- The chairman of the commission for drafting the constitution, Mr. Aleksandër Meksi, pretends to get angry in order to avoid answering questions. - Someone is interested in postponing approval of Albania’s constitution until the Greek calends. - The Democratic Party deputies’ group continues its antics. - Kastiot Islami resigns as a member of the Constitution Commission.

Seven days after the Socialist Party’s official demand for the government’s resignation, and just as many days before the first anniversary of the Democratic Party’s victory in the 22 March elections, President of the Republic Sali Berisha appeared before “selected” students to publicly announce his legislative initiative through the draft law: “Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms.” This timing, as well as the fact that the meeting was held in a theater hall, gave many people the impression that it was a propaganda spectacle for the political purposes of the day. Any initiative to complete the legislative framework of our democratic society is welcome. But a single question reduces to zero all the propaganda noise surrounding the draft law on “Fundamental Human Rights” prepared by the president. The question is: Why does the President of the Republic not use his authority to put pressure on parliament (more precisely, on its majority) to approve the consti- (Continued on page 4) the general public but also the People’s Assembly itself, which appointed him. The wonders continue! A week ago, the president presented human rights, which must be attached to the existing constitutional provisions.

One of the greatest duties of the current parliament is drafting and approving the Constitution of the Republic of Albania. Today, the role of a constitution in our country is played by the “Constitutional Provisions” approved on 29.4.91. At the time these provisions were approved, it was emphasized—and even stipulated in a special article—that they would be temporary, until a constitution was approved. For this purpose, parliament set up a commission to draft the constitution, with a deadline of December of last year. Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi was appointed head of this commission. Two and a half months have passed since the time by which the draft constitution should have been completed. During this period, the commission has given no sign of life, not only to the general public but also to the People’s Assembly itself, which appointed it. The surprises continue! A week ago, the president submitted to the People’s Assembly for approval a draft law on human rights, which is to be appended to the existing constitutional provisions. We expected one thing, but got another! Surprised by this position, Socialist Party deputies requested that the chairman of the commission drafting the constitutional draft provide an explanation to the People’s Assembly. In his speech before the Assembly, Mr. Meksi, instead of explaining why the commission he heads had not submitted the draft constitution to the Assembly, spoke about the need for the Assembly to approve the president’s submitted draft law on human rights. In answering questions, too, he tried to steer them and engage in sophistry, as if he were not before the People’s Assembly but at some press conference where he had to fend off bothersome journalists. When he did not know what to say, he acted as if he were offended and angered by some deputy. This was so obvious that at one point Mr. Dokle said, laughing: the prime minister has the right to get angry. At least from the explanations of (Continued on page 4)

At the meeting on 15 March between the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, and the students, in response to a question about the campaign of purges targeting people whose political views differed from those in power, the president said, among other things: “Listen, you are right. People should not be dismissed from their jobs for biographical reasons. Anyone who wants to do that should create the Party of Biographies!” I think that is the right position, Mr. President. I have applauded you when you have spoken this way on other occasions, too. But I don’t know, Mr. President, do you really not know that by now everything has been purged, or are you pretending not to know? If it is the latter, I would not be pleased at all. The “Party of Biographies” that you want has already been formed, esteemed President; it was formed and grew in power after 22 March. Perhaps it is unregistered and has not been approved by the Ministry of Justice. The powerful Minister Çela has not yet commented... Television has not reported it yet... But you do not know, Mr. President, that it has been formed. They say its chairman is the president, elected by open vote, Tomorr Hasan Dosti. He does not know how to speak on TV and therefore has not presented his program, but that does not mean Dosti does not know how to deal with lists and bulletins... Mr. President, you have both weak advisers and weak informants. They don’t tell you anything: The “Party of Biographies,” Mr. President, has spread into every sphere of life, into every cell of Albanian society. The people also call it by another name: the Party of Revenge. Thousands of people—intellectuals, specialists, even workers—have been dismissed from their jobs because their political views differ from those of the “Party of Biographies.” Biographical criteria are now the basis for every career. People are getting positions and going abroad to study with biographical certificates. In those enterprises and workplaces that are still functioning, the demand is: “You were persecuted? Come back in two hours and start work! You socialist worker, go on assistance, even though you’re only 30; you’ve been sucking our blood for 50 years.” You don’t know that this is how things are being done, Mr. President? You don’t know that this is how the districts are being instructed by the “Party of Biographies,” Mr. President? The other 25 parties in Albania are nothing, even though each says: I am stronger than the others. The “Party of Biographies” is the party; its chairman is Tomorr Dosti, not the others, even if they claim to have scientific titles as well. You too, Mr. President, beware of the “Party of Biographies”—who said that one day they would not ask you, and the others, to submit your biographies...? Then don’t say you didn’t know that this “Party of Biographies” had been formed. By then it will be too late. Summon the Minister of Justice now, and have him say whether he has legalized the “Party of Biographies” or not. KOÇI BISHA

