FOLLOWING AN ARTICLE AND AN INVITATION TO THE STATE CONTROL COMMISSION Elbasan has been laid out and developed in a short time. Anyone who wants to build can drive in a «nail this afternoon» and see it tomorrow. So far, according to a report on this very matter, 272 structures have been built without permits in the city and its surroundings, mainly houses. In the best locations, around the city, the above figure also includes other constructions such as garages and half-built structures with newly dug foundations. Is this possible? How can the best sites be built on in this way? Does the law operate, does the state act? Any citizen of Elbasan can ask many legitimate questions, and the answer is clear: most of those who built without permits followed the example of people who had a little or a lot of «grams» of power in their hands. And during the year they have used it quite well, as in Europe, so to speak, they have furnished it. With proper signatures and stamps, they have begun building villas for themselves, and even swimming pools. It is true that at a meeting of this city’s executive committee, we saw a sign of concern from the committee chairman, Mr. Ndriçim Baj, when he sent back a report submitted by the town-planning section, in order to ... We emphasize once again that all these actions were legalized by the executive committee and the town-planning section. Indeed, they have been generous even to «people with special contributions» and to foreign businesspeople. The section itself states in this document: on what grounds did certain leaders of the former opposition on the pluralist executive committee, such as the former chairman of the city executive committee, Hamdi Gerlica (appointed to this position a year earlier, but who resigned before his term was up), allocate land in the city nursery for construction? And what about the former head of the health section, Sali Bani, who only a few weeks ago also received a large plot of land near the hospitals, together with a loan of three million new lekë?! And what about the head of the town-planning section, Rajmond Hasballa, and others who have received building plots in the best locations, even in the very heart of Elbasan? It is precisely because of these construction «veins» that the green-maintenance enterprise and its nursery division have suffered damage amounting to 1.9 million, in addition to the land being occupied. Doesn’t the granting of building permits in «Rinia» Park, beside the children’s playground, or in other choice locations show that some people have been planning and are acting to create a «microblok» in Elbasan? Indeed, a «microblok» legalized with stamps and signatures, which «democracy brought them». to foreign businesspeople. The town-planning section itself (surely also with the committee’s approval) granted a foreign or joint-venture company 0.5 hectares for construction several months ago. But the plan drawn up on paper, in which one swimming pool is surrounded by seven villas, proves that the area occupied is not 0.5 hectares, as stated in the committee or town-planning decisions, but about 1.5 hectares. Whose land is being occupied? Why is none of it being reclaimed? How can it be handed over so easily, even when someone offers a substantial «gift»? Perhaps what we have mentioned is only part of what can be seen. The citizens of Elbasan are waiting for the executive committee to put many things right. The specific responsibilities of those who abused their power—or of others who benefited from the power of their relatives and friends—must also be clearly established. We would add that the citizens are not asking for them to be sentenced or punished, but simply for them to be stripped of what they acquired unjustly by using power for themselves and not at all for ordinary people. Meanwhile, following an invitation to the State Control Commission in an article at the beginning of June, further invitations have also been issued by trade unions and various collectives in Elbasan. The State Control Commission is welcome in Elbasan. SEDIN ÇEKANI Welcome? MP Musa Ulqini, who raised several concerns of the PS parliamentary group, was given the floor. He criticized the Presidium of the People’s Assembly for the way the sessions had been conducted over the past few days. It is not serious, MP Ulqini stressed, that while the country has many serious concerns and the people are eagerly awaiting ratification of the package of laws that will make it possible to begin economic reform, parliamentarians are working at such a low level of productivity.

