THE FIRST CONFERENCE OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY IN THE DISTRICT OF DURRËS CONCLUDED ITS PROCEEDINGS The first conference of the Socialist Party in Durrës was held at a satisfactory level, which showed that the socialists of the district, although they suffered a heavy defeat on March 22, have overcome this crisis, are better organized and more united, have clearer visions of the work that lies before them today and tomorrow, and have complete confidence in their alternative. While discussing and offering valuable opinions, the delegates also addressed the themes, but especially the positive project that had taken shape after March 22 in the life of the Party in the district: better organization and cohesion, expansion of its ranks, and the election of heads of organizations, leading branches and committees. Many leaders were appointed, along with devoted young people of sound moral character, capable of leading and organizing. The conference expressed the view that the future belongs to the Socialist Party and to the alternative of democratic socialism. At the conclusion of its proceedings, the conference elected the Party’s leading bodies in the district and the delegates to the Party Congress. He addressed several important issues in the life of the Party, both at the national level and at district level. The Socialist Party, he said, was created in the rush of the advent of pluralism, alongside other tendencies that emerged, some earlier and some later. It has been a year-long process that would shape the Socialist Party, both organizationally and structurally, with a new and suitably democratic program. What is our alternative? The Party must attend to itself, and we have done so. Through testing, the program, and real positions, people’s views of our Party are becoming clear, and its ranks are growing. People are coming closer to this party, and this is a familiar indicator. This process of structural consolidation of the Socialist Party is coming to an end. There are discussions on various issues, but we cannot define fixed organizational models. For example, whether in residential areas or enterprises, we must be very flexible. Wherever social life is vibrant, we should establish Party organizations. We must maintain an organized political life, bringing its shortcomings into view within the broadest possible social sphere. On the other hand, it is not enough to concern ourselves with ourselves. In what sense? We now have a structured Party. It is more ready, better organized to confront problems and to participate actively in the social struggle. intensively and effectively in the social movement. We should turn our support for people every qeri, into organizations, associations, trade unions; it must not forget and must protect the truly destitute, so that there are as few of them as possible. You can be left an orphan from birth, but in these spontaneous, chaotic, harsh processes being carried out by those in power, thousands upon thousands of people may and will be left orphans in the face of economic and social life. What is happening? It seems we have a pluralist situation, with many parties, but essentially, who is clashing? Two sides: one with us. Those who were privileged yesterday in Albania, against poor Albanians. What will happen to today’s millionaires who swallow everything, when yesterday’s former ones are somehow…? Will they be left without property, without work, and facing the protections and radical models being implemented? If the issue is armchairs, we did not join for that. But when it comes to throwing socialist or non-socialist workers out of their jobs because they do not think as those in power do, it becomes imperative for the Socialist Party to give people a realistic message: that it will protect them and organize the struggle to establish political and social balances in the country. The Party must give people messages so that they understand as much as possible that it is ready to participate intensively and effectively in the social movement. Their support for people should be turned into a popular democratic movement. The Party should extend into every qeri, into organizations, associations, and trade unions. The Socialist Party must create its own social network; we must go among the people as Albanians and express our thoughts as Albanians, without politicization. The Socialist Party, having undertaken major commitments, has not… … to: [unclear] young people devoted to the cause, with an unblemished moral character and capable of leadership and organization, the Socialist Party, the district and the delegates to the First Congress of the PSSH. Bardhyl Agasi was re-elected chairman of the PS district steering committee. Comrade Fatos Nano also took part in and spoke at the conference. Fasi praised the conference’s proceedings, he…

