WHY MUST THE STATE CONTROL SERVICE ANSWER AND EXPLAIN ITSELF TO THE PUBLIC? - The «Arsidi» scandal and other banking scandals - The illegal financing of the DP’s election campaign - The failure to collect several billion in counterparty funds from budgetary aid, and the abuses involving them by DP members at the center and in the local branches - The arms smuggling and breach of the embargo in favor of Serbia, as well as those who received the illegal payments involved - Mr. Selami’s secret agreements

At last, the mystery of «Disko Klub Albanias» has been solved. As is known, on 28.4.1993 the Minister of Economy and Finance, Genc Ruli, completed his state and private mission in England and returned to his homeland. It would have been expected that on the first day after his arrival he would begin with the conclusions of the service, which are so important for the fate of the people, but unfortunately that did not happen. The director of the «Sports Center», appointed illegally by Arben Jorgoni, at a time when the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Mr. Dhimitër Anagnosti, had authorized Sokol Koçiu as the Sports Center’s representative to resolve the «KLUB ALBANIAS» issue. The employees of the financial police immediately began to react. Ever since this police force was established, they had never imagined that their minister would overstep the authority of another minister in the area under their remit. But they did not know that this order had been issued for their minister’s brother-in-law, Mr. Arben Gugushka; they did not know that their minister had forgotten the business of the state because his eye was on «Disko Klub Albanian» or some other disco, nor did they know who his chief associate was.

MPs Kastriot Islami and Musa Ulqini offered condolences to the five families of the victims in the Kukës district on behalf of the parliamentary group and the Socialist Party – The brutal killings carried out in recent days by Serbian border guards on Albania’s northern border have aroused justifiable indignation everywhere. To offer condolences to the victims’ families, MPs Kastriot Islami and Musa Ulqini went to the commune of Bardhoc in the Kukës district on Friday, 30 April. «We have come to share with you the profound grief caused by the killing of your sons,» the MPs told the victims’ families in the villages of Bardhoc and Morinë. «We have come here on behalf of the parliamentary group and the Socialist Party, who at this moment express their deep solidarity with you. In times like these, Albanians have always stood by one another as brothers.» In the village of Bardhoc, Behar Hafizi’s father, Uncle Ademi, stressed that severe economic hardship had forced their son to take the risk. «Today, our economic situation is extremely difficult, more than ever before. That is why our sons often see crossing the border for economic reasons as their only salvation. Before killing our sons, the Serbs brutally tortured them,» Uncle Ademi said. «Only the Serbs, unlike anyone else in the world, commit such monstrous crimes against innocent people in hardship,» MP Islami stressed. «But we must keep calm and not fall prey to such Serbian provocations.» The victims’ family members thanked the Socialist MPs for coming to offer condolences and asked them to insist in parliament that the state take stronger measures to prevent violations of the border. They said they had been moved by the human solidarity shown to them. At the home of Hysen Mesini, those present stressed that everywhere in the world, unarmed people captured as prisoners are treated as such, whereas the Serbs massacre prisoners even though, in this particular case, they had crossed the border solely for economic reasons. Such unheard-of massacres must therefore be denounced before all relevant international bodies. The Socialist MPs stressed that this cruel act, which has deeply affected all Albanians, is a premeditated political incident by Serbian chauvinists. We must therefore be careful not to them. At these condolences, the deputies— authorizes Sokol Koçiu as representative of the Sports Center for all matters and problems concerning «KLUB ALBANIAS». Reactions immediately began among the financial police officers, who had not received such a paradoxical order when this police force was established: a robbery in broad daylight. The entire Albanian public knows that the activities of «Disko Klub Albanias» have been blocked; the officers were therefore unclear about what they were supposed to block, on what authority they would strip the discotheque of its property, and under which law they would hand it over to someone else—that little property belonging to the establishment and to all the members of our association and its branches in the districts. In their discussions, the participants pointed out that they would continue to pursue their lawful rights by democratic means and through legal channels—rights that «are being denied to us even under the law adopted by the People’s Assembly and so hastily decreed by the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha». They also stressed that they «will not give up the shops, 70 percent of which we bought during the Meksi Government». (Continued on page 4) The meeting of the General Steering Committee of the PS will be held on Friday, May 7, 1993, at 9:00. THE PRESIDIUM OF THE PSSH ... [part cut off] their condolences for the sympathy shown to them and asked that they insist in Parliament that the state take measures to ... [part cut off] the border regime. They stressed that they had been touched by the human solidarity shown to them. Deputies Kastriot Islami and Musa Ulqini were accompanied during these condolences by Mustafë Mici, mayor of the commune of Bardhoc; Eshtë Haxhiu, deputy mayor of the city of Kukës; and Muhamet Bela, Chairman of the Socialist Party of the Kukës district. Correspondent of «Zëri i popullit»

