- At meetings between Socialist Party leaders and MPs and the people, the masses express their dissatisfaction with the Government and their support for the Socialist Party. WHILE PRESIDENT BERISHA DECLARES: «The Government got through the winter...» True: The Government got through the winter in warm offices, warm homes, warm airplanes and airports, with warm pockets... WINTER IS FOR THE PEOPLE We socialists are [paqënak (paqënak?)] about [paqënak (paqënak?)] about the way reforms are being carried out in Albania. Speaking at a working discussion with intellectuals and workers from the city of Burrel, the General Secretary of the Socialist Party, Gramoz Ruçi, then set out the Socialist Party’s assessment of the political situation the country is going through. “Of course,” Gramoz Ruçi went on to say, “we should not expect everything to be resolved in a single day, although the people of the Democratic Party themselves said in their electoral promises that they would bring miracles overnight with [sivlon?] and that Albanians would just watch; they themselves said that if we govern, the world will help us. So, as the opposition, we do not expect the work of four years to be resolved in a month or a year; but it is fair to expect the work of one day to be done that day, the work of one month to be done within the month, and the work of one year to be done within the year. Where are all those much-promised investments? Tell me, what new thing was built during the PD’s year in government? Not only that, but even those apartment buildings left half-finished, instead of being completed, have fallen into even greater disrepair; even the new PTT building that was to be built LUAN M. RAMA (Continued on page 2)

. A few days ago, a meeting between residents of Drithas, in the district of Korçë, and Socialist Party MPs Mago Lakrori and Shkëlqim Cani, along with specialists in agriculture and economics, was held in the Drithas cinema hall. At this meeting, employees of the Drithas agricultural enterprise, workers of the threshing facility, specialists and residents exchanged views with the MPs and the speci[—] specialists who had come to discuss matters concerning the restructuring of the enterprise. “We are not clear,” they said, “whether there is a draft decision or a decision by the government to privatize and divide into plots the whole fertile plain of the former marsh. We also do not know why the referendum held at the enterprise is not being taken into consideration, when the majority expressed support for restructuring, not total privatization.” Various employees raised issues concerning the preservation of the enterprise’s existing assets—livestock, barns and other buildings. They called for a more transparent position from the enterprise’s managers and the Ministry of Agriculture itself on the process... (Continued on page 2)

PRESIDENT BERISHA HAS NOT YET MANAGED TO BECOME A SYMBOL OF NATIONAL UNITY. HE CONTINUES TO BE A FANATICAL PARTY MEMBER. - Says Gramoz Ruçi - Like the majority of the people, we Socialists are dissatisfied with the difficult situation the country is going through; we are dissatisfied with the way reforms are being carried out in Albania, said the General Secretary of the Socialist Party, Gramoz Ruçi, speaking at a working discussion with intellectuals and workers of the city of Burrel. He then expressed [...] Problems in the country, instead of diminishing, have increased, bringing greater insecurity and a lack of prospects for tomorrow, he said, and worst of all, those in power offer no sign of a solution. It is almost a year since the incapable people of the Democratic Party have been governing Albania entirely, and the political forces, the President, Parliament and Government have never sat down at a round table. The economy continues to worsen; destruction, theft, abuses and corruption continue to deepen, to the point that today we wonder how much grain will come to us from abroad when we produce it entirely ourselves, and wait to see how much pasta they will send us. (Continued on page 2)

- From the press conference held yesterday in Tirana - Yesterday, President of the Republic Sali Berisha fanatically defended the Meksi Government at a press conference held in Tirana. Asked by journalists how he assessed the opposition’s calls for the Government’s resignation, he replied: “I personally [...]” the President said; the Albanian opposition cannot be identified as such, because it is participating in the reform. The opposition supports the reform because it shares certain points with the government’s program. In this regard, the President of the Republic sought to present the call for the Government’s resignation as a personal statement and not as a demand by the entire opposition party. This, I think, is an attempt to provoke the Socialist Party. “The Government is emerging from winter and now they want to spoil its spring,” said the President. It is true that the Government is emerging from winter in good health, because it spent the winter in warm offices and on pleasant trips abroad. But the overwhelming majority of the people are not getting through the winter in this same “good health,” given the country’s economic and social situation. At any rate, the President repeated the familiar phrase that the opposition is an element of democracy’s execution[?]. “I call on those in power to respect, value and honor the opposition’s views.” We do not know how much the Government will heed this appeal from the President, because up to now it has shown not the slightest willingness to listen to the opposition’s views. While listing the Government’s successes, the President repeated its achievements in restoring public order, its foreign policy of opening Albania to the world, aid from the European Community, etc. “The Government is a government of reform,” said the President. “The shops are full; inflation has fallen from 15 percent to 3.5 percent. The lek is holding up quite well compared with the other currencies of the East. Tens of thousands of houses have been built in the countryside. Agricultural production is growing; industrial production has stopped declining and has registered a small increase.” The President acknowledged that these are not solely the Government’s merits, but said its achievement was to create opportunities for increasing production. The President did not mention many aspects of the paralysis of life in the country today, such as the very slow privatization of the economy, delays in completing land distribution in accordance with the law, financial scandals and other matters widely discussed today for which the Government is held responsible. While fanatically defending the Government, the President... (Continued on page 4)

