- THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY SEEKS TO IMPOSE ITSELF ON THE PEOPLE BY FORCE - - After abusing state offices, gathering soldiers, and making blatant television manipulations, it also brought into play paid gangs of fascist thugs - EDUART SELAMI LIES SHAMELESSLY -

Today, in the Municipality of Libofshë, where elections for municipal chairperson were being held, an extraordinary event took place. With fascist-style actions, an organized gang led by Viktor Margjilaj, organizer of such actions during the elections of 26 July 1992 and newly appointed prefect of Durrës, by the Chairman of the Municipality of Kumani, Behar Plaka, together with a paid group including Asim Boriçi, Gani Boriçi, Fatmir Kajolli and a dozen others, all sent from Tirana, put all of Libofshë under threat and terror in order to secure votes for the Democratic Party. ... In the village of Agim, only a few minutes after he had safely made his way out of there, the chairman of the PD parliamentary group, Ali Spahia, [text unclear]. All six deputies were subjected to brutal physical violence. The same was done to the chairman of the district council, Robert Bitri, the deputy chairman of the district council, Maks Çunaj, and the chairman of the SP, Petro Koçi. All this happened in the presence of PD deputy Lla-zar Lungu, and in the presence of police officers who took no action to protect the deputy’s immunity. Meanwhile, in Libofshë, PD deputies Ali Spahia, Fadil Cepele, Kujtim Gjin-... were carrying out their activities without anyone bothering them. ... so as not to lead the country to ruin and be marked by the enemies of the Albanian people and nation. The Socialist Party of Albania will take all necessary political and legal measures to oppose this unprecedented act of violence. To this end: - Whatever the result in the Municipality of Libofshë, we will not recognize it and declare it illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic. - We demand that new elections in Libofshë be held, without fail, in the presence of foreign observers. - We demand the immediate dismissal of Viktor Margjilaj from his post as prefect of Durrës. At around 6:30 in the morning we arrived ... in the center of Libofshë. A polling station had been set up there. At that hour, the commissions were putting the finishing touches to the official documents. They were properly constituted, and the participating political forces had appointed their observers. Outside the polling stations, the people of Libofshë, calm and courteous and dressed as if for a celebration, were all waiting for the ballot boxes to be opened. The polling stations were close to one another. At one of them, which was in a school, we heard someone speaking loudly and went over. Inside was an actor from the Fier Theater, accompanied by another young man wearing a T-shirt and tracksuit bottoms. They were speaking loudly to the members of the commission. The actor had become a familiar figure in Libofshë. We had seen him a few days earlier, speaking through a megaphone from a car and campaigning for the PD. We saw him again, swaggering along, accompanied by a powerful man, on the road through Libofshë. At the polling-station door stood an old man, also wearing a T-shirt and tracksuit bottoms like the man inside. He was elderly and addressed the commission and the voters waiting outside, gesticulating. «You have sucked our blood for 50 years; that’s over now, your time has come to an end. Just look at me, I’ve been in prison. Who will you vote for, communism, Enver? Will you vote for those who [unclear] for 50 years? Hey, old woman, who will you vote for, will you vote for Enver?» «Leave us in peace, young man, Enver is dead,» the old woman replied. «He’s dead, but you cried when he died. Who will you vote for?» (and he pointed two fingers at people’s throats). «Right, old woman? For 50 years [unclear] because of the blood.» «Leave me alone, young man, we know them, which ones are good and which ones are bad; that’s why we’ve come today,» the old woman answered again. The others could barely contain themselves. «Ah, we know, we know what [unclear]» (Continued on page 2) Maks Çunaj, and against the chairman of the PS, deputy Lla-zar Lëngu, and deputy’s immunity. Meanwhile, in Libofshë, deputies Ali Spahia, Fadil Çepelë, Kujtim Gjina, and others carried out their activities without anyone bothering them. — Now the gang and the police are holding PS representatives at the polling stations responsible, in order to force them to sign the minutes certifying the weapons as valid, after the Election Commission declared them invalid. The entire gang of Viktor Margjilat travels in state-owned cars. The police acted under their orders. This is the same fascist phalanx that organized the lawlessness in Libofshë three days ago. It is therefore clear who is organizing these gangster actions. Wherever it has lost everything, the PD resorts to manipulation, threats, the deployment of soldiers, vote-buying and the overthrow of deputies. The PS warned in good time about such dangers facing Albania and democracy. We denounce with indignation these acts, condemned only when committed by the appropriating cliques of Cillit or the Filipinëve. This is a continuation of other events of this kind, which ended even in murder, as happened with Gjoni Cekni in Shkodër. We demand that parliament and the President of the Republic assume their responsibilities regarding this lawlessness. — Whatever the result in the Commune illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic. — fail in the presence of foreign observers. — We demand the immediate dismissal of Viktor Margjilat from his post as prefect of Durrës and that he be prosecuted. — We demand the immediate dismissal of Behar Plaka from his post as chairman of the Commune of Kuman and that he be prosecuted. — We demand the immediate arrest and prosecution for a serious crime of the entire gang acting together with Viktor Margjilat. If these demands are not met within the established legal deadlines, the Socialist Party and its parliamentary group will take all the political action incumbent upon them to defend democracy and the dignity of its deputies, to defend free elections, and to defend the civil rights of the people. We will make all of this known to international organizations. With gratitude for their presence and with respect, we ask the representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Tirana to inform their governments of this shocking event. It is regrettable that President Berisha did not have the courage even to meet today with six deputies, despite the specific request they made. 20. 05. 1994

