- The Batër miners’ hunger strike continues - Since the 17th of this month, a hunger strike has been continuing at one of the chrome mines in the northern region, the one at Batër, in the district of Mat. About 80 people have decided to make sacrifices to have their demands met; they have been staying for more than five days in Gallery No. 1280, at a depth of about 1,000 metres underground. Their representatives, mandated to ensure that the workers’ demands are met, remained above ground. “The strikers’ demands are economic demands,” comments Mr. A. Karadaku, press spokesperson at the Ministry of Mineral and Energy Resources, adding that the ministry “has not remained indifferent to them.” The fate of this mine, like that of thousands of others during this period of transition, has been bleak. The decline in chrome production, the lack of markets, the reduction in the workforce, etc., have been factors accompanying this regression. Of the more than 2,000 workers the mine had previously employed, around 1,350 remain. The chrome production plan for 1994 is 73,000 tonnes, compared with the 400,000 tonnes achieved in its best year. But now even the ferrochrome plants are not operating for lack of markets, as specialists at Albkrom comment. The situation and prospects for chrome concentrate, at least for now, are alarming. “There are 50,000 tonnes of chrome concentrate without a market, and 4,000 tonnes of this amount are from the Batër mine,” explains Albkrom chief engineer Mr. Gole Besho, who sees cooperation with foreign companies as the way forward and a way out of this situation. But while that concerns the future, the present is about the lives of those 80 miners remaining underground on hunger strike, who have confined the mine director and its management council. They have demanded their dismissal, which is one of the eight points in their economic demands. On Saturday, Minister of Mineral and Energy Resources Mr. Abdyl Xhaja went there with a team of specialists to contact the hunger strikers; they held a meeting in Krashtë with the strikers’ representatives. The dismissal of the director of the Batër mine and the management council was approved. It was promised that measures would be taken to meet the strikers’ demands concerning food, the urban transport system and the transport of chrome using the factory’s vehicles rather than private cars. Two million lekë were provided to establish living facilities, etc. The meeting, however, failed to resolve the miners’ demand for a 50 percent pay rise. This is because the government decision leaves this authority to the enterprise, but the Batër mine recorded losses both in 1993 and during this year. A request was made for financial and chrome specialists to go to Batër yesterday to examine and analyse the mine’s economic and financial situation. Although a way to resolve the main points of the miners’ demands was reached between the ministry team, led by Minister Xhaja himself, and the strikers’ representatives, the latter were unable to obtain any guarantees of an improvement in conditions when they met with the hunger-striking miners. It seems that the miners, who, in addition to compensation of 120 new lekë per working day, also receive monthly incomes of no more than 100,000 old lekë, have lost faith and are determined not to give in in the name of deadlines for one thing or another. On Sunday, the strikers’ representatives, who had informed all state institutions about the start of the strike, including the President of the Republic, came to Tirana and informed the leaders of Albkrom and the Ministry of Mines and Energy Resources that the miners confined underground were determined to continue the strike. The strikers’ representatives, determined to ensure that the miners’ demands are met, requested a meeting with Prime Minister A. Aleksandër Meksi. • D. KOLA

A delegation of the European Community Organisation of Socialist Youth (ECOSY) arrived in our country yesterday, invited by Albania’s Eurosocialist Youth for an official two-day visit. The delegation is headed by ECOSY Secretary General Mr. Philip Cordery and ECOSY President Mr. Rehnold Rynker (German Social Democratic Youth). Also included in the delegation are ECOSY bureau members Martin Guillermo (Spanish Socialist Youth), Jakob Tietge (Danish Social Democratic Youth), Vinjo Pellufo (Italian Democratic Left Youth), and Mr. Mikis Tselentis and Kostas Stratikipoulis of the Greek Socialist Youth. The ECOSY delegation was received by Ilir Meta, a member of parliament and FRESSH deputy chair for international relations; Monika Kryemadhi, FRESSH secretary general; MP Ndre Legdhi; and Alfred Trebicka, a member of the FRESSH presidency. FRESSH spokesperson.