– The government submits anti-democratic laws for approval. – In protest, the People’s Assembly is boycotted by the PSD Group and MP Ridvan Peshkëpia. – In a statement, the PD parliamentary group attacks MP Pashko harshly. Yesterday’s session of the People’s Assembly was due to open at 10 o’clock, to continue preliminary discussions on the paragraphs of the draft law «On amendments to the Civil Code of the Republic of Albania», which had been discussed and approved in principle the previous afternoon. Nearly all the MPs of the PS parliamentary group arrived at the Assembly at 10, but, without any explanation from the chairing officer for yesterday’s parliamentary sessions, Mr. Tomor Malasi, the Socialist MPs were forced to wait until 11 o’clock for the session to begin. Below we give an account of this session, since the mass media, that is, RTV, as always, did not ... At the beginning of the session, MP Musa Ulqini took the floor and raised several concerns of the PS parliamentary group. the country has many economic concerns, numerous absences are being observed in parliament, especially among Democratic Party MPs. He also stressed that the many interruptions that had occurred in parliamentary sessions during this week were solely the fault of the majority. The second issue raised by MP Ulqini concerned the agenda approved by the Presidium of the Assembly, in cooperation with the parliamentary groups, for the period June 22–July 3. During the past week, MP Ulqini stressed, according to the parliament’s official calendar we should have approved the draft laws «On an amendment to the Civil Code», «On an amendment to the Labour Code», «On the organization of the judicial bodies», «On wages and employment», and others, and held an interpellation, at the request of the PD group, with the government today to explain the problem of supplying the people with food products. In fact, to date we have approved only the draft law on the organization of the judicial bodies, which had fewer than 30 articles and was the subject of little debate, and we have still not approved the second draft law, concerning an amendment to the Civil Code. The public, the speaker stressed, must be accurately informed about what is really happening in parliament. MP Leontjev Çuçi presented a more precise formulation for this paragraph, the essence of which concerned the need to prevent two families who do not wish to live together from sharing the same living space in an apartment. This proposal was rejected and, after much debate and without consensus, the majority approved the existing paragraph by a majority vote, with a minor amendment. Heated debates took place when the second paragraph was discussed, which states: «When the tenant objects to the decision made, the competent state body issues an administrative order. An appeal against this order may be lodged with the chairman of the relevant Executive Committee within 5 days; the chairman’s decision is final.» The essence of the Socialist MPs’ arguments was summed up by MP Gramoz Ruçi, who, on behalf of the PS parliamentary group, gave the following explanation of their vote: «As we stated yesterday as well, when the draft was discussed in principle, we fully agree that excess living space should be taken away from tenants living in state-owned housing when that excess comprises a separate room or more, beyond the standard set by the state in existing laws. But we insist that this matter be regulated in accordance with legal, democratic and humane standards. In keeping with these requirements, we also made our suggestions, which the majority completely disregarded, as it once again hastened to use the force of the voting cards. Under these circumstances, we are boycotting the vote and leaving the chamber because ... vote and leaving the chamber because: 1. This paragraph seriously violates human rights. Under the constitutional provisions currently in force, one of ... (Continued on page 2)»

Dear friends, We are sending you this message of solidarity from the hall where the First Congress of the Socialist Party of Albania is holding its proceedings. One year after the creation of the ASP, we are taking stock of our work over the past year in the process of building pluralist democracy in Albania. We have now established the strategic objectives, tactics, organizational structure and working methods that our Party will pursue in the future in order to carry out its programme as the country’s second parliamentary party. Albanian society has definitively embarked on the path of political pluralism and the consolidation of the relevant institutions, and is taking its first steps toward a market economy. The Socialist Party of Albania aims to serve the interests of the middle strata, so that the laws of the market economy operate in an environment with a significant social dimension. In this process, it will respect individual and group initiative, the coexistence of private and public property, the harmonization of the interests of the various strata of society, and respect for human freedoms and rights in accordance with international instruments. On this basis, it will serve Albanian society by helping achieve democracy at a European level, develop an honest political debate, cooperate with other political forces within the country, and be ready to take part in new European developments and modernization. The Congress welcomed the results achieved in establishing free competition and the participation of socialist and social-democratic parties around the world. The ASP [has ties] with many socialist and social-democratic parties. The experience of these parties has helped us in the process of consolidating our new party, and in the progress and democratic development of the country, including the new local elections of 26 ... All the delegates to the First Congress supported the request that the Leader of the Socialist Party of Albania addressed to the Socialist International. Appreciating the rich experience ... and accepting members of the Socialist International in the development of ... Albania’s new democracy and the Party itself. ... democratic left-wing policies in the country. The experience of the Socialist International and the assessments of its bodies ... the range of problems would provide assistance and ... the positive processes of peace, well-being and prosperity ... in our region. Meanwhile ... we will do everything ... in relations of cooperation and solidarity ... on behalf of the 100,000 members of the ASP. Delegates to the First Congress of the Albanian Socialist Party We express... Congress... [upper text partially cut off and illegible]

The statement was made by the Cypriot ambassador to Albania, Petros Michaelides, at a meeting with the deputy chairman of the ASP, Dr. Servet Pëllumbi. Yesterday morning, the deputy chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania, Servet Pëllumbi, received the Cypriot ambassador to Albania, Mr. Petros Michaelides, at the headquarters of the Party’s General Steering Committee and held a warm, friendly conversation with him. Servet Pëllumbi informed the Cypriot ambassador about the difficult and complex situation the country is going through and the positions of the Socialist Party of Albania on institutionalizing democracy and getting through the transition period with as little pain as possible. He then spoke about several issues concerning the current international situation, focusing in particular on the situation in the Balkans. There, he said, we have condemned and continue to condemn strongly the positions and actions of the Serbian chauvinists in Belgrade and of Milošević’s Serbian dictatorship. (Continued on page 4) Message of the First Congress Europe must ...

