January 14, 1994, a crime in Shkodër. Pain, blood and mystery. Murdered hope is present, making the tragedy even greater. Treachery has struck with its hidden hand January 14, 1994. Shkodër, the country’s northern city, felt the hand of treachery. It remains unchanged. The murderer’s knife struck as it always does—savagely and, it seems, with forethought. Meanwhile, the attack of statements, speculations and accusations began, while the outcome seems to be taking shape. As in the rules of the Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini, for more than three months Gjovalin Çekini’s bloodstained shirt has hung in the “oda” of Albanian politics. But this time not for revenge, not for blood to be repaid with blood. It seeks another price: it seeks justice from Albanian democracy. The murderer is being sought. But since the day of the murder, he seems to have remained far from the scene where the search is being conducted. First of all, however, it is important to determine who will do the searching. The Democratic Alliance immediately accused specific individuals, calling it a premeditated political crime. Various parties called it a political murder. Silence prevailed in Parliament, including among the DP group, and only at the end did DP deputy Zhulali remember the “de facto acceptance” of the accusations made by the AD. As the mystery deepens, the murderer is still not found. Unexpectedly, Shyqyri Çela, the brother of the man accused of the murder, enters the scene and this time directly accuses the Minister of Public Order, Agron Musaraj, and the head of SHIK, Fitim Meta. The accusation is clear and public. Minister of Public Order Musaraj is accused of being implicated in the January 14 murder, giving it an even stronger political tone. At a hastily convened press conference, the AD maintains its position unchanged. Meanwhile, the Minister of Public Order remains silent, considering a terse statement in the pages of RD sufficient; the Government is silent. The President is silent. A member of the government is accused of a political crime, but nothing changes. A minister from the Democratic Party is accused, and again nothing happens. A minister who holds a seat and an office meant to enforce the law, protect the innocent and fight criminals is accused, and the accusation makes no impression whatsoever. “I will not respond to all the statements made to the press.” This was his earlier comment—a statement that only deepens the shadow surrounding the accusation. But it seems a green light has appeared. Gjovalin Bari, accused of participating in the murder, is arrested in a surprise police operation. But that is all. The murderer is still not found. Revenge is being sought, but justice must act to solve the “Çekini” mystery. Justice must have the courage to bring anyone before its bar, regardless of their position or the party card in their pocket. A crime has been committed, an extraordinary crime, one that has many names attached to it. By solving the mystery of the hand that fired the shot, many others will be solved too. Çekini’s bloodstained shirt is waiting for nothing but justice. Although the bloodstains have dried, and the Kanun does not forgive this, let us hope the matter will be resolved without bloodshed.

Today, April 19, 1994, under the chairmanship of Kastriot Muço, Chairman of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania, its Steering Committee held an extraordinary meeting concerning the failure of government bodies to respond to the protest that this Confederation had directed to them several days earlier regarding the Government’s decision to immediately raise the prices of electricity, kerosene, firewood, drinking water, telephone services, etc. At the meeting, the Government’s silence was protested, and an appeal was approved addressed to trade unionists, workers, employees, pensioners, the unemployed and citizens, calling on them to step up union activity to defend their interests.

Monstrous acts aimed at spreading southward the flames of war in the former Yugoslavia

— Or collaborators at the Fierzë hydroelectric power plant — They are representatives of 105 families ... They are representatives of 105 families from the village of Ish-Kënetë in the district of Kukës, who, because their village was flooded by the waters of the Fierzë hydroelectric power plant, were resettled in 1978 in the Gostilë neighbourhood of the town, on land belonging to the agricultural enterprise. They have sent an open letter to the President of the Republic, the Government, the People’s Assembly, political forces and the leading press organizations. What do they write in their letter? “Our houses and property in the village where we lived were compensated at token prices,” they say at the beginning of the letter. “We had ample land and woodland, plenty of water and the means to raise livestock. Although we moved to Gostilë, no investment was made to improve our living conditions, and today we live in the worst possible circumstances. From 1978 until today, none of us has received a house because the local residents would not let us. Now that land is being distributed, things are even worse, because we are being left out—we had property here. Our property was covered by water. Almost all the residents are unemployed. There are no job opportunities for our sons, either now or in the future. Although we have met with the President, ministers and representatives of parliamentary groups,” they write, “nothing has been resolved for us.” They say that “the state receives considerable revenue from the hydroelectric plant, while here, on our own land, nobody gives a thought to whether we have bread to live on or not.” Addressing the highest state authorities “for the last time,” they demand: 1. To become co-owners with (Continued on page 2)

