We are awaiting a response from Prime Minister Meksi Interview with MP Musa Ulqini, deputy chairman of the PS parliamentary group Question: The official press and mass media are emphasizing that the Socialist parliamentary group has asked Parliament: Answer: As has been made known, a week ago, on 2 June, at the request of the Socialist parliamentary group, a hearing was held in Parliament concerning the grave incidents that took place on 29 May in the commune of Libofshë on the day of the elections for commune head. Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi spoke in Parliament. At that session we presented Mr. Meksi with our demands, the resolution of which is of particular importance not only for the proper conduct of parliamentary business, but first and foremost for the proper conduct of democratic processes in Albania. Allow me to repeat once again the demands of the PS parliamentary group: 1. Minister of Public Order Agron Musaraj should be dismissed from his post because of the events in Libofshë, but not only because of those events. 2. The head of the National Intelligence Service should be dismissed, since he abused his office by deploying people and resources in the campaign. 3. The newly appointed prefect of Durrës, Viktor Margilaj, should be dismissed. 4. The President of the Republic should be asked to dismiss the head of the commune of Kuman, Behar Plaka. 5. The chief of police in Fier, Agron Braçe, should be dismissed, as should the chief of police and the SHIK chief in Mallakastër. 6. A date should be announced for new elections in Libofshë and the appropriate measures should be taken. 7. All the organizers and perpetrators of this state crime should be held criminally responsible. These are our demands. The Socialist parliamentary group is awaiting a response from Prime Minister Meksi at the first parliamentary session—that is, the session opening today. This is the truth about the “Socialists’ abandonment of Parliament” trumpeted by the official propaganda, particularly RTV. Question: So you will be going to Parliament today. Answer: Certainly. Question: What do you expect to happen at today’s plenary session, which will open at 10 o’clock? Answer: We expect Prime Minister Meksi to respond at the opening of the plenary session, as he should, to the demands our parliamentary group put to him seven days ago. Question: What will be the Socialist parliamentary group’s position in Parliament going forward? Answer: “This position is closely linked to Mr. Meksi’s conduct in Parliament today.”

Yesterday, the deputy chairman of the PS of Albania, Dr. Shërvet Pellumbi, and the PS secretary for Foreign Relations, Bashkim Zeneli, received the ambassador of the Republic of Hungary, Mr. Ferenc Poka, at the Party headquarters. At the outset, Dr. Shërvet Pellumbi congratulated Hungary on the democratic conduct of these parliamentary elections. We were also pleased that the Socialists, with whom we have very good relations, won the elections. We have valued, and continue to value, the experience of the PS of Hungary highly. Dr. Shërvet Pellumbi then conveyed to Ambassador Poka the PS of Albania’s views on the tense situation in the country and on the violation of human rights and freedoms, clearly illustrated by the fabricated political case against PS chairman Fatos Nano. “We gave our consent,” he said, “to Albania’s admission to the Council of Europe, but Albania is not respecting the internationally recognized standards for membership in European institutions.” Mr. Shërvet Pellumbi went on to give a detailed account of the 29 May election campaign in several communes, especially Libofshë, Greshicë and Zall-Herr, where the PD employed a highly elaborate mechanism and engaged in anti-democratic actions, particularly violence against MPs and analysts, which was publicly denounced. The elections themselves make our demand for early elections all the more compelling and evident. Manipulation, violence and violations of the law, as occurred with the soldiers in Zall-Herr, demonstrate the lack of electoral support for the PD. For his part, Ambassador Ferenc Poka spoke about the free and democratic conduct of the elections in Hungary, where the Socialist Party won decisively. Press and Information Office of the Socialist Party

