HOW FAR ARE WE FROM THE WORLD Five more television stations are now broadcasting their signals to TV sets in Tirana, having also come on air in other districts, such as Durrës, Fier, etc. This is a dream that everyone cannot help but welcome, bearing in mind the unquenchable thirst of Albanians, whose outlook was altered for years by the former state, which sought to monopolize the formation of individuals through propaganda directed by it. For Albanians, the time of the “channels” they secretly used to try to catch forbidden signals from the world is gone forever. But, strangely, paradoxes continue to dog us. While allowing and supporting the opening of foreign television channels, the current state seems unyielding on one point: it will not allow the many pluralistic and independent Albanian voices to break through the blockade it has imposed on Albanian television signals. This very party, now in power, was, just over two years ago, “making a huge fuss” about the need for independent television stations. But as soon as the wheel of power turned, its language changed too. Now, it seems, there is no greater sacrilege for it than breaking the television monopoly. This is a complex inherited from the previous system, from which today’s state and government cannot seem to break free. For among the string of unfulfilled promises is the promise of independent and pluralistic information. And Albanians do not forget, nor do they give up on realizing one of their most beautiful dreams: everyone’s freedom to form their own independent views on events, developments, political forces, positions, interests and political parties, all of which belong to them, and which they want to learn about and assess for themselves, without the “help” of Bupçapes or other craftsmen of today’s government. They never want to return to the “mass media of democratic education,” having already experienced the mass media of Marxist-Leninist education. And this voice of the Albanians has never stopped calling, through the words and writings of its own intellectuals, for the removal of the PD’s “veto” on informing Albanians. We hope that the opening of five more foreign channels for television viewers will also be a signal that the longstanding demand for television pluralism is being renewed. We hope our parliament will hurry to catch up with the other countries of the civilized world and pass, as soon as possible, the law permitting the opening of independent television stations—especially since requests for financing have not been lacking. It would be a meaningful step demonstrating Albania’s serious commitment to moving irreversibly along the path of democracy. M.N.

The police station chief also takes part in the new round of congratulations at the PD.

The Batër miners’ strike continues As reported, the hunger strike by the miners of Batër, in the district of Mat, has continued since June 16. The strikers belong to various trade unions, and [one?] has become the voice of protest over the harsh economic conditions. Their demands include the dismissal of the director and the governing council, a 50 percent pay rise, the establishment of a bus route for which a decision has been made but is not being implemented, the opening of canteens by the enterprise, as well as private canteens, etc. The miners are determined to continue the strike until their economic demands, which they consider minimal and essential for survival, are met. The official propaganda and the governing apparatus have become completely deaf and mute to such demands. We recall that, during the Valias strike, information and interviews were given in the newspapers, and political figures were there. Now the Valias miners are out on the street, while the leaders, after receiving hefty rewards, are nowhere to be found. What will happen to the Batër strikers?! That depends on the Government’s stance, and not so much on the miners, who see no other way out. Correspondent of “Zëri i popullit”

On 15 June 1994, under the direction of the Chairman of the District Council, comrade Fiqiri Hazizi, the Socialist Commune Council of Greshicë was constituted. At this full meeting, held free of blackmail and pressure, without the presence of police officers and thugs brought from various districts of the country who wanted to exert pressure on the free vote, and far from the din of the latest-model cars and government “aircraft,” the leaders of the Commune Council were elected. In accordance with legal procedures and by full agreement, comrade Agim Abazi of the Socialist Party was elected chairman of the Commune Council, and comrade Përparim Hasani, also a PS councillor, was elected deputy chairman of the commune. Mr. Roland Shehu, a PD councillor, was elected deputy chairman of the Commune Council. The spirit of understanding in these elections once again confirmed the just appeal made by the chairman of the PS in Greshicë Commune, comrade Hysni Muçaj, who, in the presence of government officials and politicians from various political forces who had come from the centre and the district, declared: “Gentlemen, leave us Greshicë residents to sort out our own affairs.” The people of Greshicë do not let empty promises take precedence over ideals and honour. Greshica knows what parties are and what kind of state it is; it knows how to respond to good manners and just demands, and it is rightly said: “In Greshicë, çeçua bika.” AXHEM ZOTA

