- How many state agreements have been signed during these 10 months? - «The democratic state will ensure organized emigration. Emigration will be based on a sound legal framework. This year, efforts will be made to conclude agreements for the organized emigration of workers to Italy, Greece, Germany and other countries of Central Europe. We will create opportunities for the economic emigration of families from mountainous areas.» Democratic Party electoral platform. «RD» newspaper, 22 February 1992. The organization of emigration, which was meant to put a stop to spontaneity and adventurism, was one of the important points on which Parliament gave its vote of confidence to this government’s program. Before saying anything about how this issue has progressed during these 10 months of government, a sufficient period in which to draw up a positive or negative balance sheet, we stress that the issue of organized emigration cannot be considered separately, but is inextricably linked to the entire policy pursued so far by the Albanian state. In fact, there has been much talk about placing organized emigration on a legal footing. People have waited and are still waiting. This thirst for emigration has been multiplied by economic paralysis, the lack of jobs, investment and credit, and therefore the lack of a clear outlook for tomorrow. Among the issues of emigration... [the source text is unclear here] dated 8.10.1992, as well as in the agreement signed with the German government for the emigration of 5,000 Albanian workers. The tests and the lists were already prepared. The government’s only effort was to make a show of the 300 workers who went to Germany in July 1992 on television and see them off to Rinas. But what has the Meksi Government itself done? What should we thank it for? Specifically, 125 construction workers were sent to Croatia, but after an incident that caused more problems than it solved, they returned. Forty-five agricultural workers were sent to Switzerland and Austria; they worked for only four months, from April to September. Fifty students went to Greece and 50 to Italy to attend vocational training courses. Thus, in all, during the government of Mr. Meksi’s Democratic Government, including the students mentioned above, only 270 people have been sent abroad through organized emigration. Let us not forget that there are offices and officials dealing with emigration in all the country’s districts—32 employment offices in all. There is no agreement on organized emigration with Italy, Germany or Greece; as for the latter countries, whatever success there has been is not the merit of the Meksi Government, but of the people themselves, who found work through our refugees. People have to find work abroad themselves. The government merely legalizes it. This is the heaviest burden on the government’s shoulders. The Ministry of Emigration has prepared a new law on emigration, with few changes from the previous one, but it has not yet been approved. Protective conventions for emigrants in Italy, Greece and Germany have been prepared, but these conventions have not yet been signed by the aforementioned countries. Why is this happening? Why are these conventions not being signed by the aforementioned countries? There are all kinds of conjectures. Perhaps this does not depend on the seven employees who make up the Directorate of Emigration at the Ministry of Emigration, however capable they may be. In this sense, the complete failure of the state organization of emigration must be viewed more broadly and undoubtedly placed against the background of the foreign policy pursued by the democratic Albanian state during these months. On his return from the Arab countries, President Berisha also stopped in Cyprus last year. After his return, the opening of Cyprus’s doors to 300 Albanian emigrants was presented as a success. All the documents were prepared and sent, but nothing happened. Why? Who knows! There are 3,000 documents in the United Arab Emirates, submitted in response not to state requests but to requests from some private companies. Three months have passed, but nothing. Silence again. Why? Who knows! …zohen and This would … in realism that … also ally… today’s … - Greek … is… mistaken political… Albanian… … organized on a legal basis. Much has been said. People have waited and are still waiting. This desire to emigrate has also been intensified by economic paralysis, the lack of jobs and investment. … foreign …, that is, the lack of a clear outlook for tomorrow. In the series of unresolved problems, emigration is a problem in its own right. The Ministry of Migration and the Politically Persecuted has difficulty justifying itself. It should be grateful to the previous governments, from which it inherited «the law on m…» … organized: only 270 people. Let us not forget that in all the districts of the country there are offices and officials dealing with emigration, a total of 32 employment offices. or Greece; as for the latter, only the agreement signed during the Government of Stability is in force. So where are the friends the Democratic Party trumpeted about when it took office? It is true that since August 700 workers have gone to Italy, but this is not…

Curiosities from Vlora: Facts that need no comment - During 1992 compared with 1990: - - Annual oil production fell by 32 thousand tons. - At the Selenicë mine, 102 thousand tons were produced, or 90 percent less natural bitumen, refined bitumen and bituminous gravel. - Only 330 tons were produced, or 55 thousand tons less, of soda ash and caustic soda. - 97 thousand tons were produced, or 50 percent less, of salt. - 76 thousand tons less cement was produced. - Today there are around 30 thousand unemployed people in Vlora, 10 thousand of whom do not receive social assistance. NOTE: Is it worth going on at length with indicators like these that speak in favor of the Meksi Government?... And after all this, believe it, people: the officials’ statements that the shutdown of production has been halted, that production has begun to rise, and that our people live happily in the days of democracy. The reform continues... LUAN M. RAMA

