Warning of a strike... On May 18, 1993, the Chairman of the Durrës District, Mr. Vasillaq Papaj, sent a letter to every establishment and commercial unit ordering all employees at these premises to hand over the properties to the former owners by May 28. Many trade employees at these units, outraged by this action, have become incensed and said that they will go on strike. On May 21, they sent a telegram to Mr. Aleksandër Meksi, making it clear, among other things, that Durrës’s independent traders would not leave the premises and units where they work of their own free will. S. TATARI

— Thousands of people from Dibër and Bulqizë give their unreserved support to the Socialist Party at protest rallies against the Democratic Party’s rule — Attending are Socialist Party chairman Fatos Nano and MPs Namik Dokle, Kastriot Islami, Luan Hajdaraga, Fehmi Abdiu, Halil Lalaj, Ethem Ruka and Ndre Legisi As has been announced, the Steering Committee of the Socialist Party in the Dibër district had planned to hold a peaceful rally in the town of Peshkopi on May 23. It had also been announced that Socialist Party chairman Fatos Nano would attend the rally together with a group of Socialist MPs. The Public Order Department of the Peshkopi district had granted permission for the rally to be held in “Nazmi Rushiti” Square, in front of the town’s agricultural high school. Socialist MPs Namik Dokle and Halil Lalaj arrived in Peshkopi on the evening of May 22. The district Socialist Party leaders and activists, who were making the final preparations for the rally, ... its ... met with the competent authorities to have them judge whether it is lawful to label in this way MPs who enjoy immunity, and whether it is democratic to openly intimidate citizens to prevent them from coming to the town. Despite requests by the mayor and the district Socialist Party chairman to the Public Order Department up to 9:00 p.m. on May 22 not to change the rally location, because people had been informed ... These two facts, as well as several pistol shots at around 11:30 p.m. on May 22 by the Public Order Department, convinced us that someone was interested in causing disturbances on the day of the rally. Early on Sunday, ... insisted on its position. The real reason for changing the location was to obstruct or sabotage the rally by any means, because there was no electricity in the stadium and therefore the sound system could not operate. ... In the morning, the town’s roads were full of people. Among them we met many familiar faces from the villages who had come to attend the rally. Meanwhile, police patrols were moving around everywhere. The chairman of the Socialist Party (continued on page 3) … the agricultural high school of the city of Peshkopi. In the city of Peshkopi, together with MPs Namik Dokle and Halil Lalaj, we arrived on the morning of May 22. The leaders and activists of the district’s PS, who were making the final preparations for the rally, expressed concern to us that certain forces in the city were making every effort to sabotage it. More than their words, we believed the two letters they showed us. One was a fascist-style appeal containing serious insults against the Socialist MPs. This appeal had been put up in front of the city cinema and at the pharmacy. However, while the appeal in front of the cinema was torn down by the citizens themselves that time, the one at the pharmacy, run by Faiz Halili, who had been depoliticized, was kept behind the pharmacy manager’s window. There is no need to comment on the content of this appeal. Dibrans who read it said that a Dibran, even when an enemy came to his door, had welcomed him as a friend. That is the ethical side of the issue. As for the legal side of this …

Statement by the Presidency of the Socialist Party and its parliamentary group The Socialist Party and its parliamentary group, expressing the interests and concerns of the people, have protested and will continue to protest against the current way of governing, devised in the cabinet and by clans of revanchism that pose a danger to the country and democracy. It has organized numerous meetings in villages and towns with ordinary people, intellectuals, the unemployed, young men and women, veterans, and ... In Peshkopi and Bulqizë, with wisdom and courage, a democratic spirit and courtesy toward all the people, respect for the law and hospitality toward guests, people openly expressed what they feel about today’s way of governing, the government officials and their lackeys, and the failed, anti-democratic policy of revanchism. The two rallies on May 23 made it crystal clear that this kind of policy is nearing its end, because the people can no longer tolerate the vindictiveness, incompetence and nepotism that are being institutionalized in every cell of the state and of today’s Albanian society. The provocateurs were shamefully defeated by the people’s calm. Although they fired weapons the night before the rally, although the day before the rally calls were made in the name of the Democratic Party and some of its offshoots to boycott it, although the District Council chairman himself, Mr. Bunguri, went out to tear down the Socialist Party’s rally notices, and although people were threatened, house by house, the people of Dibër came out to speak the truth about their troubles and concerns. Extremist representatives of the police, acting in coordination with a group of 20–30 provocateurs, tried to stop the people. They insulted and struck people; they bloodied peaceful and innocent people. But, in a group of 3–4 ... did not heed reason and hanged them… (continued on page 4) … has tested governing, devised in the offices and clans of a revanchism that is disastrous for villages and cities veterans and pensioners, and all sections of the population. In recent days, several rallies have also been organized, attended by leaders of the Socialist Party and its MPs. In every case, the protests have been directed against the political purges of Socialists and other people; against anti-democratic laws approved by the majority alone; against corruption among those in power at every level; against the obstruction of economic reform, which has put more than 400,000 people out of work; against the blocking of local government; against manipulation by state information bodies, especially TV; and against police violence and the psychological terror being inflicted on people. At these peaceful rallies, people have called for jobs for themselves and their children, medicine for the sick, a decent pension rather than humiliating alms, organized emigration without bribes, and public services in villages and cities. These demands were once again voiced forcefully at the rallies organized by the Socialist Party in Peshkopi and Bulqizë on May 23, 1993. The people of Dibra, in …