PS activity meeting in Koplik Luan Hajdaraga declares: — Fatos Nano is the chairman of the PS. There is no other position. “The Nano issue” increased the PS’s prestige. — All the property that was taken unjustly will be returned. The PS guarantees lawful privatization, giving Albanians equal opportunities. — The Socialist Party demands that the land law be implemented without fail. Shaqir Vukaj: Be careful: religious issues! Malësia has never had a problem with religion. Above all, this is a national issue. On Sunday at midday, the Socialist Party of the Malësia e Madhe district held an expanded meeting in Koplik concerning the political situation, the grave political and economic conditions, and the resulting paralysis of local government. Also taking part were Luan Hajdaraga, deputy chairman of the PS; Shaqir Vukaj, deputy speaker of the Albanian Parliament; and MP Alfred Paloka. — Failure to receive land, lack of health and telephone services, social assistance, and preschool and primary education, — Concrete problems requiring solutions. “The land lies fallow from Vraka to Koplik” was the comment on the sight that accompanied you throughout this entire area—and not only there, but everywhere in Malësia e Madhe, representatives of various areas emphasized. Everything connected with this problem, the PS chairman said in his speech, has been subjected to the call by MP Dode Kucaj for land to be distributed according to the old boundaries. Property is sacred, but are people and laws sacred too? For the villagers, the land law is turning into a comedy. Gruemira, led by 27-year-old socialist Styki Ndrecaj, — We will not allow a state within a state “We urgently ask the socialist representatives,” said Luan Hajdaraga, “to pledge that the land law will be implemented persistently.” The PS demands that the land be properly distributed, [unclear] many steps ahead in implementing the land law, but a problematic movement seems to be [unclear] there. Health services, teachers leaving school classrooms, the failure of preschool education to function and the absence of social assistance for three months (a problem it shared with Koplik) were issues insistently raised for resolution. Human rights have been flagrantly violated through brutal police violence in 55 cases highlighted at the meeting. What astonished the Albanian MPs was the presentation of evidence of the mass arming of PD members and supporters. Many speakers voiced concern about religious conflicts. The people’s wealth is being stolen through privatization—that was the MP’s concern, second only to the land issue. The President has lost the people’s trust. “We ask him one last time,” said Koplik Mayor Perlat Romçaj, “to resolve the ‘Nano issue,’ bring the political forces to the table, and call early elections before everything is reduced to zero.” — demands that the land be properly distributed. We do not claim miracles for the countryside, but we say that we will help it using the state’s public resources; we will reactivate the service system and restore health services, telephone services and the nursery and kindergarten system to normal operation. In other words, the PS’s social policy for the countryside will focus on agriculture, culture, health and education. Turning to the privatization process, Mr. Hajdaraga said that service enterprises, as well as small and medium-sized ones, are being privatized in a scandalous, illegal and preventive manner, far below the law, with the result that they are being taken over in an entirely abusive way by powerful people in positions of authority. The PS guarantees lawful privatization, giving Albanians equal opportunities and ensuring a fair distribution of national wealth. Continuing, Mr. Hajdaraga said that the state is paralyzed; nobody consults anyone anymore, ministers do not lead and do not even ask their secretaries. The situation is one of chaos, as it was before March 1992. A new political solution is therefore needed: early elections. Further, responding— (Continued on page 3)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania addressed a note of protest to the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) in Tirana, stating that on 15 April 1994, at around 20:30, Yugoslav border authorities near pyramid D-6, approximately 150 metres inside the territory of the former Yugoslavia, opened fire in bursts with automatic weapons and, in a more concentrated barrage, killed the Albanian citizens Skënder Rasim Morina, 25, and Lulzim Sadik Morina, 22, both teachers by profession, who were returning from visiting their relatives in Gorožup, in the municipality of Prizren. As can be seen, these were killings carried out in an ‘aggravated’ manner and unjustifiable under any circumstances. This inhumane massacre could have been avoided entirely, since the Local Joint Commission and the groups of experts from the Albanian and Serbian sides established that the victims were carrying no weapons or any other means of defence. These extremely serious acts are a continuation of earlier acts against Albanian citizens and are contrary to the most elementary international norms, condemned laws and relevant international instruments. These crimes are being committed amid continued provocations and the brutal conduct of Serbian forces toward Albanians throughout Kosovo and in other Albanian territories in Kosovo and Montenegro, and are intended to further increase tension on the border between the two countries and in the Balkan region. The above incident is not an isolated event, but a premeditated and coordinated act intended to draw [them] into a monstrous combination of Gibraltar. These monstrous acts aim to spread Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania protests to the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in Tirana against the criminal actions of the Yugoslav border authorities and calls for measures to be taken to prevent such acts in the future.