— Meeting of Matias Vaisner, Secretary General of the Austrian Socialist Youth, with the Eurosocialist Youth of Tirana — On Saturday, a large meeting was held at the Socialist Party headquarters between Matias Vaisner, Secretary General of the Austrian Socialist Youth, and members and leaders of FRESSH in Tirana. The meeting was opened by Ilir Meta, FRESSH deputy chairman for international relations and an MP, who introduced the Austrian Socialist Youth Organization and its Secretary General, Matias Vaisner. “It is a great pleasure for us to have such friends here today, who have given tremendous support to FRESSH’s admission to the International Union of Socialist Youth,” Ilir Meta said, before giving the floor to their guest from Austria, who among other things emphasized: “Our relations with FRESSH did not begin with this visit to Albania; they were already well established, as shown by the support the Socialist Youth gave FRESSH at the last Congress of the International Union of Socialist Youth. But undoubtedly this visit will open up ... that we have maintained. It is difficult to believe that all this progress has taken place in the two years since FRESSH began operating.” The meeting then continued as a discussion with those present. Asked for his assessment of the situation in Albania, the guest from Austria replied that changes had certainly taken place, but it seemed that ... people had not been justified. And more than the worsening economic and social situation, the political situation appeared to be more serious, with the regime concerned about a new kind of repression, particularly against the opposition. The events in the recent local elections you had ... have further intensified political life here, but above all they have been ... fundamental parameters of a democratic state. Asked about the relationship between the Socialist Youth and the Social Democratic Party in Austria, Matias Vaisner replied: “We have very close ties. We try to support the SD Party in its governing, and to ... its opposition, particularly ...” Our relations with FRESSH do not begin this year in Albania; they have been steady before as well, as was expressed last Congress of the Socialist Youth International. But undoubtedly this visit, which will pave the way for many others, helps us get to know FRESSH directly, and we are sincerely impressed by the difficult conditions in which you work and by the commendable achievements you have accomplished in a short time. In this way, a strong Eurosocialist Youth has emerged, and, moreover, one that is very clear politically. You are now not only the Eurosocialist Youth of Albania, but also European youth. Therefore, we value your European concepts, both in organizational terms and in your political positions. [rave emphasized: expressed organizational terms and in your political positions Office of the S.P.

Notice on the conclusion of the second round of the early elections for the head of the commune of Zall-Herr The Tirana District Early Elections Commission, meeting today, 6.6.1994, after examining the voting record of the Zall-Herr Commune Elections Commission, unanimously finds that it was completed in conformity with the requirements of Article 78 of Law No. 7573, dated 16.6.1992, “On elections to local government bodies.” Two parties took part in the second round of elections, namely the Democratic Party and the Socialist Party. The final voting figures are as follows: Of the 4,291 registered voters, 3,380 took part in the vote; 3,197 valid ballot papers and 183 invalid ballot papers were cast. The candidates received the following votes: 1. Socialist Party candidate: Gani Hajdar Allushi, 1,399 votes. 2. Democratic Party candidate: Gëzim Ymer Lila, 1,798 votes. On the basis of these results, the District Early Elections Commission declares the Democratic Party candidate, Mr. Gëzim Ymer Lila, the winner, and makes this announcement public. FOR THE DISTRICT EARLY ELECTIONS COMMISSION: SECRETARY Agim Mušta DEPUTY CHAIRMAN Lulëzim Shtèpani CHAIRMAN Tarim Mema. MEMBERS. Edlir Petani, Rexhep Mici, Agim Sharofi, Vezir Hoxha.

Under the auspices of the Elbasan municipality and the city cultural center, the “Miss Skampa ’94” show was held over two consecutive nights in the theater hall. The 14 girls who took to the stage to compete had emerged from all the activities held at the city’s secondary schools during the previous month. The singers Mustafa Mehja and Klement Marku, as well as the renowned guitarist Alfons Balliçi (Merited Artist), together with the guest artists, comedian Met Bega and singer Aleksandër Gjoka, added variety and beauty to the show. The show’s presenters, actors Plutër Gogo and Osman Gjervori, with their artistic skill, invited several festival and artistic guests onto the stage, creating opportunities for activities such as the one enjoyed by the audience present in the hall. On the second night, amid the excitement of the contestants and the show, “Miss Skampa” was announced. The winner was Soplia Guda, aged 17, a third-year student at the “Dhaskal Todri” general secondary school. Correspondent of “Zëri i Popullit”

1. A citizen is found murdered He was Mustaf Kuka, aged 55, a resident of the “Bahçallëk” neighborhood, who was found murdered in recent days near his home. According to the deputy commissioner of public order, this murder was committed with a firearm; the motives are still not known. The motives for this heinous crime, which took the life of a father of six children, leaving them in deep grief and difficult living conditions, are still unknown. The killer fled in an unknown direction. 2. Road police inspector Nikollë Gjoha lost his life in an accident. Yesterday at noon, road police inspector Nikollë Gjoha lost his life in a motorcycle accident. The accident occurred on the Shkodër-Rrenc road, when the motorcycle, traveling at an extraordinary speed, skidded off the road and crashed. Nikolla died instantly, while his friend, who had been traveling with him, was taken to the Shkodër hospital, where fortunately he is now out of danger. As the reason for the speeding in this case, we should mention that they had been pursuing a car whose driver had not stopped when they signaled for him to pull over.

