There had been no complaint of defamation in their case file Yesterday, in the Court of Cassation, in the presence of a number of journalists, the trial of journalists Martin Leka and Aleksandër Frangaj took place. At the very beginning of the hearing, after the sentence handed down by the Court of Appeal had been read, the judicial panel, chaired by Zef Brozi and with two associate judges, considered the appeal submitted by the journalists through their respective lawyers. The evidence presented by lawyers Tirana and Pellumbi proved that Frangaj and Leka had been kept in prison without cause and that their arrest and conviction by the previous courts had been unlawful, since it was proven that their case file contained no criminal complaint of defamation—the grounds on which they had been arrested and held in prison. This confirms that the protests by journalists, who raised their voices to secure the release of their innocent colleagues, were justified. It also confirms the fact that President Berisha, in his decree, pardoned two innocent men. A. BISHA

- Accountability and statements are demanded from the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament regarding state violence and the criminal acts of the terrorist gangs of fascist Chetniks in the municipalities of Libofshë and Greshicë. - Opposition MP Ali Spahia is not allowed to speak amid shouts of “criminal, rapist, murderer.” He is reminded of 2 April, 18 June and 14 January, the day of Gjovalin Çekini. - PJETER ARBNORI “DEFENDS THE HONOR” OF THE PD BY CLOSING THE SESSION. - - Accountability and statements are demanded from the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament regarding state violence and the criminal acts of the terrorist gangs of fascist Chetniks in the municipalities of Libofshë and Greshicë. - Opposition MP Ali Spahia is not allowed to speak amid shouts of “criminal, rapist, murderer.” He is reminded of 2 April, 18 June and 14 January, the day of Gjovalin Çekini. - - PJETER ARBNORI “DEFENDS THE HONOR” OF THE PD BY CLOSING THE SESSION. - Yesterday, tension returned to the Albanian parliament. It all followed the election scandal, accompanied by fascist terrorism in several municipalities that voted on 29 May. Yesterday’s scenes in parliament cannot be described, because to describe them would require acknowledging that it is anything but a parliament: it is outside the function of a legislature because it has lost the dignity of a lawmaking body. Opposition MPs have been seriously insulted and assaulted. Yesterday, after an hour’s delay, the Speaker of the Albanian Parliament, Pjetër Arbnori, opened the session, saying that work would continue on approving a state citizenship law, the state budget, and the law on the legal profession. He gave the floor to the Chairman of the PS Parliamentary Group, Namik Dokle, who read a statement concerning the events that took place in Greshicë and Libofshë on 29 May. Having once again denounced the actions and classified them as a state crime, Namik Dokle called for all those responsible to be denounced. (Continued on page 4) 1. — perpetrators of the state crime committed on 20 the polling commissions, and members of parliament; a crime that rendered the elections in Libofshë illegal. 2. — A statement on the incident by the head of state, Mr. Sali Berisha, because the constitutional order of the Republic has been gravely violated. 3. — An explanation in parliament of the incident, and concrete measures against those responsible, by the chairman of the Council of Ministers, Mr. Aleksandër Meksi. 4. — A statement by the Speaker of Parliament regarding the violation of the immunity of six MPs. The incident is extraordinary and does not fall within the scope of the regulations, which could never anticipate such a monstrous crime. ........................................ Çepelë, Kujtim Gina, Llazar Lëngu, and perhaps someone else. They were free to go wherever they wanted in Libofshë, while the state sent the Margilaj gang after the Socialist MPs Shahir Vukaj, Ilir Meta, Ylli Bufi, Ndre Legisi, Musa Ulqini, and Namik Dokle. It was made up of paid economic and political mafiosi such as Asim Boriçi, Gani Boriçi, Fatmir Kajolli, and a dozen others, who in the most blatant and humiliating manner trampled on the dignity of an MP, a representative of the legislative authority. They violently abducted the MPs to drive them out of Libofshë, so that they would have a free hand to steal votes and threaten voters. Actions of this kind were also used in other communes, though on a smaller scale. This was the confrontation between these five communes and the state. And they received the answer to this terror in Libofshë, but also in Greshicë. Question: In endorsing his statements, Mr. Selami said that these elections answered those calling for early elections, proving that demands for elections come from Tirana’s cafés. How valid is such an opinion? Answer: To refute such an opinion, it is enough for me that Selami and the government of such infidels—and the government of such infidels—allow a militant in “Skënderbeu” Square, where, regardless of whether Socialist leaders will cast such a ballot at all, they would go right to such limits, and he would cast such a number of votes, etc.; whereas in all this there is no protest from hundreds of thousands of people who are also demanding early elections. Because the call for elections does not come from cafés but