TIRANA, 19 April (ATA) – UN Secretary-General Butros Gali asked NATO to authorize airstrikes against the Bosnian Serb forces in Gorazhdë. As the Reuters news agency reported, he told reporters on Monday that in a letter he sent to NATO Secretary-General Manfred Vërner, he asked for the UN to be authorized to carry out airstrikes to protect all the various zones of Bosnia. The UN has already sent a large number of NATO air-support assets in case it is determined that never “Now we are asking for more. For this reason, we do not need NATO members to give us special permission to carry out airstrikes,” Gali told reporters. RUSSIA OPPOSES But Russia has insisted that the Council first approve the blockade of the forces and then their deployment; meanwhile, a difficult negotiation between Washington and Moscow has broken out in the Council, and no solution has been reached. UN delegate Juli Vorontsov said: “Airstrikes are an extremely serious undertaking because this means the UN must take direct responsibility,” he stressed, adding: “You cannot act solely from the air. We cannot engage in a ground war there. Although it is extremely difficult, particularly when dealing with mad generals, you cannot become involved on the ground.” “What is the balance?” Vorontsov asked. “NATO disabled three armoured vehicles and a tank, while, on the other side, a British aircraft was shot down, a British observer was killed and 150 peacekeepers were taken hostage.” He stated: “We are against the automatic use of airstrikes, and we must decide whether the UN should enter the war. This is an extremely serious undertaking. There is no military means of carrying out that war. Airstrikes cannot win the war; you have to do something on the ground.” Meanwhile, Medlin Olbrajt, the US ambassador to the UN, stressed that “a number of alternatives are being considered.” “I was very moved by the Secretary-General’s report and by the fact that he wrote NATO—the US is among those who fully believe that there is authority to take action and that he should not look to the Security Council for permission. We disagree with Vorontsov. The US believes it is necessary for the NAC to make a decision; very much so,” she concluded.

MILOT Citizen Ilir Ismaili brutally beaten by police Yesterday we met Ilir Ismaili, a citizen from Milot. He was injured all over his body, especially on his face. He was surrounded by relatives. “The police beat me for no reason,” Iliri says, before continuing: “A few days ago, I was going to help two or three relatives who had crashed their car in front of the police station in Milot, when the police ‘Ford’ arrived from Laçi. There were three or four police officers. They asked me what I was doing there. I explained that I had come to help the injured citizens. Without any reason, they took me and sent me to the holding room at the Milot police station. They beat me brutally—just look at me. I am completely astonished by this inhumane, illegal and barbaric act by the police. I, an entirely innocent citizen, was cruelly tortured. And where can I complain? I have nowhere to go. Who can protect me, an innocent citizen?” BEKTAŞ ZENELI

APPEAL of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania Trade unionists, workers, employees, intellectuals, unemployed people, pensioners, citizens and peasants. The Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania learned of the Government’s decision to drastically increase the prices of electricity, kerosene, water, firewood, telephone services, etc. only through the mass media. It protested against this arbitrary, unlawful and bureaucratic decision, which widens the gap between prices and wages, further increases the cost of living, and seeks to place the entire cost of the crisis on the backs of workers. The protest was submitted to the President of the Republic, the Speaker of the People’s Assembly, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, the Minister of Labour and other government authorities. The Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania considers increases of these prices by as much as ninefold unaffordable for the broad mass of workers and for household budgets, because the calculations were based on government officials’ salaries, not workers’ wages. The compensation announced by the Government does not cover even half of the most essential expenses, while no account is taken of the inevitable rise in the prices of other products and services directly linked to energy sources, which have in fact already begun to increase. Given the extremely low economic standing of private farmers and the late and incomplete implementation of the land law, we oppose imposing taxes that are currently a ruinous burden. They may be introduced only after the agricultural economy has been strengthened, that is, in 1995–1996. We oppose the Government’s arbitrary practices: the unions were neither called in nor informed about this issue of direct social concern, but were presented with a fait accompli. Albania, convened specifically to discuss the failure of government authorities to respond to the protest addressed to them and published in the mass media several days ago, expresses its concern and indignation at the complete silence in response to this protest, and calls on you to openly oppose this decision, which flagrantly contradicts vital interests and the most elementary principles of trade unionism. It demands that implementation of this decision be suspended until the Government meets with union representatives at the negotiating table. Workers, Employees, Intellectuals, Pensioners, Citizens! We call on you to oppose this decision by all democratic means. It adds further weight to the heavy burden of hardship, making your lives unbearable.

Trade unionists, workers, employees, intellectuals, unemployed people, pensioners, citizens and peasants.