They are the same students who rose up against the dictatorship two years ago and defeated it; they are the same ones who rose up these days against the neo-dictatorship. For 3 days in a row, the lecture halls remained empty. The students stand in front of the faculties shouting, “We want the professors, we want our professors.” “Down with corruption, down with the corrupt.” What had happened? 22 lecturers were dismissed according to partisan criteria worked out in the PD offices with dirty money; they were people who stood by, pseudo-democrats, the servile of all eras, those who keep 100 flags in their pockets, corrupt from the toenails to the hair on their heads. When the dismissed lecturers came to the faculty to complete their unemployment-assistance paperwork, the students burst into loud shouts: “We want the professors.” “We will not allow them to take away our professors!” (And along with the shouts, tears burst from their eyes. With tears in their eyes and determination, they mounted the podium one after another, girls and boys, and condemned this anti-democratic act. They had forgotten their party affiliations. They were all together: the PD Youth Forum, the Social Democrats, the Republicans, the Eurosocialists, minority youth, etc., etc. Everyone was for democracy, progress, pluralism, reform in education, but everyone was against pseudo-democracy, against the dismantling of the school, against the anti-reform, against the lu— [Text damaged] economy led and directed by the “experts” of the Meksi Government. Everything had frozen. Thoughtful intellectuals. Doctors, lecturers, Candidates of Sciences who had left their bags at home. Where was the uncertainty? A question cast onto the horizon: “What will we be tomorrow?” And at last the “genetic code” of higher education was revealed: the “genetic code of reform,” which turned out to consist of 6 criteria. Anyone who did not have these 6 amino acids in their genes was not supposed to be a lecturer at the Agricultural University of Tirana. That was all. Clearly, they had decided beforehand who should be removed, and only then drafted the “Code.” And those people were the most capable: uncompromised, most of them members and sympathizers of the PS, those who had not signed the lists published by the PD or the Meksi Government, as well as a few others. An urgent meeting of the departments was called. The “genetic code” was read out, and they were told: “You do not meet criterion 4” (most of them). Precisely the most dubious criterion. The criterion that leaves free rein to subjectivity, to settling personal scores, to the element of ideological adversaries. Precisely the fourth criterion, drafted for everyone. It looks exactly like the provision on “Agitation and propaganda against the PPSH, against the state.” After they were informed of their punishment—being put on assistance—this was added cynically: “There is no right of appeal against this decision.” And the neo-dictatorship and police state remained. At building 7, the names of the Veterinary Faculty lecturers had been posted: Selman Zanaj, Xhelo Sulaj, Jorgo Qiqi, Vasil Dhano, Ibrahim Shkëndëri, Selim Luku. The girls ask: What is going on? Who is going to teach us? Who could have done this? And the decision was made. No. And it was final. It was not Ali Spahia’s three drawn-out “no”s in Parliament. It was not a “no” from some buffoon. It was a “no” that came from the chests and hearts of the student youth. The Coordinating Committee of all youth organizations at the Agricultural University of Tirana decided to boycott classes and begin a strike until the lecturers unjustly put on assistance were reinstated. Day three. 8:30 a.m. The Veterinary students had gathered in front of the faculty entrance. The faculty administrators were bringing lecturers Selman Za- …because all together—the youth forum of the PD, the Social Democrats, the Republicans, the Euro-Socialists, young people from the youth forum, etc.—everyone was for democracy, for progress, for pluralism, for reform in education; everyone was against pseudo-democracy, against the destruction of the school, against anti-reform, against class warfare, and so on. For a week, the dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine had hardly been staying at or even showing up at the Faculty: for a week, one meeting at the rectorate ended only for another to begin. The lecturers and economists had been notified three days earlier to remain at the faculty because an “important” meeting was to be held at which “important” announcements would be made. The “launch of the second phase of education reform” was expected, in sync with the second phase of economic reform. … everyone was together, the forum… Here it was communicated… the assistance was increased by… the remains of the police-state dictatorship. The head who communicated the order was asked: When did you notice these things in my work? The reply: “No one asked me about this, and I did not send any material to the dean’s office.” Who decided to dismiss me from my job? “The decision came from above.” All those dismissed from their jobs condemned these decisions and these criteria, called them unsupported by law, and condemned them as partisan, anti-democratic actions that served anti-reform. Second day: After “the completion of…” … over the course of three days … the lecturers … On a … third day. 8:30 a.m. The Veterinary Medicine students had gathered in front of the faculty door. As they approached the faculty entrance, lecturers Selman Zana? and Xhelo Sulaj were arriving. Their movement, everything about them seemed so animated, but as always … their faces, with a slight smile at the corners of their lips. The shouts erupted: “We want our professors, we want our professors.” Tears welled in the eyes of the girls and boys. Tears in the lecturers’ eyes. The situation was grave. At that moment, the young lecturer Ridvan Shehi climbed onto the podium. He told them that he considered this action very wrong; they denounced that decision of the dean’s office… (Continued on page 4) … such as boycotting classes and beginning a strike until the lecturers who had been unjustly placed on assistance were reinstated. always … dean’s office… … the people for the cause … and ways of ever closer cooperation. Through this, they also benefited and welcomed all those I have known and valued; with pleasure, I fulfill compatriots living in Albania, through this open letter addressed to them. I am proud to be able to tell them that in these two years we have made up for the time lost during almost the whole of the previous century in official relations between the two States, though these relations were of little substance in the process of economic, social and cultural integration. (Continued on page 3) … the people for the cause … with pleasure, I fulfill social and cultural integration. (Continued on page 3) … thanks to Pelikani, it became possible to hold free, democratic elections and defeat the communists without bloodshed. The twelve days have now passed, too, and today the prospects are certainly better than they were at the time we left behind. Throughout the entire period I spent in Tirana, I worked with the sole objective of bringing smiles and hope back to people’s faces. When I arrived two years ago, faces were sad and worried; now they have the vitality of freedom and the confidence of a better future. For many… (Continued on page 3) … the representatives of the Confederations. We will not go into what was said at this meeting. But a statement by the Minister of Labour, Emigration and the Politically Persecuted, Dashamir Shehi, struck us. He said: “Europe has a great deal of unemployment and has no room for emigration.” Minister Shehi, after a year in that chair, finally told the truth. He has made several trips by plane to European capitals and given several interviews on TV and in the press. Everywhere… (Continued on page 3)

