Two years after the local elections The message of the socialist victory comes stronger than ever - The Socialist Party won absolutely against the PD in the local governing bodies. Its electorate increased by 17.4 percent. - In the 26 July elections, 230,000 fewer people voted for the PD than in the parliamentary elections of 31 March 1991, and 493,000 fewer than in the elections of 22 March 1992 - The Meksi government continues not to want the results of these elections, therefore it works intensively only to block power... On 26 July 1992, Albania voted for local government. It is one of the important acts of democracy, where citizens entrust the management of their local lives to the people they know best and who are closest to them. The free and fair vote of 26 July was an important political test for all participating forces and subjects. For the Socialist Party, it had the value of a reassessment of the condition of its electorate after the parliamentary elections of 22 March 1992. The results of these elections clearly showed that the SP was the main opposition force and had retained its electoral base. It not only kept it, but in many communes and municipalities emerged victorious and took on the responsibility of local leadership. In many areas of the country, a significant increase in socialist voters was observed, which constituted a meaningful political signal. A comparison of the figures with the previous elections shows that the Democratic Party had lost a large part of popular support. This was especially evident in relation to the elections of 31 March 1991 and those of 22 March 1992. The left-wing electorate, damaged by the political and economic climate, began to rediscover itself and to express itself more clearly. According to the assessment of this analysis, the Meksi government not only did not properly accept these results, but worked to hinder the normal functioning of local government where the socialists won. Administrative means, deliberate delays and various forms of pressure were used to block the councils and the elected leaders. In this sense, the message of 26 July remains relevant: the Albanian electorate wanted real pluralism, a balance of powers and respect for the vote. The socialist victory in local government was a sign that Albanian society did not accept political monopoly or the subordination of local institutions. (To be continued on page 2)

- Professor Rexhep Mejdani supports the statement of the other academics and its declaration; I see it as a sign of emancipation, political power and citizenship. Shpresa SHEHU-UNIVERSA

- A flood of dealers may deceive the buyers of the bills - Amanda LILES [?] increases and decreases it at will, following the wishes of the governments of the state treasury. The Constitution and the rules for managing the market economy have been violated. The state may realize different interests through treasury bills, but they cannot be used as a propaganda mechanism. If the accounts and indicators are changed according to political interest, then investors and citizens lose confidence. The issue of treasury bills is directly linked to the ethics of governance and public responsibility. The prime minister and ministers cannot give absolute guarantees when the economy is moving and financial risk is present. Any statement of the type “100 percent security” sounds more like a slogan than an economic analysis. In the financial market, profit is always linked to risk. Therefore citizens must be informed accurately, in clear terms and not with political phrases. Only in this way is the credibility of institutions preserved.

The passenger air joint company “Albania Air Lines” on the verge of bankruptcy Again the AVI offices [?] with price increases. During this year its turnover fell sharply. Delays in payments, mismanagement and the lack of a market have brought the company to serious difficulties. Sources close to the company say that debts have increased, while profitable routes have been reduced. According to the material, the company had been presented as an important alternative for Albanian air transport, but without real financial support and with unstable management, its prospects faded. Passengers complain about poor service and lack of correctness. If the situation continues like this, “Albania Air Lines” risks bankruptcy and leaving the market. (To be continued on page 11) NIKOLA

Party | for councils | for mayors | for commune chairpersons socialist 417 | 23 | 177 Democratic 303 | 18 | 113 Social democratic 42 | 2 | 1 Republican 22 | 1 | - Agrarian 5 | - | - Christian democratic 7 | - | - monarchist 8 | - | 4 balli 5 | - | - PBDNJ 53 | 1 | - At the same time, the news agency of Gshkallës [?], without making the final balance, published the following results for the 13 political parties: PSD 35 for councils, 2 for mayors; PBDNJ 53 for councils, 1 for mayor; 2 for commune chairpersons; PR 22 for councils, 1 for mayor; PAD 7 for councils, 2 for mayor; 1 for commune chairperson. Adding up the seats for the political parties and the independents, only 5 percent of the data is missing, so the exact result is as presented in the indicated table. The figures are accurate.