From the speech by Dr. Servet Pëllumbi, Deputy Chairman of the SP, delivered at the meeting of the KPD I would like, in closing, to express a few thoughts on two central issues to be discussed at today’s meeting. I mean, first, the opposing views we are encountering regarding the popular demonstrations of recent times, and, second, certain aspects of relations between the two main parties operating in our country: the DP in power and the SP in opposition. It is a particular pleasure to observe that we are now seeing our Party’s program and the alternative it represents take material form in a mass democratic movement that has gradually grown to the level of the rally held in Tirana on July 30, followed by 26 other rallies held in the districts in recent days. It is our duty, as the leading forum of the SP, to make this new phenomenon the subject of in-depth political and sociological study and analysis. Nevertheless, even today, in this effort to get to its essence, and especially to define clear and concrete tasks so as not to allow it to die out or degenerate into a simple populist movement. What are the participants in these largest popular demonstrations, in which all of us without exception have taken part? First, their mass character and their reach throughout the country. What the «RD» pointed out to us a year ago is true: they could not have had such support for the ideas and solutions proposed by the SP. We have analyzed the causes of this phenomenon, which resulted in the SP moving into opposition, and they are well known. They belong to the past. Today one has to ask: What compelled people to turn out in such large numbers for peaceful, lawful rallies organized by our Party? It is regrettable that representatives of the government, alarmed by this phenomenon—which, apparently, they cannot undo—instead of making it an object of analysis themselves, seize upon attendance figures, naively thinking that if they reduce them in the pages of RD or on TV broadcasts by dividing them, as the case may be, by 100 or even by 10, the numbers will also shrink in reality. If we assume that ZP is inflating the figures and that the participants numbered as many as you say—that is, 70 in Dibër, 150 in Elbasan, and 300–400 in Durrës or elsewhere—then why are you, gentlemen in power, so worried that, in addition to the police, you are also mobilizing counter-rallies, which you once criticized? As if that were not enough, the language used by DP ministers and other leaders, and by the media they control, is casting considerable mud at the participants in the popular demonstrations, calling them «deceived by the Socialist Party». Besides ill will, this also reflects an unforgivable political short-sightedness. Movements like these never arise on command. There is no doubt that the recent rallies were not gatherings of people deceived by «the socialists’ demagoguery»; their commendable enthusiasm, slogans and demands should be seen as a reflection of the changes in their economic, social, political and spiritual circumstances. Their demands are mainly economic and social. The slogans that have dominated—«We want jobs», «We want bread», «Jobs and property for all», «Social justice», and so on—express this quite clearly. The worsening economic situation, the crisis, the driving of domestic production toward «zero», total opening to the «abundance» of foreign markets, mass unemployment that is growing as assistance comes to an end, the lack of investment, rising prices—especially the price of bread, up to 13 times higher—and, above all, the absence of any hope of improvement in the near future, in our view, are the main reasons that have gradually and massively led people to disappointment, despair and anger, or to the conclusion that the time has come for changes in the country’s policies. Second, these popular demonstrations are a new phenomenon showing that democracy has now put down roots and cannot be trampled underfoot lightly by those who think democracy is an attribute and property of the DP alone. Therefore, if political slogans were raised at these demonstrations, they were mainly to defend fragile Albanian democracy, to say «No» to a new totalitarianism, revanchism and the excesses of the Party-State. In other words, masses of people are taking to the streets to defend themselves against dictatorship. «Down with revanchism», «Down with dictatorship»—not because anyone is deceiving them, but because they see that everything is being put at risk; they see that this kind of right-wing revanchism, politically outdated and surpassed, whose clock stopped in 1944, could take away even the few rights and freedoms they have gained from 1990 to the present. The effect of the above slogans at the rally in Tirana and across the country—deeply democratic slogans—was truly powerful and instructive for the revanchists. In the form of a clan within the DP, they exploited the name and prestige it had won in the struggle against communism and in establishing democracy, and turned it into a force with restorationist and vengeful mindsets, bent on overturning everything. On this basis, today it has also attacked the DP’s own program. President Berisha, speaking at the DP Congress on January 23, 1993, about the contradictions within the DP and the need to restrain the extremists, called them by their true name: «fascists». Nevertheless, nothing changed. Once again, Mr. Berisha, confronted with the fact that one of the most prominent representatives of this clan considered it an honor to be called a fascist, Ballist and revanchist, and apologized for this in parliament—not only to the carefully selected spectators in the gallery, but also to DP deputies in the main hall and the other blocks—and would not allow… (continued on page 2)