One police officer dead and two seriously injured after a car crashed into a roadblock set up expressly by the Ersekë police department’s public-order branch. It all followed a tip received by the Leskovik post, with the belief that it was transporting a suspicious cargo in the direction of Korçë. It all began in Gjirokastër, where the vehicle evaded that city’s public-order branch, which notified the one in Përmet; the latter passed the information on to the Leskovik post, and this, after its efforts failed, passed it on to the Ersekë public-order branch, which sent out a patrol—but, it is said, with weapons but no ammunition. When the car approached the police ambush, the necessary signal was given, but the traffickers increased their speed, completely confident that the police had guns without bullets, striking and seriously injuring three of them. One of the three died on Friday after spending three days in a coma at Tirana’s military hospital. It is truly astonishing how this gang could travel about 200 km without a hair out of place, passing one police cordon after another. Many suspicions arise in this case, but more detailed explanations can be provided by the public-order spokesperson, who will surely also have been informed about the direction in which the perpetrators fled. PERTEF POJANI

A foreign national is robbed by persons

The head of the Police Commissariat also takes part in the campaign to recruit new members into the DP. On June 15, television news broadcasts informed the public about the proceedings of the Democratic Party’s activity in Pukë, where, among other things, Blerim Ndue Mhilli, a member of the Socialist Party and Chairman of the Commune, was accepted as a member of the Democratic Party. Without a doubt, this was a great success for the Democratic Party, part of the magnificent “successes” it has achieved not only for Pukë but throughout the country. Precisely because it has great “successes” in implementing its program of deception, it also needs television spectacles to convince people of the Democratic Party’s great prestige and credibility among the electorate, to the point that it manages to accept into its ranks even members of the Socialist Party and even a Commune Chairman. How could it be otherwise and not have successes, when President himself, the MP for the Pukë district Marash Lika, and the depoliticized [sic] head of the Police Commissariat, Pietër Prendi, have time to take part in recruiting people into the Democratic Party. In our meeting with the newly accepted member, Ndue Mhilli said: “I have a family friendship with Pjetër Prendi, and the latter, together with MP Marash Ibra, summoned me and pressured me to join the Democratic Party, making me many promises and assuring me they would be fulfilled. At the same time, they put me on the phone with the President of the Republic, who assured me of assistance and congratulated me on joining the ranks of the Democratic Party. Under these circumstances, I accepted their request. Some of the promises they made me were that 40 percent of the village’s families would be relocated to the lowland areas; 40 percent of the families, or 450 families facing hardship and problems, would receive long-term loans; all the villages in the Commune would be provided with doctors, telephones, roads, water supply systems, etc.; they would help us with free food and clothing for all the village families; and they would guarantee them full economic assistance, even though the villages in this Commune have gone more than two months without receiving artë. All these familiar promises of DP propaganda persuaded Ndue Mhilli, who, although he knows and understands perfectly well that he is seeing impossible dreams in broad daylight, believes. He believes that the President has reserved a special reception for him at his audience on Monday, June 20, 1994, to bless and congratulate him for the great deed and service he is rendering to the Democratic Party, and at the same time to express his special commitment and concern in support of the requests he will submit. Strange, but there is no reason to be surprised, since this is not the first time (Continued on page 2)

On Saturday, June 11, 1994, at around 22:30 in Vajkan, in the district of Fier, Shaban Elezi, a citizen of the Republic of Croatia, born in Gostivar and residing in Switzerland, was robbed. While travelling in his Mitsubishi minibus, registration number TG 129101 CH, towards Fier, he was overtaken in Vajkan by two cars with local license plates. They blocked the road and forced him to stop. Three armed men got out of the cars, pointed a pistol at him, and one sprayed him with tear gas (this is also confirmed by the medical report); then, pulling him by the hair, they knocked him to the ground. After beating and brutally assaulting him, they threw him into a ditch and stole his vehicle along with his personal belongings, money, and personal documents. He regained consciousness only at around 4 a.m. on June 12, 1994, when, with great difficulty and in very serious condition, he sought help from the employees of the Mbrostar-Ura fuel station in the city of Fier. From there, with the assistance of law-enforcement officers, he was taken to the Public Order Department in the city of Fier. After filing a report, he was admitted to hospital, and his condition remains serious to this day. So far, there has been no information about the perpetrators of the crime. The victim is grateful to the fuel station employees and the law-enforcement officers for the help they gave him, and hopes that the perpetrators will be identified. ASLLAN LAMAJ