Yesterday afternoon, the chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania, Fatos Nano, received the President of the Republic of Kosovo, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, at the headquarters of the General Steering Committee and held a warm, brotherly conversation with him. After welcoming him, Fatos Nano told Dr. Rugova that we had followed with interest his recent visit to the USA and his statements on a just solution to the Albanian question in Kosovo. We value the official policy of the Clinton administration toward Kosovo and its firm positions toward Serbian policy, the warnings it has issued, and the commitments it would undertake in the event of an armed Serbian conflict in Kosovo. Fatos Nano then dwelt on the difficult economic situation and the tensions that have increased recently in Albania. “The time has come,” he said, “for us Albanians to be of one mind and to make common commitments to overcome this difficult period. Albanians, regardless of party affiliation, must speak with one voice on the national question; we must seek more of what unites us and not what divides us. Unfortunately, we observe that Parliament, as the highest legislative body, is excessively politicized, and our MPs’ professional arguments are not only ignored but are labelled by the majority with the most absurd epithets. In general, there is intolerance and a lack of transparency and democratic culture toward our views, opinions and alternatives. The doors of the Government are almost closed. We value Berisha’s statement calling on the majority to be more tolerant. That would be democratic, but we want to see it put into practice. The Socialist Party welcomed the President’s proposal for a round table, but what has been done is little. We note,” Fatos Nano continued, “that a group within the ranks of the DP is increasingly becoming a destabilizing factor for democracy; it is destroying the Democratic Party itself as well. It is unacceptable for history to be written according to the interests of a few people who have nothing democratic about them and who, on the contrary, also represent collaborators of fascism. They want to leave the country without a history. It is paradoxical that Albania today has no Liberation Day, when the blood of 28,000 martyrs was shed—people who were both communists and nationalists. The tendency to settle scores is seriously damaging democracy and its image. Albania truly needs a spirit of understanding, cooperation and tolerance today. It would be good for meetings, exchanges of views and contacts with parliamentarians from Kosovo or Macedonia, as well as cultural contacts among academics, etc., to be held with representatives of Albanian political parties in Kosovo too. We have appreciated the last two meetings held in Tetovo and sent our representatives. The meeting in Tirana will now take place. It would be good for the main political parties and representatives of the state to participate. This would greatly serve the national cause. I heard President Berisha’s press conference on television today. I have spoken openly with him, and I would like him to speak openly with me too. I would like to tell Berisha to his face that I speak on behalf of the party and that I am not speaking for myself or for some other opposition. What I have declared is on behalf of the Socialist Party.” Taking the floor at the meeting, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova first spoke about the grave situation in Kosovo and the need for international understanding there. “National issues,” he said, “are sacred; the parties in Albania must come to an understanding. No one can put Albania right alone. No party should say that it alone can take responsibility for democracy. Democracy belongs to everyone, and we must all build it. We Albanians must be masters of cooperation. We believe that after the two meetings in Tetovo we will take part in the meeting in Tirana. I would also support a future meeting between the political parties here and the Albanian parties in Kosovo. We must develop as many contacts as possible and be as close to one another as possible. When a family is in difficulty, it must be united, it must be like a fist. I think the time has come in Albania to stop labelling you as former communists. You are a new generation of politicians and leaders. The state and political parties must be open. I think that, above all, the Albanian press must be at the level of providing information, not insults. Modern journalism is based on information. Journalists are valued around the world for how much they inform, not how much they insult. Great care and restraint are needed in this work.” Members of the People’s Assembly. Fatos Nano and Ibrahim Rugova also discussed issues concerning the political situation in the Balkans. Fatos Nano also briefed Dr. Rugova on the visit by the APS delegation to their Albanian brothers in Switzerland. The meeting was also attended by the Socialist Party’s deputy chairman, Dr. Servet Pëllumbi, and its secretary for foreign relations, Bashkim Zeneli, MPs of the People’s Assembly. Correspondent of «The People’s Voice»