Yesterday, the International Conference entitled “International Conditions for the Stability of Central and Eastern Europe” began its proceedings in Budapest. As announced, a delegation of the PS of Albania, headed by its chairman, Fatos Nano, is also participating in the Conference. Around 20 socialist and social-democratic parties from Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, as well as Austria, Germany, Holland, Italy, etc., are taking part in the Conference; the necessary contacts will be held with them. Fatos Nano also spoke at yesterday’s plenary session of the Conference.

Thanks to the valuable and greatly appreciated initiative of the Hungarian PS, we are here to discuss and exchange views on several very important issues of the post-communist transition in our region, while expressing a common and major concern of the democratic left-wing forces of the Socialist International: to demonstrate their real capacities and genuine contribution to the democratization of our society and of the International Order in the post-Cold War period.

writes: I am leaving Albania today, after two years of an intensive diplomatic mission aimed at serving the interests of the country and of nations and peoples by finding forms and ways to achieve ever closer cooperation. Unable to meet and greet everyone I have come to know and appreciate, I am pleased to perform this final act of friendship toward Albanian citizens and my fellow countrymen residing in Albania through this farewell letter, despite the [unclear] act… Everyone can see the contribution Italy has made to the birth of democracy in Albania: thanks to the continuous assistance provided by the military and medical aid distributed by Pelikani, it was possible to hold free democratic elections that brought communism to an end without bloodshed. The second winter has now passed, and prospects today are certainly better than they were in the period we have left behind. Throughout the period spent in Tirana, I have worked with the objec-

On 10.3.1993, Television broadcast a report on the meeting of the Prime Minister, Mr. Meksi, and several members of his cabinet with representatives of the Confederations. We will not get into what was said at this meeting. But one statement by the Minister of Labour, Emigration and Political Persecutees, Dashamir Shehi, caught our attention. He said: “Europe has shoes—”

In recent days, the Presidency of the Socialist Party organized a series of regional meetings with the chairmen of the Socialist Party in the districts, to provide information on the implementation of the assigned tasks and the situation regarding the broader public’s views on reform issues and the obstruction of local government. All the documents coming from above conflict with the laws that have been passed. The district councils have submitted a number of studies to the government for approval concerning the putting back into operation of many important enterprises—in other words, the creation of several thousand jobs—but it has given no concrete response. The possibilities for some municipalities and districts to establish ties with foreign companies have been presented with supporting arguments, and once again the response has been the same: silence. Of all the candidates proposed by the Socialist Party in the districts for municipal secretaries, not one was approved, and so on. This is what it means to deliberately shut one’s eyes and ears to the people’s hardships, and this attitude is maintained solely because in several districts the overwhelming majority of the people voted for the Socialist Party on July 26. Under these circumstances, faced with a myopic and deaf government that cannot resolve the country’s hardships and problems, the people are pressing their demand for its resignation. Driven by fanatical party interests, the present government is also implementing economic reforms. It does not care about making the reform ease the great pains of the transition; all it wants is to displace and cast onto the highway of unemployment and insecurity the members and sympathizers of the Socialist Party, in order to isolate that party. (Continued on page 3)

