- A fog thickening around the Minister of Finance, Mr Genc Ruli - The State Audit Office needs to investigate Blerim Çela The corrupt scheme was uncovered around the middle of 1991. The Financial Police Branches of the Durrës and Vlorë districts, independent of one another, informed the General Financial Directorate at the Ministry of Finance about something unusual. They had seized cigarettes, predominantly «Marlboro», in very large quantities, which had not been placed in storage. They also asked for advice on what they could do next. Meanwhile, they reported that these cigarettes belonged to the Albanian-French joint venture ADA, whose president was Mr Marsel Skëndo. The gentlemen of the Financial Police Directorate immediately informed the Minister of Finance, Mr Genc Ruli, who at the time represented the DP in the government of stability. Mr Ruli tasked Mr Erjon Janku, who had just been appointed to the post (indeed, he had not even been told the date on which he was to start work), with handling the matter; according to information that is not entirely reliable, he was and is a close friend of his. After verification, it emerged that in Durrës alone these cigarettes amounted to a value of 12 his establishment? He has no authority whatsoever to issue orders to the Financial Police, for any kind of offence. Only the Director General of the Financial Police has that right. At most, at most, the minister can say, «let the law be enforced». But a proverb says, «the crow does not peck out the eyes of another crow». So, as can be seen, the minister has apparently taken it upon himself to protect corruption involving not insignificant quantities, but millions of dollars. Should this problem, perhaps «forgotten», be kept quiet? A television programme reported that during an inspection of ADA’s activities, the State Audit Office had found many violations, and that the Ministry of Finance had also prepared [a report] on all of them. To this day, nothing has been said about what violations ADA committed, or about the responsibility borne by the Ministry of Finance. Why did the State Audit Office not do this? The connections lead anywhere! Here is one fact. At the time Mr Ruli was Minister in the government of stability, the Korçë Financial Police Branch, through ...ltitet, Mr. Ruli assigned this special task to ...arin (in fact, he had not even been informed of the date when the work would begin), Mr. Erjon Janku, who, according to inaccurate information, was and remains a close friend of his. Once the verification was carried out, it emerged that these cigarettes alone amounted to a value of 12 million dollars in Durrës. The cigarettes seized in the Vlora network were worth approximately the same amount. (That is, 24 million dollars in total.) What was to happen next? Genc Ruli, in his capacity as finance minister, ordered that no documents of any kind or minutes be kept, even though, according to the inspection group’s verification, these cigarettes had been manufactured in Holland and smuggled by Hungarian truck through Yugoslavia, addressed to the joint venture ADA. A few days later, the cigarettes were allowed to be sent back where they had come from. It is understood that the entire quantity (we recall here that the ADA enterprise was the direct continuation of the smuggling previously carried out by the state security service in the Durrës, Vlora and Sarandë districts). This is also confirmed by the fact that the Durrës, Vlora and Sarandë financial police seized Italian and Greek motorboats engaged in the smuggling trade in cigarettes.) Under the law «on the financial police», these goods should have been seized and transferred to the state. Why was this not done? Could it be because Mr. Ruli, it is said, had been ADA’s economic adviser from ... and the Ministry of Finance was also responsible? ADA committed, nor about the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance. Why didn’t Blerimi do this? The connections lead everywhere! Here is one fact. At the time when Mr. Ruli was a minister in the government of stability, the Korçë branch of the financial police caught the manager of the «Bashkimi» company in the Korçë district, Mr. Qerim Bozo, committing an offence; among other things (goods), they rightly seized 4,000 dollars from him. Mr. Qerim appealed against this seizure to the Korçë branch of the financial police and to the General Directorate in Tirana. However, the decision remained in force as being grounded in law. (At that time Mr. Blerim was a member of parliament and appears to have been Qerim’s friend, since they were not exactly on easy terms with one another. According to the information, Blerim intervened with the Financial Police Directorate to have the seizure decision annulled. And the fact is that, in violation of the financial police law, a second decision was made to annul it, on Mr. Ruli’s instructions, so that the seized dollars would be returned to Qerim Bozo (the decisions should be deposited in the archive in accordance with archival regulations). If Blerim, the state’s man, is serious about finding the roots of corruption in Albania, he should get to the bottom of this matter, so as to dispel the resentment that has also arisen towards him as the president’s «puppet». Let us see what he will do, BASHKIM KOÇI

