The event in Libofshë, Fier — a grave challenge to democracy On Saturday evening, we saw a horrifying scene on TV: the murder of an entire family of five, including a seven-month-old child, who had been killed and massacred in Libofshë, Fier, on the morning of May 29. This is a terrible and unprecedented event, although lately the rising crime rate has become an integral part of our insecure lives. This event has shaken our entire public opinion. The Ministry of Public Order, which on Sunday announced a reward of 1 million old lekë for anyone who provides information about the perpetrator of this horrifying crime, is facing a serious test, since this crime is one of the harshest and most macabre challenges posed to our democratic processes. This crime is further proof that rising and, until now, uncontrolled criminality is a real threat to every citizen’s life, and that it is present, with all its grave consequences, in our cities and villages. As we offer our condolences to the relatives of the family massacred in Libofshë, we join our voices with the legitimate demand of all sound-minded members of society: the criminal hand must be stopped at all costs, and the perpetrators must be struck down without mercy. This is what the laws of the democracy we want to build require.

- An Albanian-Turkish cooperation treaty is signed. - Turkey grants Albania a loan of 50 million dollars. - Military cooperation between the two countries will increase. - An air route will be opened and visas for Turkish citizens will be abolished. The Prime Minister of Turkey, Sulejman Demirel, made a two-day visit to Albania. He held meetings with President Sali Berisha, Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi, Foreign Minister Alfred Serreqi, and others. Upon his arrival at Rinas Airport, the Turkish prime minister declared that he had “come to a brotherly country, which Turkey has helped before and will continue to help in the future.” At the conclusion of his meetings, the Turkish prime minister and the Albanian president held a press conference for Albanian journalists. President Berisha stressed the need for political cooperation with Turkey and for institutionalizing bilateral meetings. He said relations in telecommunications would be expanded, an air route between the two countries would be opened, and an agreement would be signed to eliminate taxes in both countries. The Albanian Government will waive visas for Turkish citizens coming to Albania. Prime Minister Demirel, thanking his hosts for their hospitality, gave an overview of the developments affecting Europe after 1990. These changes, he said, call for the creation of a new environment for cooperation. Turkey is aware of its responsibility as a large and powerful country in Europe. Demirel particularly stressed the need to deepen the traditional relations between Albania and Turkey. Demirel emphasized that the world should support Albania and that, for this purpose, Turkey is committed to making its contribution to the fall, and to the fall of its own for? ... Demirel announced that Albania had been invited to participate in the Black Sea initiative, in which Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania cooperate. President Berisha accepted the invitation. Speaking about Kosovo, Demirel warned the world that events in Kosovo would be tragic and that neither the world nor Turkey would remain indifferent. “I hope violence will not come to Kosovo, but if it does, Albania will have Turkey’s support.” Mr Demirel said he would support Albania’s NATO membership and announced military cooperation and assistance for our country. The assistance will primarily be provided in the field of military training. In this context, Turkish military advisers will be sent to Albania if the Albanian Government requests it. On this, Mr Berisha said, “This should not be repeated.” Mr Demirel also focused, in addition to Kosovo, on the issue of ... (Continued on page 4)

— Prime Minister Demirel’s meeting with Fatos Nano — The day before yesterday, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, Sulejman Demirel, received the chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania, Fatos Nano, at the Turkish Embassy in Tirana. The day before yesterday, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, Sulejman Demirel, received the chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania, Fatos Nano, at the Turkish Embassy in Tirana and held a warm and friendly conversation with him. Fatos Nano welcomed Mr Demirel to Albania on behalf of the Socialist Party and expressed his conviction that this visit would help strengthen the ancient and traditional friendship between our two countries and peoples. At this moment, he said, Albania needs true friends. We believe Turkey will play an important role and be such a factor in Albania’s integration into European affairs and its integration processes. We appreciate the assistance Turkey has given Albania, among the first countries to do so, in overcoming its many difficulties. Fatos Nano then informed Prime Minister Demirel about the political positions of the Socialist Party of Albania at this time, particularly following the March 22 elections. Albania is making efforts to integrate into civilized Europe, where its place is. But our concern is that after the March 22 elections, Albania lacks a balanced situation; the necessary social and political balances that would help advance democracy are missing. Democratic political culture and political agreement in the country’s interests are weak, not to say absent. Increasingly, positions reflecting a new monism are coming to light. This is particularly noticeable in Parliament, where the majority, by means of the voting cards[?] (Continued on page 4)