In Përmet, the district, the municipality and all but one of the communes are run by the Socialists. But in the government competition for secretaries, only the Democrats emerged as winners. The winners took their positions. They took their positions, but also say: “We are the government’s specially appointed representatives.” So, … the chief positions. At a district council meeting, a PD councilor said: “The secretary should get up from where he is sitting and go out onto the road alongside the chairman and deputy chairman, and run the meeting with them.” The rule of law is supposedly institutionalized, but the officials have not found their places. Let them look for them, since it is still early. The dollibashes are in line. And, after drinking, a Përmet resident from the well-known grape-and-raki-producing areas said…

Five days WITHOUT LIGHTS For five days in a row, part of the “Fahri Ramadani” neighborhood and part of the “Partizani” neighborhood in Shkodër have been without electricity. Why, no one knows. But citizens are asking: Why was it reported just a few days ago that there were no longer any problems in Shkodër with ensuring a continuous electricity supply?!

A tense atmosphere has developed in Durrës in recent days. At the behest of the PD, led by teacher Edmond Kapedani, the municipality of Durrës and its council, which is made up of a right-wing majority, following the … illegal decision to remove supposedly surplus housing and families, insisted and decided to impose on the PT directorate, through a commission, the removal of citizens’ telephones. (Continued on page 3)

(MINISTER OF PUBLIC ORDER) My name is Andrea Dimitri. I am a driver. You do not know me. I do not know you either. But that is of little importance. What matters is what I am going to tell you below through the newspaper “Zëri i Popullit,” and not by postal letter, since I am certain that such a letter would never reach your hands. On the evening of March 10, your policemen, at the exit from Elbasan when coming from the border, under the pretext of checking documents, stealthily slashed my tarpaulin and robbed me. When I set out for here, quite a few friends advised me: “Be careful of the guys who ask you for cigarettes and chewing gum. If you don’t give them any, they’ll smash your knees with stones.” And indeed, that is what happened. But thanks to the cigarettes I had with me, and to the night, which falls quickly, … Well, it was not to be. Night put the children to sleep, but woke the police. What am I to tell my friends when I return to Sofia, my wife, my children and relatives? How am I to repair my tarpaulin…? And what about the cargo? Am I to tell them that the people who were supposed to protect me robbed me?! You may say that what I am writing is not true! No, Mr. Minister. Before entering Elbasan, I stopped and checked the whole vehicle. On the way out, the police stopped me. Ten kilometers farther on, I stopped because one of my colleagues was putting oil in his vehicle. What did I see? His tarpaulin was visible from a distance. It had been cut with a knife. He had been robbed and knew nothing about it. Just to be safe, for no particular reason, I checked my own vehicle, even though it had been checked ten minutes earlier. Oh no! My God! My tarpaulin, too, had been cut and torn. I do not know who robbed my friend, but about my vehicle, all along the way I kept saying, pounding my fists on the steering wheel: “Ç’amo tam, ç’amo tam!” So it could only have been them—the police. And I don’t think I’m lying. ANDREA DIMITRI, Bulgarian C 3300 TH

FROM THE SPEECH OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PS OF ALBANIA FATOS NANO Thanks to the valuable and greatly appreciated initiative of the Hungarian PS, we are here to discuss and exchange views on several very important issues of the post-communist transition in our region, while expressing a common and major concern of the democratic left-wing forces of the Socialist International: to demonstrate their real capacities and genuine contribution to the democratization of our society and of the International Order in the post-Cold War period. The Socialist Party of Albania supports the progress of positive democratization processes in international relations, which gained momentum after the end of the Cold War. For now, this process has stalled in the “dismantling or reconceptualization of the former military-political blocs, the fall of walls and ideological barriers, and the growth of the role of the UN and the CSCE in ensuring security, peace and cooperation among states and nations in the region and in East-West relations.” Our view is that any other choice, apart from establishing a new order in which old ideological conflicts are not replaced by new ethnic or religious conflicts in international relations, in which war is ruled out, and in which all states and peoples are responsible for democracy, peace and security, would disregard all these premises and the logical consequences of this process. Naturally, what is necessary cannot be achieved within a short period, but only in the spirit of such fundamental documents as the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris, and through their implementation. A new international order must be created by moving forward along the path laid out by these documents, taking concrete measures not only for nuclear disarmament and the limitation of conventional armaments, but also to establish new international security structures that can serve the resolution of regional conflicts and crises. The new European security structure, as it has emerged in the post-Cold War period, must guarantee the stability of Central and Eastern Europe. But it is a fact that we are facing many regional conflicts in the region, which gives us (Continued on page 4)

CAN YOU GUESS? They come, stay, eat, drink, advise, promise; they leave and go. Answer: foreign alarmists who come to our country. They go around meeting, talking, visiting, getting on; getting off, begging, signing, stamping; our pockets empty, let…ters in the wastebasket. Answer: our government officials who go abroad.