- In all the massacres that have taken place in Albania—on 2 April 1991 in Shkodër, on 18 June 1993 in Shkodër, on 14 January in Shkodër, and on 29 May in Libofshë—Ali Spahia was present at those locations. - Viktor Margjilaj, newly appointed prefect of Durrës, at the head of the terrorist squads in Libofshë. - Behar Plaka, chairman of the Municipality of Kumani, at the head of a terrorist unit. - The chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Municipality of Libofshë, Sokrat Ikonomi, was brutally beaten while carrying out his duties and taken to Fier hospital. At around 6:30 in the morning we arrived ... At the door of the polling station ... Behar Plaka, leading a group of thugs such as Asim Borici, Gazi Borici, Fatmir Kajolli and a dozen others, all sent from Fier, to secure votes for the Democratic Party. - Luan Rustemi, the SP deputy representative in the village of Agim, was beaten until he fell unconscious, and then the attackers beat him again; even now it is not known where he is. - Sokrat Ikonomi, chairman of the municipal election commission, was beaten and prevented from carrying out his duties and is now in hospital. - The deputy representative at the polling station in Adriatik was taken away and beaten by the terror gang. - Fati Memushi, the SP official at the polling station in Hasturkë, was attacked by a gang of 20 people, accompanied by the police and led by the PD deputy chairman, Petri Çarguri. He was urgently admitted to hospital. - Bregi Xego, the district council’s election official, was brutally beaten by a group led by the chairman of the Municipality of Kumani. All this happened in the first 2–3 hours of voting. At this point, Libofshë’s [account/report] was written by Socialist deputies Shosir Vukaj, Naimi Doke, Ilir Molla, Ylli Bufi, Musa Ulqini, Ndre Lega, district council chairman Feti Rrënçeli Bili, the chairman of the PS in Fier, Fatos Kola. The gang of Viktor Margjilat and Behar Plaka achieved that [?]

- States the chairman of the Central Election Commission, Mr. Sokrat Ikonomi: - Question: - Mr. Selami, today (the 30th)...

- States the chairman of the Central Election Commission, Mr. Sokrat Ikonomi: - Question: - Mr. Selami, today (the 30th), at the press conference organized on the occasion of the conclusion of the elections, you stated that the PD had won the Municipality of Libofshë with 66.4 percent. Do you confirm this information? Answer: At least up to this moment, that is, 3:00 p.m., as chairman of the Central Election Commission for the Municipality of Libofshë, I know nothing and have not signed any document concerning the final election results in Libofshë. I know that I was asked to be present at the commission meeting (perhaps to sign this document), but, as you know, I was admitted to hospital because of the injuries I sustained after being beaten by PD thugs, and I am still ill. Mr. Selami has announced a result in favor of the PD; if this signature too was put there by someone else, it was with a gun to their head.

NO COMMENT What general confirmation ...[?] ... from the results that ...[?] ... the PD claims that out of 5,000 ballot papers ... 2,000 ... were invalid. ... if ... the voting ... in this way ... All ...[?] ... elections ... the commission ... the ballot papers ... ... votes ... invalid ...[?] ... ... the Party ... As the result itself shows ... of the PD ...

— Of 10 polling stations, the PS wins 9 — While, late on Sunday night, the senior PD leader responsible for the fascist organization and direction of the elections in the commune of Zall-Herr, Memaj, Petrela, Vrioni and Cocora was making his way toward an honest victory, shaped by the bombs and the initial enthusiasm, the deputy chairman of the Socialist Party, Dr. Ivan Hoxha, was directing the PS campaign in this commune. The results show that its candidate, contrary to the figures, won by just one ballot—the damaged ballots belonging to the socialists. With the announced result, the Democratic Party’s pro-pa-ganda suffered a “blow.” According to the final results, in the commune of Zall-Herr the Socialist Party candidate gained a lead of 974 votes over the PD candidate, and the PD’s baseless propaganda failed. The many pressures, gossip with melhi, biscuits brought from England, and attempts to build roads and bridges and create jobs failed to convince the people of Zall-Herr. (Continued on page 2)

Members of the polling commission brutally beaten by bandits in Libofshë

Mr. Fatos Nano, Chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania Mr. Fatos Nano Chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania Dear friend, On behalf of the Conference «On national conflicts in Europe and peace strategies for civil societies», I thank you for your letter, which we received with emotion. Political freedom is a prerequisite for peace. Therefore, stability in the Balkans requires respect for human rights and respect for pluralism. For this reason, we support the demand that the Albanian government release you from prison, so that you may carry out your activities as leader of the Albanian opposition. With warmest greetings and solidarity for our friend FATOS, XHOZEF PALAU Chairman of the Peace Commission