Germany-Bolivia 1-0 Spain-South Korea 2-2 Yesterday afternoon at Chicago’s “Solder Field” stadium, on a scorching Sunday (local time 13:30), the 15th World Football Championship began. For about half an hour, the opening ceremony took place, with groups of musicians and ballet dancers performing to the national music of the countries taking part in the finals, dressed in national costumes. FIFA president Havelanz and U.S. President Klinton then gave their greetings. “Good luck to everyone, and welcome to the United States of America,” Klinton said in his remarks, noting that he could see that the 63,000 fans filling the stadium were not American citizens. The first match of the World Cup was Germany-Bolivia, which ended in a 1-0 victory for Germany. In the 60th minute, Klinsman scored the first goal. The teams met in the 15th World Cup, held in eight American cities. They controlled the play better and more, and the first goalkeeper [sic] scored the first goal of the match. The Germans had chances and threatened in the 8th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th minutes. From the 25th to the 35th minute, the Bolivians dominated and threatened the German goal several times. In the second half it was again the Germans who dominated. In the 15th minute, Maçerus (115 appearances for the national team) collected a pass from Klinsman and turned it into a goal—the first goal of the championship. The second Group C match was between Spain and South Korea. The South Koreans, who moved quickly around the pitch, controlled play better and more, and the first Spanish goalkeeper (as it is) was scored against; the goalkeeper saved his goal from several certain goals. The South Koreans then put pressure on the Spanish goal and scored two goals, equalizing the match with their play to make it 2-2. USA-Switzerland 1-1

Shkodër More than 250 families in Laç i Vaut të Dejës continue to get their bread on credit, according to information received by our newspaper. This is not a small number, considering that the total number of families here does not exceed 900. The families in question are mainly people who came from various regions of our country when construction of the Vau i Dejës hydroelectric power plant began. And yet, nothing has changed in this situation, although in recent days the government declared Laç a city. MUSË HURTULA

Yesterday at 9:00, the trial at the Tirana court of former senior officials of the state party, among them Ramiz Alia, the first president of the pluralist era in Albania, began with the closing arguments presented by prosecutor Fanaj. It was first noted that the case had been initiated on the basis of a report submitted to the prosecution authorities on July 20, 1990, and that over three years of investigation the inquiry had expanded in several directions. Accusing them of abuse of office resulting in the violation of citizens’ fundamental freedoms and rights, of violating citizens’ equality in the form of criminal gain, and of the uninterrupted [text unclear] Stefani, with the consequences of actions at the border, against the uninterrupted [text unclear] Ramizi, with consequences [?] physical harm and the loss of a person’s life, and against the accused Hadëri for humiliating conduct toward others, the prosecutor focused on establishing the elements of the charges. The judicial investigation, he continued, had found that the accused had held senior state and party positions, and that this intertwining of their actions took its fullest form under the conditions of 1976, when it was stipulated that the PPSH was the sole leading force in the country’s entire life. Referring to the case of the bomb thrown at the Soviet embassy in Tirana, he stressed that, by decision of the Political Bureau, measures were taken to respond to red terror with black terror. Unlawful arrests were made, and Mehmet Shehu reported at a meeting of the Political Bureau on the measures taken by the Ministry of the Interior. But all of this was contrary to the 1950 Constitution. It was emphasized in the constitutions of 1946 and 1976 that the Constitution constituted the fundamental law of the state and that compliance with it was obligatory. The judicial investigation showed that the Political Bureau had granted these bodies powers beyond constitutional limits, thereby infringing citizens’ freedom. Free thought, which was permitted by the Political Bureau’s platform but contradicted the Constitution, was monitored. Party organs had the right to carry out denunciations and (Continued on page 2)

– Full details on state-organized crime in the May 29 elections in the commune of Libofshë. In these materials you will find: – A chronology, evidence, statements, interviews, etc. – Feeling responsible for providing the public with complete and accurate information, the editorial office also hopes that it will help the justice authorities reach an objective judgment in the case.

Only two privatizations by auction Of the more than 1,200 privatizations carried out in the district of Dibër, only two were done by auction: one was part of the Miscellaneous Products Enterprise, and the other was formerly part of the Construction Enterprise. There were only two participants in this form of privatization, which is based on one-party boards and government instructions and orders, rather than parliamentary law. A. A.