Today in Tirana, the First Congress of the Socialist Party of Albania begins its work. This event is undoubtedly the most noteworthy one for Albanian socialists since the Party was created a year ago. It is a significant event because all of the Party’s activities will be analyzed; because its profile as a serious and authoritative party will be more clearly defined; and because its platform for future work will be determined in keeping with the new political and social reality of Albanian society. The Socialist Party of Albania is a new party. It was created at almost the same time as the other parties. It entered the Albanian political scene with the arrival of political pluralism, taking its rightful place in the multiparty mosaic—a place no one else could occupy. The 10th Congress of the PPSH, as the only official, legal and public forum, declared the end of the Party of Labour and signed its departure from the Albanian political scene. Many of its former members, disappointed by the reality Albania had reached, but also accustomed to the armchairs as former communists, turned into Democrats, Republicans and Social Democrats. Meanwhile, the most honest part of the former communists, together with many other unaffiliated people, most of them intellectuals, who did not find themselves in the parties formed up to that time, publicly and not behind the scenes decided to create the Socialist Party, which was done in a wholly honest, open and free manner. The entire year-long period during which the Socialist Party was created, took shape and consolidated has not only been a difficult period, full of social tensions for all our people; it has also been a dark period of endless attacks and the most monstrous insults against the Socialist Party and its people. Many party leaders, jealous of the numbers and short-sighted politicians, found time—placing insults and attacks against the PSSH and its leaders ahead of the country’s interests and the great hardships faced by the whole people. Yet, faced with the honesty and dedication of ordinary members and supporters of the Socialist Party, their hard work and great efforts, democratic culture and tolerance, and unity and mutual understanding within the party, all of this not only proved powerless but turned into a weapon against those who wielded it. The Socialist Party, whose ranks include some of the most outstanding intellectuals and most honest people, is growing stronger and more authoritative. Its ranks have continued to grow with young Euro-socialist men and women. The creation some time ago of the Youth Forum, and most recently of the Socialist Women’s Forum, is evidence that the alternative of democratic socialism is increasingly being embraced by the strata ... The list has sought, before Europe, to win the trust first and foremost of Albanians. As an opposition party it will be characterized by a constructive spirit and by making proposals, because only in this way will it become more credible. At the same time, however, the Socialist Party will be a determined opponent of all injustices and antidemocratic positions taken by the Government, Parliament or President. To defend its programme and all the strata it represents, the Socialist Party, as a party of democratic dialogue and tolerance, will use all lawful, democratic means and channels recognized by law, supporting every just demand made by individuals or interest groups, trade unions, associations, etc. The circumstances our country is going through are very difficult. In this context, the First Congress of the Socialist Party assumes particular importance. The revenge against all strata, the reshaping of a new class war, and the brutal curtailment of fundamental human rights and freedoms further worsen the general situation and prospects. Fully aware of all this, the Socialist Party will not only remain steadfast in the position it has chosen, but will stand firm and strive to institutionalize genuine democracy and build a truly civilized state, so that ordinary people wherever they are, intellectuals and those around them, young men and women, neutral people in a truly democratic Albania, workers and peasants, honest Albanians and veterans can find in the Socialist Party a genuine solution and protection for their interests. However, all of this, faced with the sensitivity and commitment of ordinary people who are members or supporters of the Socialist Party; with their hard work and great efforts; with their democratic culture and tolerance; and with the unity and understanding within the party, proved ineffective. Instead, it was turned into a weapon against them. From the very beginning and throughout, the Socialist Party has presented itself to the people as a serious and realistic force, committed to replacing the difficult situation. Its program as a whole, and particularly its economic program, its construction initiatives, moderation and ... proved unsurpassable at the most difficult moments. ...The Socialist Party has sought, and continues to seek, to extend its alternative and its own presence among citizens wherever they are, in all the towns and villages and among all Albanian social groups. The creation of this political force and of democratic socialism is becoming increasingly acceptable to other strata of Albanian society. This is also connected with the fact that they are, in the towns and villages and among all strata of Albanian society. The creation of this political force and of Albanian society. LUAN M. RAMA

The Socialist Party was founded a year ago. A natural name, which has something of the spirit of the people, of the ailing spring. From the very first day of its founding, it declared: «Albania above all, everything for Albania». Life is worth living and sacrificing only for the homeland. And a people like the Albanian people, who have waged a superhuman struggle for centuries, cannot help but keep their eyes on the Socialist Party as well. They cannot help but look to it, whose fundamental line is national solidarity. If certain people attack it for supposedly taking anti-national positions, they do so to establish a falsehood intended to kill and bury democracy. But can the blood shed, the efforts and the struggle of those who were killed and gave their lives for Albania be denied? Never! The gratitude of the socialists, of the Euro-socialists, the gratitude of generations, will always burn brightly. Their honor will always be held high. Before

— I will be very pleased if tomorrow we vote for a president who will come from among you, from the diaspora, wherever it may be. — The United States will supply Albania with a good quantity of cotton and butter. — The World Bank is working to secure funds so that this project (local-level employment) can begin as soon as possible. — For a second step, the World Bank is awaiting the IMF’s green light, which will be given soon. — I received an assurance from the IMF that very soon this institution will give the green light to other institutions to begin and continue providing economic, financial and technical assistance to Albania.