The Albanian public is already well informed about the strike by Mat’s education workers, which lasted for nearly a month. This article is not intended to analyze the strike, but we will nevertheless briefly present its noteworthy moments: 1. - The strike was not confined to Mat, but also took place in several districts of the republic. 2. - The strike was not politically prejudiced in any way. 3. - The strike was economic and warned of the risk of losing the next school year. 4. - The strike was rightful and legitimate; the demands of Mat’s teachers reached every level of the present-day Albanian state: Parliament, the Ministry of Education, the Presidium of the Council of Ministers, and finally the President of the Republic. 5. - The President considered the strike our democratic means, free of ideological and party alignments. 6. - The President undertook to ensure that no repressive measures would be taken against the strike or against education. 7. - We recognized the government’s difficult position, agreed with the President, and ended the strike. The public information media kept silent about the strike. They trumpeted the news that the strike would end throughout the day, and even the following day. Someone, gripped by career fever and blinded by particularism, wrote against the strike and conjured up THE PHANTOM OF THE EDUCATION FEDERATION IN MAT. I will not respond to this article. I reserve the right to (Continued on page 4) ... were placed at every level of the present-day Albanian state: in Parliament, at the Ministry of Education, at the Presidium of the Council of Ministers, and finally with the President of the Republic. 5. - ideological and party alignments. 6. - be taken against it or against education. 7. - We recognized the position ...

From the platform of this Congress, while wishing its proceedings success, I want once again to set out clearly our alternative for the economic reform being undertaken in Albania, so that it may provide our new economy with the foundations for recovery and rescue it from the clinical death it has suffered, while causing the people as little social pain as possible—a pain which, during this period of transition, seems unavoidable given the conditions in our country. Today the Albanian economy is experiencing its gravest and most complex crisis, whose metastases have spread to every cell. National production in this six-month period is forecast to be almost 30 percent lower than during the corresponding period last year; unemployment reaches one third of the entire population in the state sector; inflation has risen by around 60 percent compared with the beginning of the year, while the most widely circulating currency, compared with nine months ago, is in short supply. From a financial point of view ... Only reform can save us from the crisis: reform with as little social upheaval as possible. ... external debt is around 500 million dollars, domestic debt is 11 billion lekë, the budget deficit reaches 8 billion lekë, etc.). That is why the Socialist Party initially accepted and committed itself in practical terms to reforming the economy, transforming it into a market economy with a social dimension, based on pluralism of ownership, with equal and identical rights to compete before the law, which also presupposes the state’s regulatory, supervisory, and guiding role and influence over it. As for our economic alternative, while always presenting our alternative, which presupposes ... ...talist not through a spontaneous, anarchic, ruthless path marked by destruction and severe social pain, but along a path involving a measured transition to and consolidation of the market economy, without deep social or political upheavals, with the ultimate aim of building a modern capitalist society such as exists today in most developed European countries. The nearly year-and-a-half period that our country has spent, for the most part, in the process of transforming society toward a democratic society was, as far as economic reform is concerned, a period which, despite the efforts made by all the governments that were in office, I regret to say marked only its beginnings, although the objective is clear. This was primarily because, during this period, the problem of re- ANASTAS ANGJELI Candidate of Sciences (Continued on page 4)

The PD parliamentary group, by nominal vote, unanimously approved the relevant decision, with the exception of four MPs who abstained and one MP who withdrew from the vote: 1. To expel MP Gramoz Pashko from the Democratic Party parliamentary group, pursuant to the group’s internal regulations. 2. To instruct the Party leadership and the National Council of the Democratic Party to examine the matter of MP Gramoz Pashko and determine his future position. PARLIAMENTARY GROUP OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

“I HAVE NOT BETRAYED YOU; YOU BETRAYED YOURSELVES”