For three years now, we have got used to being without work and merely watching to see whether a ship carrying aid from abroad will arrive by sea. The only institution in Albania that has worked «at full capacity» is RTSH. I doubt there is another television station in the world that has rummaged around, copied, lied and deceived as much as our television has during this period. But apparently it is making a fuss as if it has grown tired of us. And now, here and there in Durrës, a ship from Kuwait, Turkey and elsewhere can be seen. But our respected television, faithful to the party and government, is reporting 2,500 tons of flour, aid from the Turkish government. This news has been broadcast for several days, but the way it is presented gives the impression that our television itself has undertaken to sell Turkish flour. We say this also because of another detail, which perhaps needs to be clarified once and for all: according to television, our Minister of Food says that 2,500 tons of Turkish flour are worth 995,000 dollars, which, if you do the arithmetic, comes to about 400 lekë per kilogram of flour. Meanwhile, the price of flour on the Albanian market is... ... in Albania it is RTSH. As much as our television has dug around, copied, lied, and deceived in recent times, I don’t believe there is another like it in the world. But it seems the public in Durrës, a ship from Kuwait, Turkey, etc. can be seen. Yet our respected television, faithful to the party and government, in order to show how effective the slogan «we govern, the world helps us» is, continues day after day in its news broadcasts to show the same footage and news, as if a great commotion were taking place in Durrës and dozens of ships were arriving every day, happily unloading aid. The same thing happened in recent days with the ship «Partizani», loaded to bring 2,500 tons of wheat to Albania. public the ship «Partizani», loaded to bring to Albania is RTSH. ... The Turkish minister’s [figure] comes to 995 thousand dollars, which, if you do the arithmetic, works out to about 400 lek per kilogram of flour, while the price of flour on the Albanian market is half that amount. So we have to ask: did Turkish aid really arrive at this price, or were the calculations made differently by the government and our television, acting as an intermediary in this trade, so that someone could make a profit? Let’s see when the goods reach the market. MALO SILURI

The Socialist Party in Berat was granted permission to hold its «third» rally inside the «Tomorri» stadium. The night before, following a heated exchange of correspondence between the SP, the district public-order office and the municipality, the DP unleashed pressure on the public. In defiance of every legal norm and civic ethic, they openly declared that a counter-demonstration would be held at all costs. One of their loudspeakers was set up at the city club and broadcast the words of the PP instructor, Vjosë Gimiadhi, who called for a counter-rally, for intimidating citizens, and for boycotting the other events prepared by this anti-democratic imbecile. All these SP supporters, even though the party had obtained permission, were certain that the police would make things difficult for them. If it was a question of maintaining public order, nothing happened to the DP. On the morning of the rally, August 4, the only news was this: the police had blocked people coming from the villages in every area. The Kuçovë–Berat route was blocked, as was the Poliçan–Berat route; they set up a roadblock. The police also blocked the route from Corra to prevent people from coming. The relevant directors, former officials and DP members who took part had paid workers to leave early. At 5 p.m. came the announcement: the DP would hold its event in front of the stadium at that time. There was no confrontation; people dispersed. In the morning, the police had been deployed in traffic-control positions; at 5–6 p.m. in Berat, and in the evening the rally took place in the stadium. The socialists all entered the southern stand without making things difficult for the others. For many minutes, in a highly civilized manner, they held up slogans: «We want jobs», «Freedom and democracy», «Down with fascism», «Down with dictatorship», «Long live the Socialist Party», «Free Fatos Nano», «Long live Fatos Nano», and so on. At 6 p.m. the SP leadership arrived, along with deputies Luan Hajdaraga and Sabit Brokësi, Ndër Leqisi and Presidium member Arta Dabulla. Unprecedented enthusiasm filled the gathering. Frenzied shouts for the SP, for Fatos Nano, for freedom and democracy. There came a moment when the entire southern stand of the stadium was packed, with people even standing in the upper rows. At that point the district chairman gave a speech in the stadium. We call it a black day because this is how it will be remembered by the people of Berat for the anti-democratic action taken by the DP. They not only provoked condemnation but also stirred the people’s conscience, giving them a chance to judge for themselves who the real democrats are. The reaction was now unmistakable. They tried to speak from the stand, but it was all in vain. The electricity had been cut. The electricians were trying to fix it. Shameful and disgusting for all time. But never mind. The crowd roared, and banners waved. The socialist crowd was now at the front, chanting their slogans at every moment. Fatos Nano. Everyone was nearby. (Continued on page 2)

MAT — The Socialist Party stands for genuine democracy MAT The Socialist Party stands for genuine democracy On July 4, a protest rally organized and led by the SP was held in the stadium of the town of Burrel. At it, the voices of 10,000 unemployed people, most of them young, rang out forcefully and logically. We want jobs, we want bread. There came the angry cry of more than 6,000 families in the countryside and the town who are in extreme poverty and struggling even to obtain their daily bread; there came the voice of the peasants, abandoned to their fate, without aid or care, without machinery, unable to reap the fruits of their labour because almost the entire irrigation and watering network has been destroyed by the SP government; the countryside deprived of transport and communications, of health centres, plunged into old and new conflicts amid fratricidal strife and division; the countryside whose wealth, accumulated under the former agricultural cooperatives, was stolen and plundered. «If your voice is also raised so forcefully in defence of Fatos Nano,» said deputy Mehmet Loci in his speech, «it is in defence of honest intellectuals and against political schemes designed to smear the Socialist Party and its electorate.» This voice was heard not only in the speech by Hajredin Tahiri, chairman of the SP District Steering Committee, nor only in the speech by Ilir Gurabardhi, deputy chairman of the district council. It was also heard in the greetings to the rally from Idriz Pasha, chairman of the Mat district Socialist Workers’ Party, and Petrit Frangu, the Confederation representative. It was also the voice of the peasants who had come from Lumi i Madh, from Burrel and from other areas. (Continued on page 2)