TRANSPARENCY (!) In recent days, the three party leaders who make up today’s governing majority have made statements concerning the “resuscitated” coalition that was heavily promoted before the March 22 election campaign and burst like a soap bubble in the days that followed the election. To show just how “strong” this coalition is today, let us quote what Messrs. E. Selami, S. Gjinushi, and S. Godo have said about it most recently. While greeting the first congress of the PR, the chairman of the Democratic Party, Eduart Selami, stated, among other things: “This alliance bore fruit… The elections for local government bodies will be a new joint test for us… As the PD, we are convinced that in these elections we will find new ways to cooperate for the sake of our victory.” So, according to the PD, the coalition is still going strong. At the most recent meeting of the PSD steering council, held in recent days, Mr. Skënder Gjinushi emphasized: “It makes no sense, and it will not happen, for the PSD to make concessions in its own program for the sake of alliances or opportunistic spectacles, as others do.” With this, he put the seal on the unanimous view of this party’s steering council that, as the newspaper “Alternativa SD” notes, the PSD should enter the local elections as an independent force. So, according to the PSD, the three-party coalition has come to an end. Mr. Sabri Gogo, in the report he delivered at the Republican Party Congress, emphasized: “Our party’s second tactical mistake was the decision to create, at all costs, a common electoral front with the PD and PSD… As the architect of this alliance, which in fact failed, the party chairman bears the greatest responsibility.” So, according to Mr. S. Godo and the party he represents, the three-party coalition failed some time ago. Whom should we believe among the leaders of the three parties in the governing majority, when they make statements so contradictory to one another? The only thing to believe at present is that the coalition... [?] does not exist. The Observer Workers are told:

Under the direction of Comrade Fatos Nano, the Steering Committee of the Socialist Party of Albania met yesterday, with the chairmen of the PS Steering Committees in the districts also taking part. The meeting was devoted to final preparations for the Party’s first Congress, and in particular discussion focused on the report on the PSSH’s year of activity and its tasks for the future. The members of the Steering Committee assessed the work done to prepare the Congress Report, discussed it and made suggestions, and unanimously approved it. At its meeting yesterday, the Steering Committee also discussed… the PSSH’s invitation to political parties, associations, trade-union representatives, etc., to take part, viewing this as a message of understanding and cooperation in the interest of deepening and institutionalizing democracy and overcoming the country’s major current difficulties. This act, the speakers emphasized, should further enrich and continue the PSSH’s tradition as a constructive political force that is always ready for dialogue and cooperation among the country’s political forces, something that is in the people’s interest. Correspondent of “The People’s Voice”

Workers are told: Two cars carrying workers stopped near the Executive Committee of the Tirana district. They went inside and urgently asked to see the committee chairman. We speak with them: “We’ve come on behalf of the entire workforce, all the trade-union groups,” says mechanic Shkëlqim Bega. “We’re just coming from a meeting where we were informed that the director of the SMT enterprise, Rexhep Skënderi, had been dismissed. They brought in someone else, Myrteza Çakshiri, who himself has not accepted either. As he said, he has come on a party assignment from the PD: ‘What’s going on here!’” “What did they have against the director? Did he make some… hasty decision? Or was it because he worked for 12 years in Sarandë, at the border, or because for two years he has worked together with us workers and pulled the enterprise out of losses?” “We had heard that the PD would do this,” says Bilush. “We even notified the gentlemen of the Executive Committee of Region No. 4 by means of a petition, asking them not to proceed, but they ignored us. Today the secretary of this Region’s Executive Committee, Mr. Kudret Shahsi, merely made the formal announcement. In response to our unanimous objection, he said: ‘Do whatever you want!’ Even if the decision were to die, it would not be withdrawn.” We left these workers waiting to meet the chairman of the Tirana Executive Committee, Mr. Sali Kelmend… Perhaps he can bring the decisions of the party in power to light. BASHKIM KOÇI

On June 12, 10 more vehicles arrived in Durrës from Germany. They are a gift from the German Government to improve the transportation of injured people in Albania. This shipment consists of 120 vehicles, which Germany sent in December 1991. The German Ambassador, Dr. Klaus Völler, handed the vehicles over to the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Nurit.