In recent days, Bashkim Zeneli, a member of the Party Presidium and deputy in the People’s Assembly, held several meetings with members and supporters of the Socialist Party, as well as with the people of the villages of Balloshe, Gjyshkane, Pajonë, Sauget and Çalebërzë in the communes of Peza and Ndroqi. Besides the Party leaders from the villages and communes, members of their councils, village elders and others also took part in these meetings. At the center of the discussions were the hardships facing the village today, along with the great difficulties of making ends meet. The participants once again raised with concern the issue of the land-distribution process being blocked. In some villages this is not only hindering planting and production, but also stirring up old disputes and resentments and increasing social tensions. On the other hand, with so little land, and in the condition it is in (as we do not feel that we own it), we face many social problems and economic difficulties in cultivating it, making a living and getting our produce to market, the villagers said. We have no machinery. We have no knowledge and do not know what to work with, nor do we have the appropriate machinery—and, moreover, it is expensive. A return trip from Pezë to Tirana or Ndroq to Tirana costs 60 new lek per person, twenty times as much as a year ago. We are not even speaking of the serious shortages in the supply of the most essential goods, from grain for families unable to produce it themselves to sugar and rice, soap, kerosene, etc. Even when these goods can be obtained with difficulty, in the villages of our area they end up costing much more. In short, many of the speakers said at the end of their remarks, our economic situation is worsening, even though we are working more and getting more tired. Besides this, we see that from the Government and Parliament, to which deputy B. Zeneli... [the source text is cut off and unclear here], we see no care at all, not even to monitor the implementation of the laws and decisions that they themselves approve. For example, besides the law on land distribution, the law on social assistance is also not being implemented, nor is compensation for families with little land for working it with machinery—something that was so widely promoted during the election campaign and during the days of… as we have, and (since we do not feel that we own it) many social problems and economic difficulties lie ahead of us in cultivating it, making ends meet and bringing our produce to market, the farmers said. We have no machinery to carry out even the heavy tasks, and when we manage to obtain it with difficulty, it costs us a great deal. Just as with chemical fertilizers, the rates for mechanical work on crops have not increased fivefold, but around fifteenfold. Thus, we have returned to hard manual labor, with negative effects on increasing production and its cost. The difficulties are great, the farmers said, also when it comes to selling… …made worse during these months by the Government’s inaction. The neglect of the farming population stems from the mistaken belief that it has now entered the flow of the market economy. Even if the issue of farmers’ ownership had been resolved, it is not right for the state to take no responsibility for the countryside, as is practically happening during this difficult period of transition. While private farmers have not yet recovered, the state must intervene, either by controlling the rates for mechanical work or the prices of fertilizers, water, etc., or through partial subsidies, especially for mountain areas or for (Continued on page 2)

On 26 February, the PS Berat Steering Committee held an expanded meeting on the problems facing the Party in the district as it deals with the current situation. The report presented raised many concerns relating to the serious socioeconomic consequences of economic reform, the paralysis of local government, exposing corruption at every level, the ruling party’s revanchism toward political opponents, widespread social assistance, establishing a fairer and stronger dialogue with the Trade Union Confederation and other unions, and violence by the law-enforcement forces, headed by the extremist police chief Ali Shehu. [The rest of the text is unclear and cut off at the end.]

Even the garbage is part of the district’s nomenklatura! In Peshkopi people speak of the good work of the city’s municipal enterprise: its work on greening the city, planting linden trees at the junctions with the main boulevard, tending and arranging the gardens, and cleaning the streets, squares and various spaces between apartment buildings. In Peshkopi people speak of a decision by the presidium of the district council, which, by taking powers away from the city municipality, decided to dismiss the director of the municipal sanitation enterprise. In Peshkopi people speak of a telegram sent by the Municipality of Peshkopi to President Berisha and Prime Minister Meksi, which states, among other things: «If the Municipality is not responsible for cleaning the city, then what will it be responsible for?» In Peshkopi people say that garbage has become part of the district’s nomenklatura... It would not be surprising if it became part of the Government’s nomenklatura...

An operation by Mr. Kastrati The law-enforcement authorities of Malësia e Madhe did not allow a rally to be held in the city of Koplik. This, of course, was done in the name of preserving public order, which, according to them, is disturbed by any kind of activity where people do not applaud the authorities’ policies. For this reason, they took care to ensure that the meeting organized in the city cinema hall would not take place either. This mission was carried out by the head of SHIK in the Malësia e Madhe district, Mr. Giovallin Kastrati, who positioned himself in the middle of the hall, took the initiative and was among the first to lead and direct the noise intended to disrupt the meeting. Reinforced also by the meeting. Reinforced by a meeting? [The rest is cut off/unclear.]

. The Italian firm «BRAVO S. P. A.», in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Albania, is organizing an exhibition to demonstrate its products. ICE CREAM PRODUCTION MACHINERY. The exhibition will be open from March 30 to March 5, 1993, in the hall next to the Foreign Registry Protocol Office, from 10:00 to 17:00. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – Tirana

. I have an apartment consisting of 1 (one) room and 1 (one) kitchen with an alcove, drying room, and balcony, on the second floor in Tirana, Neighborhood 19, «Qemal Stafa» St., Bldg. 587, Entr. 4, Apt. 25, and wish to exchange it under the following terms in the city of Sarandë. Interested parties should contact me in Tirana or in Sarandë at Neighborhood 1, «8 Nëntori» St., Bldg. 3, Entr. 3, Apt. 19.