BURREL: 1–2 HOURS OF WATER A DAY The lack of a normal water supply has become, especially recently, one of the biggest problems for residents of the town of Burrel and the surrounding village neighborhoods. Water does not arrive regularly either in the town or in the surrounding village neighborhoods, particularly those in the Komë commune. In fact, there have been interruptions to the water supply. You can find water in town for only one hour, or at most two hours. The same applies to some neighborhoods such as “31 Korriku,” Lagjja e Re, etc.: water is available only from 4:30 to 6 in the morning. That is, for just one hour and 30 minutes—and at a wholly inconvenient time. The lack of drinking water is especially troublesome. The only ones who have no problem are those who have refrigerators at home. These disruptions, as the mayor of the town of Burrel, Ali Zeneli, explained to us, have resulted from damage to the water-supply pipeline over the last two or three years, as part of the campaign undertaken by certain forces to destroy the infrastructure of everything. For the residents of Burrel, the drinking water supply is now impaired, and the water arrives in such small quantities that it cannot meet residents’ normal needs. The destruction of the reservoir has also had a very negative impact, as a result of mines being placed in the large irrigation reservoir several months ago. Water was stored in this reservoir and ... (Continued on page 3)

At the invitation of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, representatives of the Socialist Party of Albania, Presidium members of the Party Luan Shahollari and member of the General Steering Committee Dr. Vasillaq Kureta, took part in the scientific conference “The Balkans and Europe,” organized by the Center for Historical and Political Studies at the Bulgarian Socialist Party, which took place in Sofia on June 1–2, 1994. Representatives of socialist and social-democratic parties from 13 European countries took part in the conference, including Germany, Denmark, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Cyprus, Russia, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Romania. The conference was an open, democratic discussion of issues concerning the integration of the Balkans into Europe, ethnic conflicts in the region, and the need to resolve them through dialogue, cooperation, and a policy of good neighborliness. During their stay in Sofia, representatives of the Socialist Party of Albania met with all the participants and expressed the party’s well-known positions on Albania’s integration into Europe, stability and peace in the Balkans, and the resolution of the national question in accordance with our national interests. Representatives of the Socialist Party of Albania also attended the opening of the Bulgarian Socialist Party congress and delivered to the party’s chairman, Zhan Videnov, a message from the chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania, Fatos Nano, addressed to the Congress on behalf of the Socialist Party of Albania. Press and Information Office of the S.P.

Yesterday, a seminar entitled “The course of development and its presentation in the Albanian press” began in Tirana, with journalists from various media outlets taking part. The seminar, sponsored by UNICEF and UNDP and organized by the Thomson Foundation of Great Britain, focuses on issues concerning women and children. The seminar’s organizers have conceived it as an exchange of experience and a discussion, ensuring the active participation of all attendees. Recognizing the great importance of this seminar, on its first day it was attended in person by the deputy chairman of the Council, Marshall, a UNDP representative, and Alireza Mahallati, a UNICEF representative. Correspondent of “Zëri i popullit”

Having been informed that there had been no proper confirmation concerning Voting Station No. 2 in Zall-Herr and the Commune Elections Commission, and having inspected this polling station at 8:30 in the morning, as deputy chairman of the District Elections Commission I requested the suspension

Having been informed of the replacement of I requested that the elections be suspended because the soldiers, according to the nominal list of 848 (eight hundred and forty-eight), were voting using a fictitious certificate that was in complete violation of Article 67, as it did not establish the identity of each soldier. I therefore did not confirm, and consider unlawful, the voting at this polling station. My objections have been in the commission’s file since the first elections, for the period covering the second round. At the same time, I am also relying on several other violations of the law that the polling station submitted for review. Deputy Secretary of the District Elections Commission Lulëzim Shtepani, representative of the Socialist Party Addendum: I request that new elections be held at that polling station. Deputy Secretary LULEZIM SHTEPANI