After this Assembly supplemented the law “On the Basic Constitutional Provisions” with the law “On the Organization and Functioning of Local Government,” and, most recently, after completing the approval of the organic law for these bodies, the draft law “On the Elections of Local Government Bodies” is now before us. This latter law, too, given its scope and the issues it addresses, and particularly because the elections for these bodies have now become urgent, is of special importance. Its importance is heightened by the fact that, for the first time in our country, elections are being held for new levels of local government; the public as a whole must be made aware of these bodies. Thus, the law will make it possible to complete part of the general reform at the organizational-administrative level; at the legal and judicial level, it will make it possible to replace these bodies which, at the grassroots, either do not function at all (people’s councils) or function largely on the basis of a political choice that is not legally justified (executive committees at all levels). Should elections be held for these bodies? Without any prejudice, we want to say that they should indeed be held without too much delay, but also without undue haste, since even at this stage legal provisions must be supplemented and the deadlines observed that are observed everywhere, with the hope that they will be allowed to run their course. In other words, they should be held when it is good for the people in general, not when particular individuals or different political forces wish it. Agreeing in principle with the draft presented, on behalf of the PS deputies’ group we present our further objectives, … - Remarks on behalf of the PS parliamentary group - a) To raise specific important issues for resolution, in order to create an opportunity to discuss them and to find and choose the best solution. b) To put forward our views on refining and improving the proposals presented. More specifically: 1. This law, which is of great importance, has much in common with the law “On Elections to the People’s Assembly,” but at the same time has its own particular features concerning the electoral system, the organization of electoral districts and commissions for this purpose, etc. The draft stipulates that elections to local councils be held under a proportional system in districts with multi-name lists, while the mayors of communes and municipalities are elected under a majoritarian system in districts with single-name lists. Bearing in mind the conditions in our country, I would like to express the view that in the future it would be desirable to retain the approach adopted for elections to the People’s Assembly, namely, to accept the majoritarian-proportional system. That system was retained for the elections to the People’s Assembly only a few months ago; regardless of the consequences, such a choice would be more practical. That choice had been supported by all political forces and parliamentary groups, as well as most specialists. It was also welcomed by public opinion as a whole… and voters made an effort to learn and apply it correctly. Without going into detail, that system better ensures both the election by the people of candidates they know well and the allocation to each political force of the seats it is entitled to on the basis of its overall percentage. (Continued on page 2)

: Sali Berisha now needs to take more popular measures, an article published yesterday in the well-known daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, written by Viktor Majer, the newspaper’s correspondent for Southeastern Europe, says. “The new President and chairman of the PD, Sali Berisha, will have to use his popularity and oratory to explain to his fellow citizens the unpopular measures that must be implemented and that will not always be easy to reconcile with the election campaign.” * * * “Albania is prepared to welcome foreign investors,” Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi told a journalist from the Albanian Telegraphic Agency. “Soon,” he said, “construction of hotels in Tirana and Durrës will begin, and sites have been allocated where tourist villages will start to be built during August and September.” * * * Eros, no more than two years ago, was not allowed to enter Albania. In foreign films shown by Kinostudio “New Albania,” which was controlled by communist censorship, the editing director removed every scene that might arouse erotic feelings. In Albanian films, a kiss was a “forbidden fruit.” In books, erotic descriptions were a painful monopoly. In reality, population growth among Albanians is among the highest in Europe. So sex was a subject that was raised, but not discussed. The democratic changes, writes the ATA journalist, brought everything that had been forbidden. … with yesterday’s nostalgias, because we have a new Christian party, and a socialist one too; nor should we slip and get bogged down in making little sweetheart deals with representatives of the accidental right or left, etc. We must be transparent in our positions. Let us take the basket. We must proceed gradually with price liberalization, provide compensation in wages, but the government must tell us how this liberalization will be carried out, until… (Continued on page 2)

Rice and soap are falling out of the basket According to the Vice President’s public pledge, rice and soap would remain in the basket. However, according to a draft law prepared and signed by Mr. Ruli, Minister of Finance and Economy, these two items will be dropped from the basket. For now they will be transferred … to assistance; later we’ll see what happens. This is just one version of the “basket” odyssey!