Without a constitution, without investment and ... an inflation of promises Press conference by the President of the Republic

The question asked yesterday in the newspaper «Zëri i popullit»—how many days remained on Berisha’s calendar—was answered within four hours by the «inventor» of this kind of calendar: In the service of the duties set out at the DP National Council, where President Berisha laid out the markers for the upcoming election campaign, a press conference had also been planned, at which strict checks for carrying firearms without a permit were not absent. As on previous occasions, at the outset President Berisha gave no particular reason for holding this conference, but merely told the journalists that it had been a long time since he had met with them and that he wanted to meet and talk, and for them to ask all kinds of questions. «After a balance sheet of the achievements of the reform in the declared base year for comparison. Berisha likewise did not say what the income per capita of Albanians is, whose rate of growth is, for him, the highest in Europe. Then, saying that this growth would rest on three pillars, he listed four, which he considered to be privatization, the pro-export regime, investment in people, and concessions. Strangely, Berisha did not also mention those things he often talks about and presents as successes. «Relations with our neighbors have cooled considerably, especially after the Peshkëpi incident and the unconstitutional actions of certain elements directed by Greece, but there is bilateral goodwill to move past them,» Berisha stressed in response to a question about current relations with Greece. It seemed that this time the Albanian state had emerged from the complex of being accused of “state terrorism” against a NATO member state, Greece, and Berisha, as its representative, said that the invitation for a meeting of the foreign ministers remained open. On the issue of the six amnestied men, although in response to this question he spoke of their unconstitutional activities, in answer to another question he made no comment, saying that he would not comment and that it should be the independent court that delivers its decision and judgment. «I note with satisfaction the improvement in the political climate,» Berisha said, speaking about the political situation in the country. This was entirely natural ... As on previous occasions, at the start of this one President Berisha gave no particular reason for organizing the conference, but simply to meet and talk with them and answer their usual questions. “After taking stock of the achievements of the reform, we declared that economic growth is a major objective of the PD and the other democratic forces,” Berisha replied to a question about the real basis for the statement on economic growth announced at the PD National Council. According to Berisha, macroeconomic stability has now been achieved, something that was not expected two years ago, and the country had experienced 10 percent GDP growth, considered the highest in Europe. Berisha also stated that Albania has the highest rate of growth in per capita income per hour, adding that these incomes are the lowest in Europe. As always, after these economic statements Berisha gives only the rates of growth and the years being compared, but never gives the value of GDP. The gross national product in 1992, which is taken as (Continued on page 3) (Continued on page 2).

YESTERDAY PRIME MINISTER MEKSI IN MAT: — Since the road to Bulqizë and Dibër passes through Mat, I stopped here too, Prime Minister Meksi explained — Given the current problems troubling the district of Mat, when the local authorities’ leaders informed us that Prime Minister Meksi himself would come to Mat, accompanied by representatives of his cabinet, for a working meeting, we took it seriously. And Prime Minister Meksi arrived yesterday morning in Mat, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Tritan Shehu, Abdyly Xhaja and a whole entourage of officials and politicians. The working meeting was held at the venue owned by the local beauties here in Mat, called «Tarzani». Representatives of local government, heads of peripheral enterprises, and representatives of all political forces, such as the DP, etc., took part in this meeting with the government team. The way this event was conducted could be called a cocktail party, a working meeting, or both at once. All the more so because Meksi himself declared at the outset: I stopped here too, in Burrel! So from the very beginning those present understood that the government team headed by Meksi had ... as the object of its work. ... As for Krasta, we have given promises, we have promised opportunities for the miners and to fulfill them! That was all, and nothing concrete was decided. It is all very well that yesterday, as Meksi declared, Mat is being supported; but what limits does this support have? And what has the Meksi cabinet done for Mat during its two years in government? All the more so when the problems of unemployment are so serious—there are now around 9,000 unemployed—when Mat’s mineral resources are not being exploited and are not being brought to light for the people of Mat themselves; when investment opportunities exist; when enterprises, especially in the countryside, have been destroyed; when health services are lacking; and when there are other evident concerns. Or how can the housing problem be solved when, against the demand of 1,600 families currently without homes, the existing supply is only 105 apartments? How can the problem of drinking water or irrigation be solved when Mat is living with water shortages, even though opportunities exist to resolve this problem? That is why one should not have passed through ... ... unexpressed in the representation as successes. Which team or ministers have sat down and persevered with them and solved any problem in this district? Consider the concerns of the Krrabë miners, which were “solved” by the team headed by Eduart Selami. What, specifically, has the government done in this local sector, and what justifies receiving compensation there? And faced with these problems: although Albania, like all the other countries in the region, is feeling and suffering the consequences of political forces responding to the situation, to the extent that it begins... ... did not even understand the main point, nor the cocktail and the work plan, nor even know how much “khu.” All the more so because Mexki himself declared at the outset: Since the road to Bulqizë and Dibër passes through Mati, we also stopped here in Burrel! Thus, from the Me-ksi had its work agenda elsewhere. Anyway, the local government leaders presented the government team with a series of problems: those relating to employment, the progress of land distribution, the privatization of enterprises, the displacement of the population, and, in particular, resolving the problems of the residents of Shkallë and Uzë; solving the villages’ problems with regard to land shortages and the lack of sufficient funds; concerns at the ferrochrome plant; problems in the mines and others. And in response to all these problems and discussions, Meksi made statements and issued instructions: Mati is secondary; your demands are not [unclear]. The government will help you with employment problems and water supply; studies will be carried out for the intermediate... ... along with those of the city, problems concerning the proper functioning of the local government run by the Socialists, the further renewal of the party both in terms of age and ideas, etc. In his speech, PS Deputy Chairman their realistic analysis and their enough to identify shortcomings; they must be addressed...