- Reply to colleague Xhevat Mustafa, journalist at «RD» Dear Xhevat! I was surprised by your invitation to the home of Mr. Zhullali, because the practice of spokespersons does not seem appropriate for family matters. An Albanian invites you to his own home; one does not do someone a favor in another person’s house. I was sincerely sorry, too, that you addressed me personally through the newspaper. If you consider me a friend, as you publicly say, it would have been better for us to talk as friends first—what will we say when we meet in the street or on the bus? In the midst of everything, I have a joint invitation to enter ministers’ homes. Since other government officials also extend such invitations—the Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi, the Speaker of the People’s Assembly Pjetër Arbnori, Minister Koplik, Deputy Prime Minister Uka, etc., as you mention in your notice. After the “friendly” statements the Government makes from time to time about «The People’s Voice», I too expected “invitations” to arrive once in a while, certainly after midnight. Your outburst about inviting me is another matter. In the article, there was a call to promote the economy, industry, hydrocarbons, woodworking, which have entered the press and others, and the line of houses being built? Are you telling me that one can enter an expensive house while the people have no bread, and his mind ...[?] The Council of Ministers. Since you are a government journalist, before you go with your new friend, please ask him how much the work cost, what decisions were made, how much he paid, etc. Because, as you know—and as you yourself told me in a radio program—I continue to stick to my position. Talk and confide: might his brother, an electrical engineering student who has just arrived from Dibra, have got a house through irregularities? Might his older sister have become a department head at «Dajt»? Might some favor or other benefit have been granted? What about the minister’s other brother, as Sul Baholli’s son-in-law? Indeed, in a market economy it is «all in», but not at the expense of the state coffers, which are filled by 7–10 taxes. I am sorry, dear Xhevat, that you reminded me of the days of letter writing, because we are continually forced to make such clarifications. The former Press Section of the Central Committee. After them came unprepared confrontations with that bureaucratic deadlock that suffocates itself. It is a pity that the day has come when I must speak openly to our people in power. Let them make their own efforts. They are not so bloody as to deserve your protection. I know that Minister Zhullali has entered into an alliance with NATO—the North Atlantic and Black Sea... ...Treaties. But it never occurred to me that the agreements would reach you. How close he is to ordinary people was shown by the speeches in Policaj and Bulqizë, which even schoolchildren now know. If you had asked wise old men, they would have told you more: leaders of states have always chosen an incapable person as minister of defence. It is understandable why: they fear the power of weapons. Ours is a unique case, where a capable minister has turned up. I did not get into military matters; what he does with reform, with the sale of TNT, or with the weapons monstrosities—I mentioned one fact, a building that Zhullali’s cannons cannot shake. You think you have taken the castle from within, while I, as an opposition member, will keep it tightly besieged. At the end of your letter you appealed to my manliness. In relation to my colleagues at «The People’s Voice», there is room for discussion. Yet the journalists and radio-television people you worked with, all together, have made fewer criticisms of one intrusion than a single «The People’s Voice» journalist. I have respected you as a compatriot and brother in every way, because in the program «The Heroism of Our People Through the Centuries» you wove a hymn to your well-wishers. But for the sake of your new friends, now you have denied them too. Perhaps it is easy to remind you of a saying of the people about new and old friends... We will remain colleagues despite our differences in position, SEDAT BRAJA

To the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha. Parliamentary groups of the DP, PS and PSD. We have informed you and are bringing to your attention the concern of the 2,000 residents of the village of Katund i Ri, in Kash commune, Tirana district. The District Council and the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Rexhep Uka, have known of our concern for two months, but unfortunately have taken no measures. Tensions have been rising considerably lately; therefore, the trade unionists of the two unions affiliated with the Confederation of the BSP of Albania address you and request that: 1. Knowing that 90 percent of the village’s residents live in state apartments, we have no possibility of keeping livestock. We ask that the only livestock complex remaining in the Tirana district, which is in our area, not be demolished but preserved, by transferring it to new forms of privatization. 2. Responsibility be established for all the destruction carried out in the barns and vineyards, and even for the damage to 1 planted tree. 3. The property for which we have worked and sweated must not pass into the hands of those who have come to the top by chance and want to «grab as much as possible for themselves». This property must be divided on the basis of each person’s contribution. 4. The conflict with the former agricultural cooperative over ownership of the land now held by the agricultural enterprise must be resolved, since every day a new owner appears and people seize and destroy what has been planted and cultivated through hard work. We demand solutions to all these matters by 15.3.1993. Otherwise, we will use all forms of trade-union struggle permitted by law. This petition has been sent to all press organizations for publication. The signatures of 426 signatories follow; residents of the village of Katund i Ri. Tirana, 4.3.1993

If you set out to buy the things you need at the Korçë bazaar, you should take a few precautions: first, you should protect your feet with rubber boots, since in places the mud reaches up to your knees. Second, make sure your money is safely secured, otherwise they’ll weave you a wallet without any trouble and [ashqarë?], since none of the partisans of 2. Kopliku are anywhere around. The Korçë bazaar is the largest place in the city where trade (both retail and wholesale) takes place. Therefore, the municipality responsible for it should make its upkeep a priority. Yet so far no measures appear to have been taken. Every trader pays a tax for the place where they sell their goods. The fees range from 300 to 2,500 lekë (old lekë). Where does this money go? While the government has not missed a single day in collecting taxes, it has completely forgotten its duties toward traders and buyers. Will it ever remember? ERGET CENOLLI