricultural enterprises, such as Rrëmbec and Bregas. Those admitted are mainly young people from various professions: farmers, workers and intellectuals. Through the new admissions from among the Euro-socialists in the city of Korçë, a new party organization was established. Correspondent of “Zëri i popullit”.

On May 28, 1992, Namik Dokle, chairman of the Socialist Party parliamentary group, sent a letter to the Constitutional Court and the President of the Republic of Albania denouncing the procedure for electing the High Council of Justice, which does not conform to constitutional norms; According to the law on the Main Constitutional Provisions (the appendix adopted recently), the letter states, the High Council of Justice is chaired by the President of the Republic and consists of the President of the Court of Cassation, the Minister of Justice, the Prosecutor General, and nine jurists elected at a joint meeting of the Court of Cassation and the General Prosecutor’s Office. The procedure followed and the composition established conflict with the constitutional provisions for the following reasons: 1. The nine jurists were not elected at a joint meeting, but separately by the justice institutions. 2. The Court of Cassation and the General Prosecutor’s Office are represented on this council by their heads, and there is no reason for them to elect the heads’ deputies. This turns the High Council of Justice into an administrative body and leaves no possibility for independent representation of judges and prosecutors. 3. Two deputies have been elected to the composition of the HCJ (and at least up to now they have not relinquished their parliamentary mandates). This is contrary to Article 3 of the Law on the Main Constitutional Provisions, which states that “the fundamental principle of state organization is the separation of legislative, executive and judicial power.” The presence of deputies constitutes interference by the legislative power in the work of the judicial power. The fact that both deputies are also lecturers at the Faculty of Law does not erase this constitutional violation—especially since, based on the conception of the functions of the HCJ, it is, as it is described abroad as well, “a self-governing body of the magistrates of justice” and should be drawn from their ranks. For these reasons, the matters may be resolved by the Constitutional Court, as the constitutional law expressly provides, but not by the HCJ. For these reasons, the letter concludes, we ask the Constitutional Court and the President of the Republic to annul the election of the HCJ and repeat it in accordance with constitutional norms.

CHRONICLE OF THE DAY TIRANA - A hopeful report on the morning broadcasts of TV Llisë about the resumption of work at the Textile Combinat in Tirana. But the hope quickly fades before it can inspire the other work collectives. Work is interrupted once again. After several discussions with the management of the Combinat, the trade unions send a petition to the government. Their demands, broadly speaking, concern a pay rise, the operation of urban transport, and the supply of steam. The enterprise management supports the employees’ demands, and these are the responses they receive there: The steam issue remains unresolved; its price is 22 ... - Work that had just begun is halted - It is expected that this issue will be discussed again. A Combinat management proposal envisaged a contract with the Bus Depot to transport employees, but no agreement could be reached between the two parties. Most employees make their way home on foot or are forced to pay for whatever private transport is available. The wage issue is even more acute. According to the Combinat managers, if there are no technological interruptions, employees will receive a pay increase equal to 70 percent of their current wages. The trade unionists reject this proposal, citing the soaring prices. They propose another form of payment, based on the workload assigned to the machinery. The Combinat management has opposed this solution. Even after the meeting with Prime Minister Meksi, the employees of this Combinat continue their strike. The heart of the Combinat—the textile factory—is not operating and, as a result of the technological connections, the Combinat’s “clock” has stopped. The strike continues; the employees are waiting.

Draft laws should be discussed with the people before being approved by parliament An international symposium on “Freedom of Conscience – A Foundation for Social Peace” was held in Tirana. The symposium was directed and organized by the University of Tirana, sponsored by the International Association for Religious Freedom, the International Association for the Defense of Human Rights, and the International Academy for Freedom of Belief and Religion. Some points in the symposium’s final declaration state: - We believe it is vital to the future of Albanian democracy that the new constitution now being drafted embody guarantees for all human rights included in international documents, particularly freedom of conscience and belief. The same rights and principles must also be reflected in national legislation. Freedom of information is vital to protecting the new democracy in Albania. The symposium heard calls for broader information about draft laws and for the content of draft laws to be made known, as well as for wide public consultation on them before they are approved by parliament. - We call on the (Albanian) government to make use of the assistance offered by the UN Government for Human Rights. In particular, with the assistance of the UN Center for... (Continued on page 2)