“Brazilian frosts” in... Peshkopi Apparently there have been frosts in Brazil. As a result, the price of coffee has risen from 1,300 to 2,600 dollars! Translated into Albanian terms, this means that a kilogram of coffee that cost 160 lekë (old) now costs 2,600! In Peshkopi, the price of coffee rose from 3,500 lekë to 7,000 lekë in three days! This is the coffee people buy for guests, whether for funerals or weddings, not the coffee in the clubs, which are dying out with “parthenocarpy.” They have found the coffee its “widow” — the reason for its price rise is... Brazil. Albanians should pray to God that there are no frosts in Brazil. Otherwise... the price of coffee will rise again. After all, coffee is among the few everyday consumer products whose price is less than ten times higher... At Peshkopi’s food market, the price of tomatoes rose by 30–50 percent over the past week. A kilogram of spring onions, now at the peak of production, together with onions that are shrivelled and spoiled, costs 400 lekë... twenty-odd times more than a few years ago. The prices of other vegetables have also risen by twenty-odd times. In Albania, although the weather turned cooler a few days ago, there has been no frost. If there has been none in Peshkopi, it goes without saying there cannot have been any in Durrës, Fier or Vlorë... Nevertheless, vegetable prices here—as with coffee prices—and those of many other food products have risen as if they were heading straight toward summer... Let us see whether prices come back down! A. A.

Funds are lacking to compensate for electricity Teachers and other employees in the administrations of various communes in the district of Dibër have been told that they will not be paid the amount designated as compensation for electricity, which, as is now known, is to be provided to offset its drastic price increase. They were given this information on the grounds that the local authorities at the grassroots level have so far not received any funds for electricity compensation. Meanwhile, on the relevant bills for May and June, the price has been set at 4.5 lekë for every kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed by households. Apparently, when it comes to collecting revenue, our state is first in line; when it comes to giving, it is... last. A. ASHIKU

Yesterday in Gjirokastër some unripe tomatoes were being sold for 800 and 850 lekë (old); they were green, suitable for pickling, and looked more like plums than tomatoes. It is not known why they had not ripened on the way, where traders have often found that they quickly turn to mush, since the state agricultural institutions no longer function. But perhaps highly developed trade does not need them. The spokesperson for the district trade-export office apparently said that the fault lay with European countries, which had not produced enough to bring prices down in their markets. As they head toward the depths of summer, people pray that the heat will not intensify more than necessary, so that the temperature of prices will not rise as well. Correspondent of “Zëri i Popullit.”

The ghost of the old boundaries is driving us out of the village Twenty-two families in Kacinari, Mirditë, belonging to the Pernoll, Ndoci, Loku and Përkola clans, have sent a letter to the editorial office of our newspaper. Ten to twelve years ago, the letter says, among other things, we built new houses in the centre of the village of Kacinari. The law was strict. The houses were to be built only within the boundary line and according to the plan laid down by the urban-planning authorities. Now we face an alarming situation. The former owners have appeared on the former boundary line, where we built our houses. They have sounded the “alarm,” pressuring us and even threatening us to leave our homes and get away from there as soon as possible. Of the 22 families who lived in the centre of Kacinari, within the former boundary line, 10 families have left because of pressure from the former owners, while the 12 families who have remained since last year are no longer afraid of leaving. Twenty-two families are being turned out onto the street. What should we do? We have written to the district council and contacted the local authorities, but have found no solution. The responsible authorities of Mirditë do not seem to care about us, people who have been turned out onto the streets. We have even written to the President himself. We have gone several times to the Presidential Office in Tirana, but on no occasion have we been given the chance to meet with a senior official. Under these circumstances, we ask: who is the official, what is the law, that can resolve our troubles? The letter goes on to say that they built the houses with their own sweat. In these circumstances, how can we leave these homes when the former owners are not even paying their real value? In the end, where are we to build new homes? Faced with these demands, and with the district authorities responding to the request, the 22 families are facing the matter one by one and are simultaneously on a summer hunger strike to resolve this problem. BERTASH ZENELI

Registered voters: 5638 Voters: 5690 Total: 3725 Invalid: 1905 PSD - 131 PS - 1054 PD - 2540 According to the headquarters, the voting results show that only 8 registered voters at the polling station did not vote, for various reasons, such as people who are emigrating. Polling stations Nos. 1 and 3 ... polling stations Nos. 2 and 3 ... approximately 62 people, starting from 1,690 and 1,690... (Continued on page 2)

- From the statement of the Socialist Party, May 7, 1994, in the Albanian Parliament, No. 106/1994. - The prefect of Durrës, Viktor Meksi. - The Chief of Police of Fier, Agron Brataj, who gathered 4 people at the police station, relatives of his, and released them. F. Sigea, P. Petani, M. Kambeni, L. Likani, V. Haxhmata. - The head of the Kumanës Commune, Behar Plaka, who had 12 people in the police station, led by Agron Brataj, a colonel, specifically: - Njazi Plaka, Lavdosh Plaka, Kosta Plaka, Enver Plaka, Gani Plaka, Kasem Plaka, Bujar Plaka, etc. - Three people were told that only on May 29 would they be taken to hospital. - All the incriminated persons (about 40) were at the disposal of ...; in all, the convicted families were accompanied by 12 months’ imprisonment; Ali had weapons...