. The village of Kosmaç, in the Bushat commune in the district of Shkodër, experienced a deeply distressing incident in recent days. A dispute between two families in the village led to the death of the 27-year-old young man Ramazan Saliu, while two other villagers were seriously injured. According to the information available so far, the cause of the dispute was a disagreement over the division of the land. The land became the source of this conflict between the two families. The Shkodër court had issued a decision to resolve the conflict in accordance with the law several months ago. The bailiff’s office had tried to enforce the decision, but it was not carried out. The bailiff’s office therefore finally sought assistance from the police authorities. A police team of 7–8 officers was assigned to help. While they were attempting to enforce the decision, in the presence of this police team, an employee of the bailiff’s office and the village elders, the young man mentioned at the beginning of this article was fatally struck with a bladed weapon. Correspondent of «Zëri i popullit» Beyond the façade, it must be said: the president came to Korçë for demagoguery, to soothe the troubled spirits of democrats, supposedly oriented and knowing what programme their party has, former pro-... «I thank the president.» That was all that was needed. The meeting ended. Exactly on schedule: 60 minutes. The district chairman, Mr Pavllo Lapanxha, took a deep breath and wiped away the sweat; the esteemed deputies Bregu and Minga smiled. At this «successful» meeting, besides the gentlemen in power, they too had their part. The president’s thanks will not be withheld from them. Korçë has remained democratic, yes, yes, it has remained democratic; it is neither socialist, nor republican, nor Ballist, nor... etc., etc. It was, it was. ★ ★ ★ former pro- was, was.

- The blood of the martyrs who fell for Albania’s freedom, fighting with weapons in hand against the Nazi-Fascist occupiers and their Ballist-Legalist collaborators, does not need your demagoguery, Mr Sali!.. On 1 June 1993, Sali Berisha visited the cemetery of the martyrs of the homeland in the city of Korçë. He laid a wreath, stood in silence, accompanied by his chief (the secretary of the Presidency?!) Kolec Topalli; by Zhuli and other Zhullastis. After that, as usual, he spoke in a loud voice. And throughout the presidential ceremony, the martyrs of freedom, the red stars on Albania’s radiant brow, those for whom the song «...flower of the mothers’ grief» has not been sung for two years, did not feel at peace. Indeed, they felt insulted, violated, killed all over again. - Because for a full two years Sali Berisha and his zealous followers have not left a single war or post-war criminal unexhumed and reburied with honours! - Because Sali Berisha and his Ballist and Legalist followers, who are Albania’s shame, have removed from the red flag the star of the freedom partisans, the star of the martyrs of the homeland! - Because Sali Berisha, Pjetër Filip Toma, Tomorr Hasan Dosti, Uran Safet Butka and all their ilk have left antifascist Albania without a Liberation Day or a day marking victory over fascism, for which those whom Sali Berisha calls martyrs of the nation gave their lives. - Because Sali Berisha and all those who kill at night and call it day have destroyed the busts of Qemal Stafa, Vojo Kushi, Margarita Tutulani, Misto Mame and Abaz Shehu; they have imprisoned partisan songs; at night, like thieves, they have taken from their graves the commanders of those brave young men who fell in the flower of their youth. For all these reasons, and many others, you, Sali Berisha, should not have gone to the cemetery of the martyrs of the homeland in Korçë, the city of democracy and great patriots, in the Korçë of the revolutionary communist Ali Kelmendi, in the Korçë of the «Puna» society and of Albania’s first communist group, in the Korçë of Koci Bako and all those resting beneath the white marble on which your people smear mud. No, Mr Sali, you should not have gone, so as not to upset again the boys beneath Pashkosh; you should not have gone, so as not to darken further the black headscarves of the white-haired mothers whom the fascists and Filip Toma, Pjetër Arbnori’s father, left without sons. Or at least you should have apologised and expressed regret for everything insulting that has been done to them during these last two years. At the cemetery of the martyrs in Korçë, you spoke beautiful words, just as you have done before in Pezë, in Vlorë and elsewhere. But they were only words, because your actions consist of reburial ceremonies with honours for the Ballists of Gjithot. Your deeds, and those of all who follow you, were on display when the murderer of Manush Alimani and Vasil Shanto was reburied with honours, and when the descendant of the Markaj family was reburied in Pukë, along with many others like them—cases that have occurred in no other country in the world. On this occasion, I would also like to offer you a suggestion, Mr Sali. If you have time to visit the martyrs’ cemetery again, or another cemetery, do not speak loudly. Do not set up microphones either. You are not at a rally. Cemeteries are sacred places; they are places of peace. There should be no noise there. Respect is paid in silence. Because their blood does not need your words or your demagoguery. You, all of us, Albania as a whole, need—and will need for all time—their blood, their rifles and their deeds. LUAN M. RAMA