Prof. Kostaq Cipo (1892-1952), a distinguished intellectual and patriot, made a valuable contribution to the cultivation of the Albanian language through his work. Prof. Cipo wrote several textbooks, including Phonetics and Morphology, synchronic and historical; he was a co-author and director of the compilation of the Dictionary of the Albanian Language in 1954, together with the eminent Çabej and Xhuvani; and he published the Grammar of the Albanian Language in two volumes, etc. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth and honor his work in the service of the Albanian language, literature and schools, an event was organized today in one of the halls of the National Historical Museum; (ATSH)

TOMORROW YOU WILL READ: WE ARE «CONDEMNED» TO UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER, OTHERWISE... By Dr. KASTRIOT ISLAMI After the fervor of electoral promises, people left out in the rain wait patiently for only one thing from democracy: «For them to get to work, while they talk about work»—with this prospect still relatively distant, their concern is growing considerably. Everywhere, on the sidewalks of the boulevards, in institutions, in state-run cafés and private restaurants, everywhere, the frequently heard question is, «How will things go? Is it true that Europe, quite openly, just as Mr. Gensher put it diplomatically, is asking, before opening its doors, for diplomatic acceptance? It wants guarantees before opening its doors to investments, which, as things stand, may be established even under a difficult government, with some of the main political forces involved in investments?»

Dear Sirs, One of the greatest gains for our people’s future in these past two years of the struggle for democracy has been the abolition of the party-state monopoly and of the strict control that had existed for half a century over the press and the means of public information. Indeed, the de jure freedom of these media, achieved in the very first stages of the democratic movement, became one of the driving forces behind the rapid progress and further victories of democracy. The many newspapers published by parties, associations or private publishers, as well as state radio and television (there is no private radio or television in Albania), broadly reflected the efforts and the entire Albanian reality as it underwent transformation, up to the elections of 22 March 1992, which, according to the description given even by the party that came to power, confirmed that democracy had triumphed in Albania. But as events unfold, it is becoming clear that the period after 22 March, when the Democratic Party’s Government came to power, is turning into a significant turning point for the press and mass media. In these circumstances, what is at stake is not only freedom of speech, but also freedom of information: the freedom not to be kept from reality and from learning about the processes taking place in the country. This is a serious infringement of some of the most fundamental human rights, and points to the restriction of democracy itself. Since 22 March 1992, Albanian Television, which broadcasts on only one channel, has decided, in a special ruling, not to broadcast any information about the activities of political parties other than the Socialist Party. The Socialist Party is not allowed airtime, nor are its leaders’ meetings with foreign counterparts and various dignitaries, let alone its other activities. Even activities that are not subject to government control have in practice been shut out, because their realistic portrayal of the grave situation of instability and crime in Albania has become unwelcome to the Government or conflicts with the public statements and positions of ministry officials. Is this democratic pluralism? Can reforms be carried out under censorship and dictatorship? The height of censorship is the censorship itself of the proceedings of various sessions of the People’s Assembly. At the instruction of the Assembly Presidium, whose conduct shows that it is dominated by the extremist wing of the Democratic Party, these proceedings are broadcast neither on radio nor on television. This censorship contradicts the practice followed until now, when the proceedings of sessions were broadcast in full whenever a parliamentary group requested it. All this has created and is reinforcing the conviction that freedom of the press and the mass media was needed only to bring the Democratic Party to power. After that, those who rose up and came to power as champions of freedom of expression, of the press, etc., are now curtailing and controlling alternative and opposing views, criticism, and so on. We believe that the complete control being imposed on Albanian Television and the censorship that the forces now in power are attempting to impose on the press are anti-democratic practices and hostile to freedom. The demands they make in the name of press and expression freedom expose the true nature of what is being done. We have raised, and continue to raise, our voices against these anti-democratic phenomena, and we trust that you, too, will judge them and support us. With the highest consideration for you. SOCIALIST PARTY OF ALBANIA A serious and progressive policy, the situation and advance economic reform within the framework of its legislation... Comrade Fatos Nano stressed this of the PS Governing Committee in Tirana—but on the other hand—

FACT: COFFEE WITH CARAMELS In front of a roadside shack, an elderly woman who lived in Palokastër, Gjirokastër, buys small, cheap candies and a strong coffee. She stops for the coffee, savors it with an expression, and has it with candies. Since last night, with the newer officials, we believe, this coffee and candies has become a popular, well-known thing. DINO TIANA