«Democracy» in action: On the evening of July 6, 1993, at exactly 9:30 p.m., Dr. Prof. Farudin Hoxha was arrested. On the evening of July 6, 1993, at exactly 9:30 p.m., Dr. Prof. Farudin Hoxha was arrested, a recipient of several Republic awards, an intellectual and a distinguished figure in our national science. A police van and three minibuses escorted Dr. Prof. Farudin Hoxha to Tirana prison, which in recent days has had more guests than ever. The evident fact emphasized today is that he was arrested without the presence of a prosecutor or lawyer. So another former minister is imprisoned following the accusations of Çela, who, during the recent televised confrontation, appeared to be addressing Dr. Prof. Farudin Hoxha. As he was leaving the television studio, he said to him: «In the corridor... Professor, I have nothing against you. It’s an order from above...» So who is next, according to the order from above?! Correspondent of «Zëri i Popullit»

FORCED REPLY - It is not true that the Socialist MPs ran over a whale. They ran over a crocodile. - In its July 7 issue, the soklamunist newspaper «Jo koha jonë» published the sensational article entitled «The Painful Moans of the Whale». Continuing its slander and unscrupulous disinformation of Albanian and foreign democratic public opinion, this newspaper, which has long been placed at the service of Greek ultranationalist, chauvinist Northern Epirote circles, says that in the village of Manati, in the district of Lezhë, the two Socialist MPs, Maqo Lakrori and Alfrad Paloka, did not kill a sheep (as the democratic newspaper «RD» writes), nor a goat (as «Republika» writes), but a whale. That this report by the black rag «Koha Jonë» is absurd is not difficult to prove. For at least two million years, there have been no whales in Albania. What is the point of dealing with this journalist who doesn’t know what journalism is? Reliable sources available to our newspaper from the village of Manati, in the district of Lezhë, confirm that the Socialist MPs Lakrori and Paloka, while on their way to Lezhë, ran over neither a sheep, a goat, nor a whale. They ran over a crocodile, a gift from the Democratic Party to the village of Manati on the occasion of the upheavals caused in that district last November. The driver Ilir Ismaili, that conservative communist who has forcibly usurped the language and democratic power, the Socialist Party’s entourage, ran over the crocodile precisely as a sign of hatred toward democratic power. But what revolted the villagers even more was the fact that the crocodile had been brought to Manati by the Americans, with the aim of controlling the sources of wealth among our friendly peoples and proving to Europe that Albania does not lag behind America, since it too has crocodiles. This was also the main reason that compelled the outraged villagers to teach the two Socialist-Communist MPs a good lesson. This was the truth about the incident that took place in the village of Manati. Therefore, protect the public from the lies and violence of the deceitful newspaper «Koha Jonë». THE RESPONDENT

... in Albania it is RTSH.

The Albanian Republican Alternative Party, the Albanian Ecological Party, the Albanian People’s Party, the Albanian Socialist Workers’ Party and the Albanian National Unity Party, gathered around a round table, consider the state’s political machinations against the opposition serious and especially damaging to democracy. The house arrest and imprisonment of the Chairman of PUKSH, Mr. Idajet Beqiri, for «insulting the President of the Republic», as well as the immediate arrest of Mr. Fatos Nano, deputy and Chairman of the Socialist Party, the country’s number-one opposition party, and the detention, arrest and sentencing of dozens upon dozens of other individuals with political convictions different from those of the Party-State, constitute political-police actions and unconstitutional acts. Their sole purpose is to suppress all political activity by the opposition and other parties, and to establish in Albania a totalitarian state with neo-fascist overtones. We call on the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, not to remain a spectator while the country goes through such grave circumstances, and to put an end as soon as possible to revanchism, along with the other officials, and to recognize that every attack on our democracy will meet with a counterattack, all the more so when it is a matter of self-defence, which is a morally acceptable act. We demand the immediate release of the two opposition party chairmen who are under arrest, without depriving the competent judicial body of its right to take the necessary action in accordance with the law. This would be the first necessary step toward beginning an understanding between the political forces, so essential under the present circumstances in which the fate of our nation is at stake. Albanian Republican Alternative Party Albanian Ecological Party Albanian People’s Party Albanian Socialist Workers’ Party Albanian National Unity Party