For the period January–June 1994 alone 10 infants dead The existence of a quantity of 94 tons of pesticides, currently stored in a warehouse in the town of Milot, has now become truly alarming. Their presence in this town means that the extremely harmful effects of this poisonous substance, even in the «sheshte», are seriously threatening people’s health, especially the lives of infants. It is horrifying and at the same time deeply disturbing to face the alarming fact that, in just the first six months of this year, the destructive effects of the pesticides have taken the lives of 10 infants. As the workers at the clinic for pregnant women at the Milot health centre explain to us, during this period there were 7 cases of abort[?], resulting from spontaneous births, as well as three premature births, ending in fedormort[?]. This has happened particularly to pregnant mothers who live near the warehouse where the pesticides are stored. Here, among other things, we learn that the destructive adverse effects of the pesticides have claimed the lives of 10 infants, and that this danger threatens further lives. The chairman of the Milot municipality, Mr Gjok Gjoka, tells us that we have repeatedly informed the government about the pesticides, especially the Ministry of Health. But, strangely, no measures have yet been taken to have this quantity of pesticides removed immediately. This is not the first time that concern about the presence of pesticides has been made public—not only in the town of Milot. Brought to Albania from Germany as aid in 1992, they have played no role other than causing destruction. Under these conditions, people’s lives have also been seriously endangered, especially those of children and infants. The government’s indifference and failure to take concrete measures are wholly unacceptable. It is said that the German company «Grünpix» will change the intended use of these pesticides by removing them beyond our state borders. But so far nothing has been done. Gentlemen in government, listen to the appeal of Milot’s infants too.

Yesterday, in the place of the chairman of «Zëri i popullit», an article was published under the headline [?], by the workers’ representative in Elbasan, Sejdin Çekani. Although it dealt with the mass [?] of the workers of the nickel-cobalt combine, it relied entirely on the views and arguments of state administration officials, depriving the article of objectivity. The truth is somewhat different. The nickel-cobalt combine really does have 426 thousand dollars in three bank accounts. And this is a «creation» of the workers. It is true that there is no law allowing this money to be used to ease the workers’ difficult economic situation. But there is also no law prohibiting it. It is said that, by economic logic, this money should be used to open up new fronts of work. But why has this not been done in the three years since the combine stopped operating? Does this not fuel the workers’ distrust of the government, which promised that during the period of assistance it would offer everyone two or three jobs, and even reflected this promise in the law on social support? The workers have objections to the enterprise’s administration and managers regarding their ability and lack of commitment to restructuring the enterprise, and their irresponsibility in managing material and monetary assets. Yet these very administrators, managers and specialists continue to be kept at the enterprise without work, ineffectively consuming the money earned through the workers’ sweat. And there are many of them—over 100. The metallurgical workers believe they have no less merit than the Valias miners in the struggle for democracy. But in Valias, 1,400 unemployed people are being paid. In this case, we do not know whether the law permits it, or Maliqi? Recently, specialists from government institutions, with the blessing of Mr Mekshi, have drawn up a stu- About the problems of the workers of the ‘12’ plant in Elbasan. Here is what they think It provides that everyone who goes onto assistance after 1 July 1994, as a «privileged» worker, will be paid for one year at the wage they earned at the enterprise while doing public-service work. For another year they will receive an assistance benefit without doing anything. In other words, they will have two years in which to find new employment. Only one thing is missing from this government study: when it enters into force. It is thought that very few unemployed people will benefit from this law, since those who were going to be put on assistance have already been put on it. It is even said that this study cost more than any other government expenditure on its implementation. Especially fortunate are those who will be put on assistance from now on. Because they will be teachers. In response to the petition sent by the workers, the prime minister said that he receives 25 such petitions a day, implying his immunity to the «threats» of a hunger strike. Meanwhile, Mr Grigor Dhaskali, director of AR-na[?], initially agreed to reinstate 500 workers starting from 1 July, proceeding on the grounds that declaring an enterprise bankrupt when it has the ability to pay is illegal. But then, as if he had never said this, he went back on his word. Apparently, he feels stronger close to Minister Xhaja. Meanwhile, hundreds of families in Elbasan take food on credit from shops, to pay for it when they receive industrial assistance. Their debt reaches 50 xhin[?], while government officials occupy themselves with studies and programmes. These are the reasons that have driven the workers of the nickel-cobalt combine to protest, and that will drive them to strike if they encounter the deaf-muteness of government officials. KRISTAQ MOSKO Chairman of the trade union council (Konle-derata), Elbasan.

To the Socialists of the Rrogozhinë area, gathered at the Party’s regular Conference, we extend our greetings and express our solidarity in support of your work for the good of democracy and the people. We have complete faith and conviction that your rights will triumph over the injustices and slanders of today’s regime. Through this message, we assure you once again that you will have our ongoing support for the victory of true democracy. The Rrogozhinë SP Conference

- Kudret Çela continues to concern himself with biographies. “We did not approve the Democratic Right Party,” he said, “because its program conflicts with the Constitutional Provisions.” - Alfred Serreqi: “The state of war between Greece and Albania has been abolished by a final decision.” Yesterday morning, in accordance with the agenda, the Minister of Justice, Kudret Çela, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alfred Serreqi, appeared before the Albanian Parliament for interpellations requested by independent MP Abdi Baleta. Although considerable time had passed since the first requests for interpellations, yesterday’s interpellations were handled quite well, thanks also to the support and assistance given in a difficult situation caused by the lack of laws, creating the impression that it was not in crisis. The Minister of Justice was the first to appear before the MPs. A year ago, the documents summoning the minister to an interpellation were presented. “What is the activity of the Ministry of Justice in implementing the law on political parties, and what violations have been observed?” was Mr. Baleta’s question to Mr. Kudret Çela. Baleta asked the minister to comment on the ethnic basis, the existence of parties based on ethnicity, delays in approving political parties, the legal activities of organizations under their own names, and their existence as party formations within a party. Kudret Çela began by saying that his general response, and that of the parties in response to the request for an analysis, was that “the Ministry of Justice’s activity in approving political parties is based on the constitutional provisions,” Mr. Çela said. Twenty-three political parties have been approved, while applications by several other parties, including “Hakamram” and the “Party for Social Justice,” have been rejected because their programs conflict with the constitutional provisions. “There have been no delays in approving political parties,” the minister said, also giving the time frames for their approval. The Ministry of Justice, Mr. Çela continued, has had only two approval decisions overturned by the Court of Cassation. One of these concerned the PPD. “We did not approve this party,” Mr. Çela said, “because its program conflicts with the constitutional provisions.” Its economic program reportedly stated that it recognizes the landowners’ right of ownership over grain and other things, and so on, seeking to restore the regressive feudal order. Mr. Çela described the Court of Cassation’s decision as absurd for a court of that kind. “That decision expresses a lack of clarity; it is for the Constitutional Court to express its view on the matter,” Mr. Çela said. Among the judges was Petrit Piloçi, who was removed from the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Çela said, because he was denied the right to receive a punishment abroad, in order to leave his biography as the son of a “hero of socialist labor.” This scandalous remark was the high point of the entire interpellation, which made clear that the Justice Minister of the “Meksi Government” weighs biographies on the delicate scales of justice, openly advocating purges. We do not know how the Chairman of the High Council of Justice, Mr. Sali Berisha, who agreed to Petrit Piloçi’s appointment to the Court of Cassation, will react to this scandalous position. In conclusion, Çela said that only minimal shortcomings had been observed in the work of the Ministry of Justice and that these would be remedied, since he had hired a young man with extensive and competent knowledge of the law. Abdi Baleta, mockingly commenting on Mr. Çela’s response, said it was very interesting and that personnel-policy issues had many “serozë” [unclear]. Baleta said that the Ministry of Justice’s activities showed a major contrast between the approval of some political parties and delays affecting others. The approval of the PBDN is a classic case of excessive speed, whereas the delay in approving the PPD is a typical case of political ineptitude. Baleta launched a fierce attack. (Continued on page 2)

Gjirokastër In the southern district, the sun has not been obscured either by clouds or by locusts. At the Directorate of Agriculture and the district council, where people sit in the shade and the ceilings seem to require repairs, they are also keeping calm about the latest reports circulating. The infestation is on the scale of previous years; preparations have been made, but measures are being taken that have not yet reached the point of declaring war. The main strikes are carried out in the morning. The damage will be localized, since the swarms move quickly because they fly, but the development cycle is nearing its end and next year the fight will be biological. In Dropull, Zagori and Lunxhëri are the main outbreak areas. A socialist sympathizer, apparently, told the city’s chronicler: “Let the locusts come; there’s nothing to spoil or eat, the fields haven’t been planted.” In general, a democratic village elder said: “Let the locusts come; the rest can come too.” “Let the locusts come; the locusts will work in the shade.” That’s the news from Gjirokastra.

Yesterday afternoon the French ambassador ...

With regard to the phrase: “...those who, in the grave and in [?] have their house side by side with fascism, today want to throw us out of our house,” published in our newspaper on 14 July 1994 in Hava Glloku’s letter, we clarify that this is her opinion and not that of the newspaper’s editorial staff, and that it does not concern the citizen who claims to be reclaiming their own property. THE EDITORIAL STAFF

To the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Mr. Aleksandër Meksi. To the People’s Assembly – Mr. Pjetër Arbnori To the Chairman of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania, Mr. Kastrjot Muço. To the Ministry of Labour, Emigration and Social Support, the Radio and Television service and newspapers. The trade union of the village of Memlisht in the Pogradec district, supported by more than 210 families, seeing the severe economic and social hardship of the residents of this village, addresses this petition to you, seeking the quickest possible solution to our problems. 1 – It has been more than four months since we received the social assistance and financial aid to which we are entitled, since under the land-allocation law each person received 220 m2 of land. 2 – Several enterprises operate on our village land, including: the railway station, the fuel enterprise, the Iron-Nickel enrichment plant, the Iron-Nickel Mine, the construction enterprise, and two hotels belonging to the former workers’ supply enterprise, etc. Their extensive use of the land has taken up more than 30 percent of our village’s land, leaving us without land. In this situation, we are seeking an acceptable solution. 3 – Given the difficult situation, we request either that we be made a municipality of our own, in view of our circumstances, since we number more than 550 families, or that we be incorporated into the Municipality of the city of Pogradec. 4 – As residents of a village without land, and as you, Mr. President, have promised us on other occasions when you visited Memlisht, we want a prompt solution for our employment as well as organized emigration. In view of the above, we want a solution; otherwise, we will use every democratic means guaranteed to us by law, up to and including a hunger strike. Signatures of the trade union members and more than 240 families of the village of Memlisht in the Pogradec district follow.