As our correspondent reports, a delegation from the Italian city of Senega’ia, led by the mayor of that city, is paying a friendly visit to the district of Skrapar. The delegation also includes a group of officials and business operators from the city of Senegalia. This friendly visit follows a visit to the city of Senegalia in January this year by a group of municipal officials and the mayor of Çorovodë. The Italian delegation has also brought two trucks carrying 8 tons of aid.

FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES: Dramatic rise in crime in the capital Although the Tirana Public Order Directorate has a force equal to half the combined strength of the country’s public order branches, crime at the end of 1992 had risen dramatically compared with 1990. Specifically: 1. Murders increased by a total of 433 cases, or 130 percent. 2. Break-ins and thefts of citizens’ property increased by 234.2 percent. 3. The number of road traffic accidents increased by 401.9 percent. Every two days, a home burglary takes place in Tirana. Every two days, a traffic accident occurs resulting in injury or death. Overall, the number of theft cases recorded during the last two years in the capital alone is equal to the number of thefts recorded during the period 1980–1990. GOLIK SAZANI

- The rally in Fier is repeated - A government cannot be democratic merely because it bears that name or seeks to call itself democratic. Its democratic or anti-democratic character is determined by its domestic and foreign policies, and by those singled out as “democrats.” The consequences of its policies. The broad masses of the people are becoming increasingly convinced that the substance of the government’s policies, including its reforms in the economic, administrative and legal fields, is anti-democratic. The citizens of Fier have understood this bitter truth well. 22 February, the day of police terror inflicted on thousands of workers who had gathered in the city’s “Victory” Square for a legal rally organized by the district council of the Confederation of Trade Unions, “will long be remembered as a day of shame for this government that seeks to distinguish itself as ‘democratic.’” The consequences of the police threats were still being felt yesterday, when, on the initiative of that same trade union council, a second rally was held by workers in the district who are members of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania. The city streets were full of people listening to loudspeakers, while around two to three thousand people had gathered at the small stadium for handball. As we were going to the rally venue, dozens of workers who recognized us told us about facts that were as painful as they were shocking: the directors of the few enterprises in Fier that still pretend to be working had called workers into their offices one by one, asking whether they had taken part in that rally and threatening that if they got involved in Confederation of Trade Unions activities, they would be the first to be put on assistance. A number of police officers in plain clothes were moving through the city streets and, half-jokingly, loudly warning citizens not to go near the handball stadium because “the truncheon might be used again” there. Several murders committed in the district of Fier in late February and early March, about which our television has remained silent, have created an atmosphere of insecurity and fear in the city. The entrances to and exits from the city are strictly controlled by the police. Yet Mr. Zaloshnja seems to be making very good use of these circumstances to become perhaps the city’s master. The entire small handball stadium felt the presence of the many police cordons. If they were there to secure the rally, who are we afraid of? What is the meaning of the slogans circulating around the city that rally participants would be shot at, that smoke bombs would be thrown, and so on? Who is trying to sow fear and panic (Continued on page 4) The organizers: the directors, pediatricians, and those few enterprises that still pretend to work in Fier had summoned the workers to the office the to be put on welfare. Some police officers in plain clothes were moving through the streets of the city and, as if joking, loudly urged citizens not to go near the indoor sports stadium, because there “the baton might be used again.” Several killings carried out in the Fier district at the end of February and the beginning of March, which… about which television has remained silent, have stirred city’s entrances and exits are tightly controlled by the police. However, Mr. Zaloshnja seems to be trying to exploit these circumstances quite skillfully, perhaps to become the city’s patron. The entire small indoor sports stadium felt the presence of numerous who were we afraid of? What do the slogans circulating around the city mean, saying that participants in the rally panic? (Continued on page 4)