manner. The creation of the Socialist Party was very difficult. Why are the processes of cooperation with foreign firms for this nation’s products being delayed, naturally, while the IMF and the World Bank are interested in the financial programme prioritizing the transformation of the defence industry? Another question is how assistance can begin before its legal framework is completed, an important part of which is the law on social insurance, which would significantly ease the employment problem in Poliçan as well? Meanwhile, the striking workers in Poliçan are waiting for the Minister of Defence, who has twice promised to go there but has so far been unable to arrive. As can be seen, alongside the known objective difficulties, subjectivity—not to say political prejudice—is evident and is obstructing the resolution of the problems. So who drove these workers to strike? The answer is clear: the incompetence and lack of transparency of those in power. We socialists believe that problems should be resolved through mutual understanding and respect for workers’ rights, naturally within existing possibilities. We support economic reforms that will also take social aspects into consideration and recognize the necessity of everything about which the President himself has expressed concern. Since today is the day of the Socialist Party’s congress, I wish it successful work and success in giving Albania alternatives that will provide relief to thousands of workers who, abroad, will find themselves in a difficult social situation. MIRË META Member of Parliament

- Xhuliano Amato, a professor of law in Turin, who was asked to form Italy’s 51st government since the Second World War, meets two main requirements for the post ... he is honest and competent. Such qualities are valued in a country affected by a bribery scandal, while the national budget is falling ever further into deficit.

For several days now, the 3,000 workers at the Poliçan mechanical plant have been on a general strike. The main reason for this strike is their failure to comply with the illogical reform affecting this strategically important plant. Naturally, reform must begin. But that does not mean it should be applied everywhere in the same way, without taking specific circumstances into account. How will ten thousand people in this town—plant be supported by welfare assistance when there is no other source of income? How can these workers be put on welfare, when a percentage of them received vocational education at this plant and the welfare payments would not even cover the necessary medicines? This plant, and the town of Poliçan itself, is a town that has lost 22 lives at this production facility, with dozens more injured and maimed throughout Europe? ... In civil defence ... all on assistance with a salary of ... in Albania? The effort to put this town on the assistance scheme being applied is demobilizing... But those in power, with their goals, are interested in its prosperity through various economic avenues. It makes no sense ... of the plant? Why is the Ministry of Defence ...

At the invitation of the Socialist Party of Albania, delegations arrived in Tirana to take part in the First Congress of the Socialist Party of Albania: a delegation of the Italian Socialist Party, headed by Francesca De Carli, a member of the party’s leadership; a delegation of the Greek Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), headed by Panaiotis Ikonomidis, a member of its leadership and a member of parliament; a delegation of the Socialist Party of Bulgaria, headed by Georgi Parvanov, a member of the Executive Bureau of the party’s Supreme Council; and a delegation of the Socialist Party of Hungary, headed by Gabor Haars, Director of International Relations. The delegations were received by Bashkim Zeneli, the Socialist Party’s secretary for foreign relations, and members of the Steering Committee of the Socialist Party of Albania, Leontiev Çuç and Anastas Angjeli.

One year of life – one year of testing Mass support is never an obstacle to the proper planning and implementation of the theme, and work must be done to achieve this. A year ago, during the process of institutionalizing political pluralism, the Socialist Party of Albania was born. As a new voice in the political struggle for democratic transformation toward a modern society, the SP established its own identity and place in society. It must be stated once again that the birth of the SP, contrary to the wishes of the former opposition, made it possible for pluralism to take root in the country. At a time when the DP, the largest former opposition force, was a conglomerate of factions with aims that were even at odds with one another, ranging from democratic reformists to right-wing reformists, the emergence of the democratic left on the political scene was a fortunate opportunity to preserve and consolidate pluralism in Albania. To see how true this is, one need only look at the situation today. It seems that the climate in which the SP was born was characterized by the general crisis of society. Such an act was not accomplished easily, simply as a change of name, a process our opposition would have us believe. It was the result of a process of wavering, doubts and dissatisfaction among former, long-standing members of the SP, a process that went through opposition to the internal party struggle against the line of mistakes made, against the former leadership and against the nature that had been generated. The 10th Congress of the PP showed that the reformist wing was ... and was generally ... over the conservative one; in other words, the conditions had matured for creating a new political organization that would play an important role in the country’s new democratic developments. On the other hand, the SP found itself under pressure from the united former opposition on one side, and from the working masses on the other, who had not even understood that they were dealing with a new party, which was as accountable for the past as the country’s other parties. We are all witnesses to the unscrupulous attacks on the SP by the DP, PR and, strangely, the PSD as well. This grouping of the former opposition, driven by purely partisan interests in power that were threatened by the emergence on the political scene of a new, moderate, serious and generally cohesive party, attacked it with all its guns. Had they been a little more realistic, they should have acknowledged the dual role played by this act: on the one hand, the return of a PP as the sole communist party and the SP as the sole conservative party for democracy, and, on the other, the rejection of totalitarian socialism as a cause... a part which, on the other hand, was worth ... reforms but serves orientation and reform. Those currently in power must understand this clearly. ... that opposed the revanchism of the right-wing PD extremists and stood in the way of establishing neomonism in the country. ... the largest force ... situation today. MERITA NDREKO (Continued on page 2)

Our motto will be—transition and consolidation of the market economy with the minimum possible social pain. Any move toward a market economy that brings severe social and political upheaval will be considered unacceptable by the PSSH and harmful to the people and the country.