— The People’s Assembly suspends the plenary session for the third time — Yesterday afternoon, the plenary session began to elect the new governing council of the media. Under the regulations approved by the Assembly, candidates for membership of the media governing council must be proposed by the Standing Committee of the People’s Assembly, after being approved by it. In fact, that is not what happened. The chairman of the People’s Assembly Committee on the Media, Teodor Keko, said, “As a committee, we had some reservations, so we did not submit the candidacies alone.” The chairman of the PD parliamentary group, Ali Spahia, demanded that the candidacies he had put forward be approved, which is a violation of the regulations. At the request of MPs Baleta, Abdiu, Islami, etc., the plenary session was suspended. Apparently, the PD parliamentary group wants to bring the media under its control ma-[?]

At the meeting Mr. Igellberger held with the students, I was there too, just an arm’s length away from the esteemed editor, Ms. Z. Koleci. During the 1:30 p.m. radio news, in the comments made to welcome Mr. Igellberger, I also heard what Ms. Koleci reported. I was surprised. I repeat: I was surprised. In his answers to the students’ questions, Mr. Igellberger clarified “something” more than what radio censorship gave us. For example, among other things, in response to the questions Mr. Igellberger said: “We will help you as much as we can, but... you must also think about our difficulties; the events in Los Angeles showed that things are not going as well as they should for us either. We too need help in the situations we find ourselves in! That is why you students must broaden your shoulders (and it is not something editor Koleci can put right[?]) to carry your country on your shoulders. Our assistance should also include what we did for the service of the USSR. You benefited from it too and destroyed communism.” Asked what experience he could offer us for our economic conditions, Mr. Igellberger replied: “I can offer an experience we went through 150 years ago. And it is difficult to offer an experience from so long ago. You yourselves must find ways to get the country out of this very difficult situation by consolidating democratic institutions, as we did over these 150 years of development.” Finally, as a colleague, I would like to suggest this to you: Don’t do this, Ms. Koleci! With your censorship, you are also making trouble for American diplomacy.

A few days ago, “Zëri i popullit” published several articles about the plight of the orphans of Durrës, whose home they wanted to take away from them and turn into a surgical ward. It is known that, in response to this situation imposed by the district executive committee, the orphans went on strike. A few days ago, the Minister of Health, Tritan Shehu, came to Durrës, and after talking at the children’s home, it was agreed that the strike would be called off under an agreement. Accordingly, in the presence of the Minister of Health, the chair of the Orphans’ Association of Albania, Shehati of the Health Committee, and the representatives concerned, an agreement was made between the executive committee and the Durrës Orphans’ Association: they would end the strike by the 7th and accept the construction work, which would begin very soon. But, as Durrës is known for, the initial work would also be done well. Above all, the strike was about to begin here. However, on Saturday, May 30, representatives of the Durrës Orphans’ Association and the home for the elderly, as well as its union, were summoned to the executive committee. They were told, “You will go where you have been assigned, or you will leave the children in Tirana.” In other words, the decision made earlier had to be implemented. The other side was astonished that the agreement reached had been respected[?]. In these circumstances, a telegram was sent to the President of the country, and the Durrës Orphans’ Association warns that if this happens, they will go on strike again; and this time they will be supported not only by strikes, but also by hunger strikes from other orphans’ associations across the country. Why are orphans being treated with such irresponsibility and a complete lack of humanity? What are these acrobatics, where meetings are held, agreement is reached, and then the promise is broken again? SOTIRAC GJORDENI

Tirana: NEW MEMBERS AND NEW ORGANIZATIONS The life of socialist organizations in the villages of Tirana continues to be enriched by activities resulting from the creation of entirely new organizations or the influx of new young people. In just Vaqarr, Greqallë, Ballashenj, Kodër – Vorë, Lalëm; Skuterrë and gjëtke kodër, around 25 young people have joined the Socialist Party over the past two weeks. Applications and admissions continue. The life of the newly established organizations is becoming particularly interesting, with initiatives and groups of PS sympathizers, where debate is always lively on concrete issues concerning the village and the party. FRANO ÇAKA