Two parents write to our newspaper We are two parents from the city of Korçë with a serious family problem. Our five-year-old daughter, Marije, has cerebral palsy. Our efforts to treat this child have been continuous. Our doctors advised visits and treatment at clinics abroad. Since we have relatives living in the USA, we asked them to see whether they could arrange for our daughter to go there for treatment. Our family members in the USA, in an effort to comply with American laws, sent us a full guarantee with all the necessary requirements. But our American embassy is asking us to obtain a visa. To make our request more credible, we brought the child too, so that Mrs. Barbara, who received us at the embassy, could see the child in person. According to all the rules, she told us, you have the right to go to the USA to visit the child, but… according to the rules, besides the guarantee, there also had to be a fax from the doctor who would treat the child. This completely paralyzed us. The guarantee from our relatives fully complied with the regulations and contained the basic document, more than enough for us to go to the USA. That famous fax… (Continued on page 4)

“At this meeting, the management and both unions expressed the wish that, if possible, President Sali Berisha would come among the people of Polican” RD, dated 16 March 1993 At last, the secret behind everything has been revealed! It seems President Berisha wanted an invitation to visit the citizens of his own country. He wanted an invitation that “he would receive with pleasure.” Now all that remains is for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Polican, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tirana, to discuss the technical and political aspects of this visit and jointly prepare the program. It is not yet known whether President Berisha will invite the President of Polican to visit Tirana. According to sources within RD itself, in the talks President Berisha will hold in Polican, an important place will be given to issues concerning the abolition of visas between the two countries, customs tariffs, and the elevation of diplomatic relations to the full ambassadorial level. This follows the cooling of relations recently caused by Mr. Selami’s statement about countries where the socialists have won, as well as after the military aggression. According to a source from Pollicani, Prime Minister Mekli has also invited the prime minister of Polican to visit Tirana, and the latter accepted the invitation with pleasure. NEWS AGENCY

In an interview “given to the newspaper “Aleanca,” Mr. Hoti says: “Now, at last, I will personally lead the task of clearing the debt… I hope to accomplish it in a short time and without expenses.” The bank governor, Mr. Hoti, is the third “expense-free” negotiator, after high-level politicians Amato and Andreatta, and the fourth in line after the other “paid” negotiator, the unfortunate Nikola Arsidi. The “Arsidi” scandal—or, more bluntly, the theft of 1 million and 600 thousand dollars from commercial banks using a document—unprecedented given the poverty that has engulfed the country, has brought the “Meksi” government far more anxiety and trouble than unblocking the inherited debt of 500 million, which has not budged by a single cent. Chapter 8 of the DP’s election platform states explicitly: Unblocking the external debt. We undertake before the country to resolve the problem of the external debt created by the preceding communist governments, which has caused a complete freeze in economic relations with the outside world and held back foreign investment in our country. To this end: 1. This year, negotiations on the debt with all the banks will be organized through a round table, where the terms, amounts, and method of debt repayment will be discussed, with Albania’s interests recognized first and foremost. 2. Albania will make commitments not only to officially recognize the debt but also regarding the terms and method of its repayment. 3. The symbolic payment of the interest accrued on the debt will begin this year. 4. By the end of the year, a debt moratorium will be arranged, postponing its repayment for five to seven years, and thus the banks will be unblocked. 5. Debt negotiations will be subject to transparency through strict parliamentary oversight. Parliament will decide by law on every step taken in this process. So far, the success of this program amounts to a scandal. We hope that Mr. Hoti’s statement, he being one of the principal protagonists of the scandal, is not an outburst of inner irritation, but is prompted by his party’s great obligation to the people. Let us not forget: he is being set against the politicians Amato and Andree (with the background of a novice in the market economy), while in the Albanian economy even the completely unbelievable is barely distinguishable from a well; in any case, success. The Observer