- Chronicle of Sali Berisha’s visit to Korçë - And the mayor of Korçë, Mr Gjergji Gjinko, described as an intelligent, calm and tolerant young man, made a clever move to spare President Sali Berisha the exhausting «dialogue» of questions and answers. Convinced that the esteemed citizens of the municipality of Korçë would not misunderstand him, he said: «The day has been tiring; we have been here and there... I thank the president.» And the mayor of Korçë, Mr Gjergji Gjinko, described as an intelligent, calm and tolerant young man, made a clever move to spare President Sali Berisha the exhausting «dialogue» of questions and answers. Convinced that the esteemed citizens of the municipality of Korçë would not misunderstand him, he said: «The day has been tiring; we have been here and there... his «successful» meeting, besides the ladies surrounding [him], masked intellectuals. He came to deliver your messages? messages of understanding, which the erosion of demagoguery has by now made terribly false and comic. But let us leave the conclusions aside. Let us present facts from the chronicles. Mr President climbed up there on the hill, to the marble eagle and the partisan with his fist raised, at the martyrs’ cemetery. The scene: some pupils taken out of class and others, deputies, officials, etc., etc. No one had informed the veterans of the National Liberation War or the families of the martyrs. The president should know that Mr Thoma Bezhani, the self-proclaimed... The fallen, they say, are in our hearts, etc., etc. And that the people hold their symbols sacred; but, sir, how did you fail to notice that the marble plaque commemorating that painful event—the great anti-fascist demonstration of 9 September 1943, where 59 people were killed—right opposite the DP headquarters, has been covered over by [unclear], and the new municipality has not prepared another one? The veterans informed you about this, and you sent a letter stressing the urgent instruction to the municipality. What became of your instruction, Mr President? I don’t know how you failed to notice that there, in front, in the cultural centre in the heart of Korçë, once stood the handsome bust of Ali Kelmendi. The pedestal is empty. Where did the bust go? It seems that the bust and the name of the House of Culture were removed. By what decree have the names of Korçë’s beloved sons been erased—the blood of those who still hurt today, Koçi Bakas, Midhi Kostani, Kiço Greços? Return Korçë’s sacred symbols; before communism came, their blood had placed them there. Restore to Korçë its full honour, so that your words may carry weight there—[unclear], at the sacred cemetery. Give this back to Korçë; then think about [the rest] too. (Continued on page 3)

Many people do not know why this nickname has been given to the member of the DP council in Durrës, Mr Agim Haveriku. Nevertheless, the nickname is circulating among many teachers and is beginning to be voiced by the public. This happened because the personnel section at the DP branch assigned him directly to track down, obtain and verify information reaching the DP about socialist teachers and their sympathisers. He is one of the authors of the final blacklist for purging socialist teachers from the city’s schools and sending them to the village for «re-education», which the Durrës education directorate has implemented zealously. Now, following the successful completion of the «education» operation, he has returned to the work of taking possession of property, under the law approved by the blue-cardboard members of our undemocratic parliament.