Statement by the Parliamentary Group of the Socialist Party The day of 29 May, when early local elections were held in 5 municipalities, changed from an ordinary day of democratic competition between political forces into a day of violence, a day of organized state crime. The events of that day are a dangerous precedent that threatens free elections, threatens the people’s representatives, and threatens everything that could be achieved after pluralism was institutionalized in Albania. Usurpers are threatening democracy! After the brutal psychological and economic pressure exerted by government officials during the campaign, after the threats and violence that the police and political factions used against people, after the unlawful actions of ministers Zhulali, Musaraj, Gazidede, Çela, etc., after television broadcasts for the opposition parties were taken off the air, the ruling party, especially its revanchist clans, managed to organize even phalanxes of tit… Plaka, the PD municipal chairman, Petrit Çarçani, deputy chairman of the PD for Fier. All these actions were carried out while PD MPs Ali Spahia and Fadil were present in Libofshë. What are the Socialist MPs demanding? 1. — The immediate surrender to the law of the organizers and perpetrators of the state crime committed on 29 May 1994 in Libofshë against voters, members and observers of the polling commissions, and against 6 MPs; a crime that rendered the elections in Libofshë unlawful. 2. — A statement on the incident from the head of state, Mr. Sali Berisha, because it is a viol… gla. In Greshicë, having failed to achieve results through threats, including throwing dynamite at a polling-place building, government maneuvers of the UKA type were used: he went by helicopter to manipulate the results through unscrupulous pressure and to carry out the fraud that his leaders described at the press conference. The Socialist Party and its MPs had long warned of such dangers facing Albania and democracy. These are a continuation of other events of this kind, such as the organization of the anti-mitigash gang in Shkodër on 18 June 1993, the violent attack on MPs Maqo Lakrori and Alfred Paloka in Lezhë and on other MPs in Peshkopi, Kukës, Korçë, Berat, and culminating in the tragic events of 14 January 1994 in Shkodër, when the phalangists killed Gjovalin Çekini, only because he tried to get the AD MPs to hold a meeting with the people. We say this plainly: You can no longer play games with the PS, the other opposition parties, the MPs, or the people. The Democratic Party itself must not—and will not—allow itself to be ruled by clans of bandits and economic and political mafiosi. Therefore, we demand that parliament and the President of the Republic assume their responsibilities so as not to lead the country into the abyss desired by the enemies of the Albanian people and nation. We are not concerned about one municipality, since we publicly declared the elections in Libofshë invalid at the extraordinary conference on Saturday, long before the results were announced; rather, we are concerned for democracy. We demand free elections, and peace and understanding among the people. Therefore, we demand perpetrators of this state terrorist crime, from the ministers down to the last bandit. We demand explanations and concrete measures from the head of state, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament. Everything else is worthless; every proclamation is worthless unless the fundamental law of a democratic state is upheld: the dignity of voters and the dignity of legislators. Tirana, 30. 5. 1994

Socialist Party candidate in Zall-Herr receives more votes than on 26 July - The unlawful concentration of soldiers was the PD’s basis for securing a runoff. - The government must understand that soldiers are not puppets in its hands to cast their votes for the PD. - The PS in Zall-Herr receives more votes than on 26 July 1992, while the PD’s votes show a marked decline, almost by half. The elections in the municipality of Zall-Herr in the district of Tirana began and were conducted normally and in a calm atmosphere. With a few exceptions, such as the “forgetting” to register a Socialist family, or propaganda for the PD by some commissioned envoy of the Socialist forces and the Democratic Party, in the villages of this municipality: Village / Socialist Party / Democratic Party / PS compared with PD: 1. Qenam 145 145 2. 33 +112. A commissioned supporter, as happened at polling station No. 2, where the soldiers voted, generally speaking, from voting through to the completion of the official records, the requirements of the electoral law were observed. This regularity, and all the election commissions that contributed to it, deserve praise. At the same time, we commend the people of all the villages in the municipality, together with the members of the military units, who showed their democratic culture during the vote and throughout the day. Meanwhile, the Socialist Party is doubly grateful to the electorate of the villages of this municipality, the overwhelming majority of whom voted for the Socialist Party candidate Gani Allushi. In doing so, the voters showed political maturity, because they were not deceived by the PD’s fervent propaganda through its radio and television, nor by its lackey, but their votes were also not influenced by the one-sided material aid that PD emissaries unlawfully sent to the villages of this municipality. (Continued on page 2) significantly higher, almost twice as high. In this [commune], the Socialist Party and the Democratic Party [results] according to the villages of this commune: Qenam 145 33 +112 2. Radhësh 36 21 +15 3. Kallmet 60 21 +39 4. Herraj 126 90 +36 5. Priskë e Vogël 105 31 +74 6. Pinar 97 36 +61 7. Çerkezë 100 68 +32 8. Tapizë 118 110 +8 9. Zall-Herr No. 1 225 79 +146 10. Zall-Herr No. 2 290 439 -149 Total valid votes 928 1302 +374 The above data clearly reveal four main trends: First, in all the villages of the commune, the Socialist Party’s lead and victory stands out, even by margins of (Continued on page 2)