The SHKD observers wanted to monitor an individual (who had also been seen in Libofshë as a member of the anti-institute while the PS rally was taking place on the evening of May 27). The SHKD observers wanted to monitor an individual (who had also been seen in Libofshë as a member of the anti-institute while the PS rally was taking place on the evening of May 27) who asked for the chair of the polling-station commission, after his request to serve as a PD observer was rejected in accordance with the law because he did not have identification documents or election-observer credentials. - At 8:00, the SHKD group was taken away from the polling station more than once and threatened with weapons because he would not allow the polling to be conducted at that station without observers. Another SHKD member was threatened with his life, and another SHKD team was warned by an individual at a polling station in Petë that they should leave the place, after being threatened by several people. - The group of observers who asked the members of the electoral commission, and the SHKD observers, were seen being intimidated by a car with a foreign licence plate. - SHKD was informed by reliable sources about threats made to candidates before the elections, which forced the PSD candidates to withdraw from the election in the Flet area. - An unusual number of votes were spoiled, in several polling stations, especially in Libofshë, where 35 percent of them were declared invalid. Strangely, the number of invalid votes varies drastically from one polling station to another. SHKD has reason to believe that these votes were deliberately invalidated. (Continued on page 2)

If the press conference given yesterday morning by Defence Minister Safet Zhulali had ever been entrusted to the editor of the newspaper “Ushtria e kohës,” Dr. Elmas Leci, it would have been more interesting. The press conference resembled more a meeting of the Defence Ministry staff. The journalists sat in rows, an unusual occurrence, since at a press conference held by a minister such as the Defence Minister no questions were asked. Perhaps this will persuade Zhulali either not to make such long trips abroad or not to hold another press conference. To be fair, it should be stressed that a single question was asked, but not because of the questioner’s personal interest in Zhulali; rather, it was about Leka continuing peacefully in his profession. The “speech” Mr. Zhulali gave at this so-called press conference was, of course, broadcast by RTV-ja...

1. To the President of the Republic, Mr. SALI BERISHA 2. To the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Mr. ALEKSANDËR MEKSI 3. To the Chairman of the People’s Assembly, Mr. PJETER ARBNORI. 4. To the Minister of Mineral Resources, Mr. ABDYL XHAJA, TIRANA. Dear Sirs! - As you know, the miners of Krashtë are on hunger strike over urgent minimum economic demands. We, the Trade Union Council of the General League of Democratic Trade Unions of Albania, call for their demands to be resolved in accordance with the law. It is not right that miners should suffer from unemployment and hunger in a democracy today. Do not leave these miners to suffer in silence, without bread and without recognition for being among the first to take part in the general strikes that risked communication and helped establish the democratic Albanian state. Today these miners are in danger. Their needs are bread, and they are anxious about each hour of their day. Their demands are extremely important. We miners and trade unionists of the Bulqizë district branch of LPSH express our solidarity with the striking miners of Krashtë, Martanesh. We have faith in our Democratic Government that it will promptly resolve their demands in accordance with what they have requested as a solution. We stand alongside these striking miners, fighters for democracy. Respectfully, Council of the General League of Albanian Trade Unions, Bulqizë Branch HIDËR BUCI. The FRESSH Presidency. An interview with MP Musa Hysni, signed in place of our socialist MPs on 29.3.1994. I do not know who ordered the place and stopped us at Agim. But this clearly shows many facts that point to the organisers of the youth elite. Ah, I had a lot of weapons...

Today at 18:00, at the Palace of Congresses (press conference hall), the Eurosocialist Youth is holding a meeting with leaders of the Socialist Youth of the European Community (ECOSY). Leaders of the French Socialist Youth, Spanish Socialist Youth, German Social Democrats, Belgian Socialist Youth, Danish Social Democrats, Greek Socialist Youth and Italian Democratic Left Youth will attend. The FRESSH Presidency.