Their reply also proves the “close ties of the glass factory strikers with Hajdin Sejdini, and his servant Agim Doçi Editorial note: On May 26, 1993, the newspaper ... published a letter from Pajtim Mehmeti, a former striking worker at the glass factory in Tirana. In this letter, respecting his right to publish the letter with the necessary observations, but without adding or removing anything. After this letter was published, several former striking workers from this factory came to the editorial office and brought a written reply. This is their right, and precisely for this reason, in keeping with our principles, the editorial board decided to publish their reply, from which a paragraph written with passion and an uncontrolled conclusion has been removed. But the reply we are publishing does not deny what Pajtim Mehmeti says either. That is, they had ties with Hajdin Sejdini, went to Italy together with Agim Doçi, and with him also went to the airport to collect Hajdin Sejdini’s money. - In these few lines we are workers of ... at the glass factory. We had the good fortune to know at close quarters, through accounts and heartache, the author of the piece published by «Zëri i Popullit» on 26.5.1993, with whom we were co-chairmen for years. We ... (Continued on page 2)

Message of Solidarity with Adem Demaçi The morning session of parliament began its proceedings with a proposal from Namik Dokle, chairman of the PS parliamentary group. He said: Today is the tenth day that Adem Demaçi and a group of prominent intellectuals have continued their hunger strike. This strike is a symbol of the Albanian people’s resistance, a symbol of the struggle to defend universal human rights and freedoms, but not only that: it expresses the will of the people of Kosovo for political rights, rights that have been called into question following the adoption of the joint action by the USA, Russia and three European countries. I propose that the People’s Assembly send a message of solidarity to Adem Demaçi and his comrades. Namik Dokle’s proposal was approved by consensus by all the deputies.

AZEM HAJDARI also attacks the head of SHIK After Namik Dokle, Azem Hajdari took the floor. In his remarks, Hajdari accused the head of SHIK, the Muslim Bashkim Gazidede. In essence, Azemi said: For six months, in my capacity as chairman of the Commission for Defense, Public Order and SHIK, SHIK, under Gazidede’s direction, has been surveilling me and has opened a file on me. This has not ... (Continued on page 2)

On Friday, June 4, 1993, at 1700, a protest rally will be held in the square near «Skënderbeu» Stadium in the city of Korçë. The following are invited to attend: members and supporters of the Socialist Party, trade unionists, young people and workers, employees from workplaces and production centers, institutional employees, independents, private-sector workers, self-employed people, pensioners and war veterans, and village residents. The Steering Committee of the Socialist Party of the Korçë district

In the book «Bitter Victory», its author, the Englishman Rignald Hibbert, declares, «if I had been Albanian, I would certainly have been a partisan». What more could a foreigner say about the Albanians and their just national liberation war? And differently, I, an Englishman, declare as follows: these days, the chairmanship of the Durrës district council has taken very strict measures to eradicate communism. It removed the name from Mujo Ulqinaku School» (since Mujo, too, turned out to be a communist), removed the name from «Maliq Muço» School, removed the names of the «Guerilje» and «Adem Reka» neighborhoods, etc. The names of the enterprises «Kozma Nushi», «Telat Noga», etc., will also be removed. And at this same meeting, the district committee decided to return the properties to the Ballist commander from Arapaj, Durrës, who was executed in 1945 and was named Murat Gora. The mothers whose sons Murat Gora executed with his own hand are still alive. Is there, then, a harsher judgment of history than this? But will history accept this judgment? Let today’s rulers challenge history for a while. It is written by the clear-headedness and wisdom of a people. SHEPER BINAKU