Photograph of the rally.

— Six thousand unemployed and four thousand receiving assistance, together with their families, have been left to the mercy of fate!... — Exemplary, lawful conduct by the public order forces in Bulqizë From Peshkopi, the group of Socialist MPs arrived in Bulqizë at 3:30 p.m. They were met with the same warm welcome from thousands of people, who had come out along all the entrances to the town. Not everyone was ... There were two remarkable things in Bulqizë: first, there were no incidents; not a single person uttered an insulting word or raised a provocative slogan; second, the police behaved with exemplary correctness. I do not know whether the Public Order Department in Bulqizë had also received orders from above to put a stop to provocations. If such orders had reached them too, the public order officials chose to uphold the law with dignity, and by doing so earned respect in the eyes of the public. This was acknowledged by the head of public order in Dibër, who expressed his protest at the rally against any activity at the rally being obstructed. The latter is surely not sorry about this. For minutes on end, ovations rang out in the square in front of the mining high school: “Socialist Party! Fatos Nano!” Thousands of people seeking support because they feel abandoned. Six thousand unemployed and four thousand receiving assistance in this district alone. Sami Cara, chairman of the district Socialist Party, said this in his opening speech. Then Vladimir Dema spoke about the village, about prices that take your breath away, about land worked by hand, about 2,000 unemployed in Shupenzë, about more than 730 families with no income at all, and about all 25 villages without water, even though only five workers are needed for the water supply system, but the government provides no funds for them. He said that in ... they are left without work, while the education ... (Continued on page 4)

Statement by the Presidency of the Socialist Party Steering Committee of the City of Tirana and the group of Socialist councillors of the capital’s Municipality. We heard with indignation the false announcement by the Ministry of Public Order, carried by the state media, concerning the incident of May 23, 1993, in the Lli xhat neighborhood of Peshkopi. We strongly protest the abnormal practice of disseminating disinformation, intended to mislead the public order authorities of the Dibër district, their counterparts in Tirana, and Albanian public opinion about the so-called act by Mr. Plumb Vladi, secretary of the Tirana City Socialist Party Steering Committee and chairman of the Socialist councillors’ group in the Tirana Municipality. The announcement issued by the state media deliberately distorted the truth about the incident in Lixhat, Peshkopi. The organizers and instigators of the incidents there were the officials of the Dibër district Public Order Department and particular individuals protected and encouraged by them. There was not a single uniformed soldier among the group of wrongdoers who provoked the Socialist MPs in Lixhat. These civilians provoked, insulted and threw stones at the MPs and the group of Socialist leaders accompanying them ... (continued on page 4)

We have received your request to hold a rally on 23.5.93 at 11:00 in front of Hotel Korabi. You may hold the peaceful rally on that day and at that time. The location you have requested for the rally is not suitable, because it does not have the capacity to accommodate around 5,000 participants. Therefore, you will hold the rally in the square in front of the agricultural high school, at Korabi sports stadium, or in the annex of Korabi stadium; these venues can accommodate the number of people you expect to attend. You must inform us in writing by 11:00 on 20.5.1993 of the location where you will hold the rally, so that the public order authority can take the appropriate measures to ensure that the rally proceeds peacefully. We are confident that you, as organizers, will take all necessary measures to ensure that participants engage in no unconstitutional or unlawful acts or conduct. We await your reply. Deputy Head of the Public Order Department FIRST CAPTAIN ILIR HALILI Peshkopi, 19.5.1993 To the Public Order Department, Peshkopi We have received the letter approving the rally on the day and at the time we requested (23.5.1993 at 11:00). Regarding the location of the rally, in accordance with the alternatives you have proposed, we have made the necessary organizational arrangements to hold it We thank you for your proper response to our lawful request and assure you once again that our participants will not engage in any unlawful actions or display any unlawful slogans. Chairman of the District Socialist Party Steering Committee BAFTJAR RUSHI Peshkopi, 20.5.1993