According to a statement by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Order, on RrTS? on Thursday evening in Peshkëpi, in the district of Gjirokastër, while an Albanian patrol was patrolling 800 meters inside the Albanian border, two unknown persons suddenly fired at them from a distance of 70 meters and fled in the direction of Greek territory. An on-site inspection revealed bloodstains leading as far as the border. A meeting between the two sides is expected to draw conclusions.

A minute of silence in memory of Todi Bardhi, the kind-hearted and highly respected man of Librazhd! This was how he was honored by the delegates to the district PS conference—a man who will be missed by everyone: his family, relatives, and the many friends and companions he met and spent time with, always devoted, affectionate, and cheerful. Left without work because of the reform, as they call it now, even though he was 55, Todi set out to secure his daily bread beyond the borders, wherever he could. A car accident took his life in a Macedonian village. Hundreds of residents of Librazhd, shedding tears of grief, accompanied him to his final resting place. How many thousands of people have shed tears over such cases in Librazhd and the villages around it? In Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 15 young men from the district of Librazhd have lost their lives because of emigration. Some were shot with automatic rifles by Macedonian soldiers; others died on the roads and in the mountains of Greece! A great tragedy for a small district. Emigration. As it is practiced here, it comes at an extraordinary cost: LIFE. The bitter tears of the villagers can change nothing. They can only console one another: «Let it end with this!» SEJDIN CEKANI

Mark Malaj from the municipality of Bajzë in Malësi e Madhe lost his life while sailing across Lake Shkodër. According to his fellow villagers, he had put several barrels of fuel in a boat and was sailing to transport them to the other shore of the lake. But during the journey the wind began to blow; as a result, the waves grew stronger and overturned the boat, which was easily capsized because of its heavy load. Meanwhile, many villagers from the villages near the lake have for some time been trying to make a living by trading fuel. But the danger to their lives along this route is always present. The case mentioned above is not the first, quite apart from many other cases in which fuel has caught fire. MUSA KURTULAJ

Shkodër

Several press outlets have reported in recent days that a search has been declared for the chief of the Gjirokastër police station, Mr. Ylber Meraja, after he was accused of abuse of office. It was even pointed out that, during a search of his home, 50 million dhami were found. Yet, during precisely the days when these reports were published, Ylber Meraja was seen strolling freely around Shkodër, and even visiting the SHIK office at the police station in that district. We do not believe they would have failed to detain Mr. Meraja if he had been declared a wanted person. Nevertheless, as they say, it is not for nothing that «the Government catches the hare with a cart». VËZHGUESI

«Today, more than ever, a round table of Albanian parties on the issue of the national question is essential.» «We are ready to further deepen our relations with the USA.» Alongside the good work done in admitting new members to the PS, especially during the period of the party’s new elections, with areas such as Maqellara, Seli-shta, Kalaja e Dodës, Luznia, etc. standing out, the report delivered at the conference by the chairman of the PS in the district of Dibër, Ruçi, focused in particular on weaknesses in the party’s work in the district of Dibër, which had also been observed at recent meetings. Some members of the party’s leading forums were seen to be passive, to complain, and even to be absent from organizational meetings. These weaknesses in the party’s work are explained by various factors. But it is pointed out that they are manifested mainly among PPSH members who were accustomed to rights and privileges, which were curtailed only recently, and who then declared themselves democrats. This is also the result of incomplete tests of the PS membership of those who came from the PPSH. There is still work to be done in this regard. Such weaknesses in the party’s work are also reflected in the unsatisfactory election results in the two communes of Dibër, Luzni and Rec. While noting the general methods used by the PD to win the elections in these two communes, the conclusion is that the party’s continuous work, from organizations in the villages to the leading forums, plays a decisive role in such political campaigns. Therefore, the report held all the party bodies in this district responsible for the unsatisfactory election results in these two communes. Further on, the report pointed to the severe economic situation, in particular, in the district of Dibër, with widespread unemployment, land still not divided in accordance with the law, infant mortality that no one is controlling, the scourge of emigration, and the cold weather which over the last two months has caused deaths among the people of Dibër, as well as children abandoning village schools, etc. Of the 6,000 people employed in the city of Peshkopi in 1992, today only 200 are receiving [garbled text] with the liquidation and plunder of the people’s property. Alongside the PD’s repressive policy, violence for the revanche of beys, landlords, and the great oligarchs of the past who have come to power through... ... in the district of Dibër, it came forward to successfully carry out its duties. The representatives of the PS in local government set a good example in this respect. From around the middle of 1993 onward, a decline in the effectiveness of the Party’s work was observed. This was also a consequence of the repressive measures taken by the PD-ist authorities against PS members and sympathizers. Nevertheless, this decline in the party’s work does not absolve its leading bodies in the district of Dibër of responsibility. This spirit of self-criticism was clearly evident in the report delivered at the conference. The speakers at the conference raised issues concerning the better functioning of the party’s work in the city, the proper conduct of local government affairs under socialist leadership, the further renewal of the party in terms of both age and ideas, etc. In his speech, PS vice-chairman Luan Hajdaraga praised the report and the conference discussions for their realistic analysis and critical and self-critical spirit. But, he said, it is not enough to identify shortcomings; they must be addressed...

The district court of Malësia e Madhe sentenced six Montenegrin citizens to a period of pretrial detention of 37 days. They were caught by law-enforcement authorities during an operation the latter carried out against fuel smugglers who were violating the embargo. At the court hearing, the charge of attempted smuggling was dismissed, and they were convicted only of illegally crossing the border. Even in this case, the six Montenegrin citizens benefited, saying that they could have been fined, but not kept under arrest for so many days. In response to the words spoken openly on the street, calling for them to be released, a senior court employee categorically objected. He stated that the judicial panel which decided to sentence them only to the period already spent in pretrial detention had apparently acted on the grounds that it should not contribute to worsening relations between the two states. The six Montenegrin citizens have now gone home. Correspondent of «Zëri i Popullit»

Apparently, Mr. Selami’s arrival in Skrapar was intended to select the PD leaders in the district, who, in order not to jeopardize their own interests, showed themselves to be determined to implement the directives from the democratic government on the distribution of property. The PD in Skrapar did not give an inch; indeed, through instructions issued orally and in writing, it showed itself scrupulous in putting into practice the slogan «let its leaders be the first capitalists». Who got the property in Skrapar? Despite the struggle that has been and continues to be waged over this issue, it must be said that here the proverb «the big fish eats the little one» was put into practice. Thus, at the top of the lists of new owners are the PD leaders, from the chairman and his deputies down to some Ballists whom they revived as allies of the party in power. More specifically, the biggest boss, who became the «de facto» owner of the powerful enterprise that is the construction company, is Mr. Mustafë Nano, chairman of the district PD. Its sister enterprise, the other construction company in the town of Poliçan, was taken over by the deputy, Muços Demir Gramoz, who has an advantage over the party chairman because he is a construction engineer. Another enterprise, the poultry-farming one, was made the property of Bardhyl Alçka and Baki Caushi, neither of whom had worked even a single day to establish it. Those who wore themselves to the bone or spent their entire lives serving the supply needs of the two towns are being cast out onto the street, with no one paying them any heed. Although local government in Skrapar is in the hands of the socialists, the privatization board is following the PD’s instructions to the letter. But it is painful to hear and see with one’s own eyes that one person is treated like a slave and another like a bey—as in the case of the seizure of the pesticide warehouse by a member of the Beqir Bregu family (until recently, he kept a large photograph showing family members with Ramiz Alia), leaving the agronomist Dake Bregu, who had worked there for several years, empty-handed. The workers of the two towns, Çorovodë and Poliçan, have been left with nothing but the keys to the hayloft. Even if they sacrificed something for around 50 years, when it came time to divide up the property the PD drew a hard line, using legal procedures and methods that expose corruption. Has Mr. Selami found out that «there has been horse-trading over the division of property in Skrapar»? Naturally, he has been informed of what his subordinates told him, and he must surely have been delighted to learn that they have acquired large properties. But this gentleman should not keep silent when people are demanding an investigation into this filth, given that Mr. Selami has declared himself opposed to every kind of corruption. Perhaps he does not call it corruption, but something else; yet all this nonsense truly confirms the proverb used around here: «the grape-picker eats the grapes as they ripen». But can the “smoke” from the property division here in Skrapar be brought to light? It will be difficult. It is even difficult for Blerim Cela, the chairman of the State Control Service, who, as we have heard, has been «sealed» as a friend of property. Nevertheless, amid these troubles and worries that have arisen lately, more and more often one hears the plea «O Blerim, they’ve taken our goods; they’re robbing us blind» from Skrapar, but Selami does not hear it». XHEMAL VARISHTI