Interview with the Secretary General of the Socialist Party, GRAMOZ RUÇI, given to our editor Question: Responding to a concern about the elections in these two municipalities not bringing about any change, Mr. Selami declared that these 5 municipalities are a measure of the balance of forces between the PD and the PS. What is your understanding? Answer: In this particular case, the forces of two political parties are not facing off; rather, there was a clash between the PS and the voters of several municipalities, and at the same time the power of the state. This began with the head of parliament, Mr. Meta, and his ministers, who took turns using the entire police apparatus, all the SHIK networks and the whole state administration, which directly exerted psychological terror, even threatening people with dismissal from their jobs. This is the confrontation between this government and the five municipalities—with the state. They received the answer to this terror in Libofshë, and also in Greshicë. Question: At the latest press conference, Mr. Selami declared that on 29 May the PD achieved a convincing victory in Libofshë, Greshicë, Ngracan, Zall-Herr and Herr të Reç. What is the truth? Answer: The truth is that the PD did not win in Libofshë, Greshicë or Zall-Herr. The constitutional [text unclear] Libofshë, the voter who [text unclear], for us Socialists, the elections are illegal as a result of the fascist-type violence and terror used on the 20th by the fascist gang. There were no free and democratic elections at all; the electoral law was violated. Only the people of Libofshë can testify to this, and they will testify so that Selami may [text unclear]. (Continued on page 3)

Interview with Musa Ulqini, MP, Deputy Chairman of the PS Parliamentary Group Question: The public learned through the newspaper that on 29 May in Libofshë, terror was used against your group of 6 MPs. Is the use of this term, “terror,” accurate? Answer: Yes. It is entirely accurate. This happened approximately from 9 to 11 in the morning, starting at the center of the village of Agim in this municipality and continuing at two or three points along the road from this village to the national highway, a distance of around 10 km. This was not merely an incident, nor was it accidental. It was nothing more and nothing less than an organized gang that arrived a few minutes after we reached Agim. The people arrived in state vehicles; naturally, their license plates were also at their disposal, and

To the Prosecutor’s Office of Fier District For the information of The Prosecutor General Mr. Alqi Dragosha Tirana Subject: Request to initiate criminal proceedings against: For the information of The Prosecutor General Mr. Alqi Dragosha Tirana Subject: Request to initiate criminal proceedings against: - Viktor Margilaj, Prefect of the Prefecture of Durrës - Behar Plaka, Mayor of the municipality of Kuman, Fier district - Petri Çarçani, Deputy Chairman of the Democratic Party, Fier - Asim and Gani Boriçi - Fatmir Kajolli, etc. Mr. Prosecutor, 1. On 26.5.1994, the Presidium of the Socialist Party of Albania organized a peaceful rally in Libofshë, in the Fier district, in connection with the election campaign for the election of the municipal mayor. During that meeting, attended by The usurpers threaten! the police and political factions used against the people, after the illegal actions of ministers Zh. Luli, Musaraj, Gazidede, Çela, etc., and after the television blackout imposed on opposition parties, the parties in power—especially its revanchist clans—managed even to organize fascist-style phalanxes to seize votes and install the rule of the brutal plunderers of the wealth that remains after the people’s prolonged toil. Where it had lost everything, alarmed by the mass calls for new parliamentary elections, the PD resorted to unscrupulous manipulation, brutal threats, troop deployments, vote-buying, and even fascist violence against members of the People’s Assembly. In Libofshë, Luan Rustemi, PS deputy in the village of Agim, Fajk Memushi in Hasturkas, Sokrat I-konomi, chairman of the central election commission for the commune of Libofshë, Rrapi Kuço, the district local-government official responsible for the elections, Petro Koçi, chairman of the Socialist Party of Fier, Maks Çunaj, deputy chairman of the district council, and many others were beaten, savagely attacked, and wounded. At all polling stations, the commissions were forced, under covert and overt threats, to sign the records according to figures dictated by the center. These actions were carried out by organized gangs directed by people holding state power and backed by every state resource, from vehicles to weapons. At their head were Agron Braçe, chief of police in Fier; Viktor Margilaj, former chairman of the PD in Fier and newly appointed prefect in Durrës; Behar