The Democratic Party’s thirst for power in Korçë has recently reached a peak. The purge with the big broom spared neither the zealous servants, the gentlemen of the Republican and Social Democratic parties. Despite the great proof they had given in the “fight against communism”—which in practice and with ferocity has meant a fight against the Socialist Party—they too were cast aside, undervalued and despised. To tell the truth, Messrs. Vangjush Dishnica and Gëzim Kuqo, leaders of the Republican Party and the Social Democratic Party respectively, were taken by surprise by this extreme stance of the parent party. And yet they had not held back from zealously serving the Democratic Party, even when its claws were appearing threateningly. Speaking with one voice, just as they had in July of last year when the need for a pluralist committee was first raised, they once again emphasized their devotion as servants, and at the current 17 meetings they raised their hands and feet in support of the PD’s revanchist demand to have only representatives of that party on the leadership. The gentlemen servants called the Socialist Party’s request to have a representative on the leadership, as the second-largest political force in the district, abnormal, almost absurd. The servants’ steadfastness stroked the parent party’s ego. But, unfortunately for them, this time the stroking did not hurt or satisfy it. At the very first meeting, the gentlemen of the Democratic Party decided to dismiss the head of the education section appointed by the Republican Party and the head of the agriculture section appointed by the Social Democratic Party. The district’s chief agronomist, along with the chairman of the PSD, Mr. Gëzim Kuqo, is also feeling his chair shake beneath him. For a whole year he continued to hold the post of chief agronomist illegally (a post he owed to the former PD leadership), as well as that of chairman of the PSD. He put his state position at the service of his party role. Quite a few specialists became members of the PSD in exchange for a job secured by the district chief agronomist. Now, when the famous trio’s alliance has been exposed, the servile servants have struck the pose of the indignant, “democrats” whose rights have been trampled. A serious statement was broadcast over Korçë Radio by the leadership committee of the Republican Party, which stated, among other things: “Immediately after the movement emerged, in the committee reformed from [hiqen nderi?] the committee members and the two sections overseen by the Republican Party in this institution were removed, without their work being given as the reason, but simply on the basis of the electorate’s percentage. We believe the reasons...” (Continued on page 2)

Yesterday in parliament Every Monday, some of the letters sent by the public are read out in parliament. It has become customary for the letters of former owners demanding the return of their land and other property to take pride of place among those read by Mr. Pjetër Arbnori. The same happened yesterday with the letters read by Mr. Tomor Malasi. The letters containing the demands of former owners occupied the foremost place. This prompted Socialist MP Ilir Meta and the chairman of the PSD parliamentary group, Teodor Laço, to intervene with objections. Ilir Meta said that a petition from 3,000 workers at the Poliçan Mechanical Complex had been sent to the President, the government and parliament. But it was not being read here, and the workers were not receiving answers to their demands. Teodor Laço objected that it was not normal for parliament to read only the demands of former owners, but should also read letters expressing opposing views. He also said it was not proper for the “Tirana” association to speak on behalf of Tirana’s 200,000 residents. Otherwise, it would not be called an association. There should be no bias in addressing issues in parliament. People’s district correspondent

In the massacre on the night of May 29, 1992, in the village of Libofshë in our district, the lives of five members of Petrit Pupaj’s family were taken in a macabre manner, including that of a seven-month-old child. This sadistic act has outraged the entire public and has also increased fear and insecurity during these difficult times we are going through. The motives that drove the criminals to commit the massacre may vary, and it is the duty of the competent authorities to uncover them; but what concerns and shocks us more are the consequences and the inevitability of this crime. - Where do criminals of this kind find the courage to carry out such massacres? - When will the public-order forces be able to make their commitments (duties) to restore order a reality, while fighting the climate of terror and insecurity? - What concerns our government officials more: disarming veterans, propagandizing the “absence” of gunshots in Tirana and the “happy life” in Qyteti Studenti, or providing realistic information and taking effective measures to prevent sadistic massacres? The leadership of the PS, also expressing the protest of its members and supporters, joins the protest of the people of Libofshë and Fier and calls not only for the capture and lawful punishment of the criminals but also for Parliament and the Government to take urgent measures to genuinely restore order and peace in the country. The Presidium of the PS Steering Committee of Fier

It is an honour for this Assembly, through your person, to pay its respects to the First President of the Republic of Kosovo. Through you, we extend our good wishes to the brotherly people of Kosovo and to all the distinguished politicians of that region, who, with wisdom and prudence, brought about the historic day of May 24. This momentous event came as a result of the work and exceptional political will you demonstrated at the European and international levels, to make the Kosovo question known and to competently defend and address its trampled rights. Your election by the will of the people to the high office of President is a clear expression of an achievement on the path to the full international recognition of the Republic of Kosovo. We wish you success in carrying out this most high office, as well as health and happiness. PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA