Discussion on the motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Meksi, delivered by the Deputy Chairman of the PS, Servet Pëllumbi THE COUNTRY CANNOT COME OUT OF THE CRISIS WITH A POLITICAL AND INCOMPETENT GOVERNMENT Discussion on the motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Meksi, delivered by the Deputy Chairman of the PS, Servet Pëllumbi Mr. Chairman, The motion of no confidence that the parliamentary group of the PS submitted against Prime Minister Meksi on 16 June 1994 is a result of the economic, social, and moral crisis that has engulfed our country and of the people's demand to overcome it. We put forward the motion not simply to take down a government, but to present before Parliament, before the people, and before the whole world our reasoning and that of the opposition, and above all to obtain a clear answer on a number of issues that are increasingly troubling and burdening the country's life. The motion had no aim, and still has none, of creating a government vacuum; it has been and remains a constitutional instrument to demand a change of course, political responsibility, and a more capable and more honest government. The crisis we are living through is not a crisis of one day; it has deepened because of incompetence, the politicization of the administration, the lack of transparency, the disregard for Parliament, and the lack of dialogue with the opposition. We have long demanded that the government explain the economic situation, inflation, unemployment, the fall in production, the further impoverishment of citizens, and the climate of insecurity that is felt everywhere. Instead of serious answers, we have heard propaganda, excuses, and accusations against the opposition. This does not help the country. Prime Minister Meksi's government has failed to convince citizens that it is capable of competently and honestly managing the difficult processes of the transition. It has turned into a partisan government, closed to criticism, often arrogant toward institutions, and unable to build consensus on major issues. For us, the problem is not personal. The issue is political and institutional. The country cannot come out of the crisis with a politicized and incompetent government. Albania needs stability, but stability is not built through imposition, fear, or distortion of the truth; it is built through trust, legality, the separation of powers, and respect for the opposition and for citizens. In this sense, our motion is an appeal for reflection. It is not intended to block institutions, but to ensure their normal and democratic functioning. We demand that the government answer politically before Parliament and before the people. That is the essence of parliamentarianism. If today's majority thinks it can continue governing while closing its eyes to the crisis, minimizing real problems, and using power for party interests, it is gravely mistaken. Today's responsibility is greater than the narrow calculations of the day. We demand governance based on competence, meritocracy, responsibility, and honesty. Only in this way can citizens' lost trust be restored and the path out of the crisis be opened. (continued on page 4)

Yesterday in parliament

- Mr. Mollnni: once again we will not vote on the politically persecuted from the hunger-strike coup No politically persecuted person has benefited from privatization - Mr. Mollnni: once again we will not vote on the politically persecuted from the hunger-strike coup None of the speakers in yesterday's session considered normal the fact that, even now, the politically persecuted, 29 years after the fall of the communist dictatorship in the country, have not received compensation. According to them, their status still has not found the proper recognition in Albania. According to PD deputy Pjetër Arbnori, for example, he said in yesterday's session that the groups known as politically persecuted "...have been left aside, marginalized, in a miserable economic condition. Only they have been denied the right to engage in private business". Mr. Arbnori then accused the government of having forbidden the use of compensation to pay off housing loans and of not giving owners the right to buy homes through privatization. According to him, this has forced the politically persecuted to occupy the sidewalks with a hunger strike. As is known, a few weeks ago the politically persecuted addressed the economic commission with a series of proposals, asking that they be recognized the right to privatize houses, shops, and land through compensation. These demands, the Democratic deputy said, "anyone who understands the difficult situation of this group can call just and humane". Mr. Arbnori further said that "if a fair privatization without political influence had been carried out, many persecuted people would have benefited from material goods that many others have benefited from". On behalf of the government, Mr. Mollnni declared that the politically persecuted cannot benefit through compensation, because according to him this would create a wrong financial and social precedent. (continued on page 2)

The intellectual's word: Today's trials are not real slander by democrats of misleading politics, culture, and humanism - Statement by Academician Beqir Daja - "...If, by a special decree, as it is sometimes called, surface matters, culture, literature, and science are condemned by every means and method, then this leads to arbitrariness and to an attitude that cannot be reconciled with democracy and the rule of law." He emphasized that such forms of punishment against people of knowledge, creators, and intellectuals cannot be accepted, describing them as unacceptable for a democratic society. (continued on page 4)

FLETAN SHEHU EMANATION SPECIALIST REPLACES ALTIN K. Xhoxi: the specialists of constitutional childhood are being shuffled away by the Constitution Commission!! FLETAN SHEHU EMANATION SPECIALIST REPLACES ALTIN "Për mund të lotur e lotore reumata?"[?] (continued on page 4)

JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE SHQYPI PERRI ZHULALI Albania is among the top priorities in American aid for Eastern Europe, but at present there is no program for modernizing Albanian armaments - Peri emphasized

Again, changes without permission Again changes without permission