COMMUNIQUÉ of the National Activity of the Association «Free Private Owners of Albania» Today, on 1 May 1993, the National Activity of the Association «Free Private Owners of Albania» met at our Association’s headquarters. In addition to members of the National Council, the meeting was attended by chairpersons and secretaries of the district branches, as well as other guests. The Association’s president, Mr. Qirjako Noti, reported on the work carried out so far by the National Council and the Association. He particularly emphasized the determination of the association’s 40,000 members to defend their rights, which have been violated by Articles 12 and 17 of the Law «On the Return and Compensation of Property of Former Owners». The law deprives new owners of ownership rights over business premises and the land on which they stand, purchased from the Albanian Democratic State in accordance with the legislation in force. Mr. Noti highly praised the efforts made by the National Council and the branches to raise national and international public awareness in order to resolve the demands submitted to the President of the Republic, the People’s Assembly and the Government, and most recently to the Constitutional Court. He called for continuing to submit demands until they are fully resolved, and for strengthening the unity of all members of our association and its district branches. The Association’s Presidium is making additions concerning the free properties, which deprive district branches. Correspondent of «Zëri i Popullit»

A «joint» campaign by the eurosocialist youth and Tirana’s public-order police! The campaign began with the eurosocialist youth of Tirana on the evening of 30 April, leading into 1 May, and continued throughout the night, with the forces of the Tirana public-order police. The young eurosocialists began their campaign by putting up festive 1 May posters (the posters bore the emblem of the Socialist Party and invited citizens to celebrate 1 May together, the holiday of workers throughout the world). The public-order police campaign aimed to remove the 1 May posters from walls and shop windows. The order from the command to the public-order forces was clear and unequivocal: dawn on 1 May must find no posters on the streets and walls of Tirana. Everything unfolded like scenes from the Albanian film «Poppies on the Wall». The youth put up posters, the police took them down! Of course, the 1993 campaign differs from the one in 1943. First of all, the slogans and posters are different. Those written by Tirana’s anti-fascist youth 50 years ago and erased by the fascist police called for a fight against the occupiers and the liberation of the people, whereas the posters of the eurosocialist youth were festive and invited citizens to celebrate 1 May together. As such, they were removed by the democratic public-order police! It is very difficult to discover what threat a festive poster could pose to Tirana’s order and peace. It said: «Let us celebrate 1 May together». In other words, there was not a single word against the president or the democratic government that could have so alarmed the forces of order. There are many different comments about this police campaign in Tirana. Some say the police have become redundant and should be given something to do. Others point out that although 1 May is an official holiday, permission from police command is required to celebrate it together! THANAS ARA

In order to raise the work and activities of the newspaper «Zëri i Popullit» to a higher level, so that it may better meet the demands and legitimate expectations of its many readers, I hereby announce: the Presidium of the Socialist Party has decided to make several additions to the Editorial Council, which consists of the comrades: - Përparim Xhixha, Thoma Gëlli, Dritëro Agolli, Malok Zeqo, Ilalli Lahaj, Ali Xhiku, Xhevat Lloshi, Kujtim Ymeri, Fatmir Zanaj, Ibrahim Baci, Hasan Hoxha. Përparim Xhixha was appointed chair of the Editorial Council. The Party Presidium also made additions to the newspaper’s management team, appointing journalist Luan M. Roma as deputy editor-in-chief. Correspondent of «Zëri i Popullit» selected [part cut off]...

I have a one-room apartment with a kitchen on the second floor in the center of the city of Lezhë. I would like to exchange it for a similar apartment in Tirana or Vlorë. Anyone interested should contact Nazar V. at telephone number 26787.