POLICE INTERVENTION REPLACES DIALOGUE THE MINISTRY OF ORDER’S COMMUNIQUÉ SPEAKS OF ARMED TERRORISTS The state is afraid — A state that uses violence shows that it is afraid of its own people — Yesterday, after midnight, the police of our so-called democratic state, in a “lightning” operation, set out to remove by any means and at any cost, throughout the country, the former political prisoners who had been in a sit-in for nearly eight days. The right to strike—this great democratic civic right, enshrined also in our constitutional laws—was trampled once again. Those in power are afraid. People say: where do we have here... [bottom part cut off] The democratic [system] was born through violence, destruction, fear, and social insecurity, and it is maintaining power through violence and fear as well, telling people: “Whoever raises a hand against me will be struck without mercy!” Nevertheless, the great national strike of former political persecuted people achieved its goal completely. Although the 10 demands in their association’s petition were not met, they now know well that the government we have and this state are not theirs and do not work for them; they do not ease their suffering and pain. Former political persecuted people will have to find other means to cope with life and to enjoy the status of free citizens. This time, the government and the so-called democratic state were struck from the right, by the very stratum that objectively should have been on their side. This shows that the right in Albania is ill-defined, unstable, and divided. Certain forces are interested in fostering this division and destabilizing the country’s social and political life, making Albania’s entire transition more difficult. The latest strike by former political persecuted people once again brought the incompetence of the DP government out into the open, into broad daylight. The DP wavers between left-wing and right-wing slogans, changing its “...isms” from one day to the next; its electorate is leaving it, and so are its traditional loyalists—its Albanian votes. Generally, those elected by it are people who only two or three years ago were its most zealous supporters. As is known, a few days ago the Government put the head of the association of former political persecuted people in handcuffs, demonstrating that it would legalize its future actions against their strike. Without judicial proceedings taking shape, without the process of punishment taking shape, the so-called self-decision

SHKODËR — 4 members of the association of former political prisoners have been injured. — The intervention of the head of the Catholic clergy helped avert a further escalation of the situation. — Fortunately, there were no fatalities in the clash between the rapid-intervention forces, which had arrived from Tirana and Lezha, and the hunger strikers and their supporters. The operation began at around 03:30. The rapid-intervention forces, equipped with rubber batons and helmets, made an organized attempt to enter the building where the hunger strike was taking place in order to remove those inside. At the moment when they broke the side door and entered the first floor, several people who witnessed the incident at close range say, a burst of gunfire was heard. The police officers who had entered withdrew and went outside. A stone-throwing clash soon began. It is said that for 30 minutes it was fierce on both sides: the hunger strikers and their supporters on one side, and the forces taking part in the assault on the other. Although the rapid-intervention forces managed to push them several metres away from the square in front of the building, in the face of resistance from the persecuted and other people, whose numbers were continuing to grow, the situation remained highly tense until 5:30. Even after that time, tension prevailed. News of what had happened had by then spread throughout the city. Hundreds of people flocked to the hunger-strike building and the city’s main square. Mass chants broke out among the crowd: “Down with dictatorship,” “Freedom and democracy,” “Down with corruption,” along with verses from patriotic songs and calls against Messrs Spahia and Arbnori and against the mafia clans involved in fuel smuggling. The crowd of people was heading toward the city police patrols ... (continued on page 2)

TIRANË

The strikers in the Krujë district, ...

— Around 80 percent of the people of Kavajë live on the sweat of refugees — — 2,000 homeless people have been registered at the city municipality — At last, one month late, owing to subjective reasons, the reluctance of the local PS leaders, as well as their concern to conduct serious party activity, the second conference of the PSSH in this district was held on 11.8.94 in one of the (not very suitable) halls of the KD of PS Kavajë. Two years earlier, the Kavajë socialists had held their conference “in the open air,” somewhere far from their city. As a result of the deceptive campaigning of the PD-SH, which offered the Kavajë electorate the candidacy of its leader, Sali Berisha, for parliament, and the well-organized activity of special headquarters and terrorist acts by the PD-ists’ gangs, an aggressive hostility toward socialists prevailed in Kavajë. Allies would sometimes pass through the streets of this city as “illegals.” Even people close to us looked at us askance; prejudged everything we did; and identified us, entirely without reason, with the former PPSH. Today this anti-democratic picture belongs to the past. Today in Kavajë, superlative assessments of the PDSH are being voiced every day; the anti-democratic illusions that “the PD is democracy” and that “the PSSH is the former PPSH” are fading daily from the minds of ordinary people. “Kavajë,” as the chairman of the PSS in this district, Mr. Ejup Tabaku, stressed in the report he delivered at the conference, “is one of the few districts where more than 60 percent of former PPSH members did not join the PSSH.” In this city, 80 percent of former communists did not join the P.S. SH. Instead of being welcomed by the PDSH and its leaders, this positive phenomenon was exploited in the “exp... [continued on page 2] Their attempts to hinder the establishment and consolidation of the new local PS organization. This is the murky situation that has contributed to what Comrade Ejup Tabaku said in his report: “the socialists in Kavajë have not achieved the appropriate objectives.” However, the conference recognized that, thanks to the persistent work of the local leaders and all the PS structures in the district, and also to the active and constructive role of the 5 socialist councillors on the district council, the fear that some PD leaders seek to keep alive has been broken and dealt a blow among the many PS sympathizers in Kavajë. The strained atmosphere of inter-party relations, which the irresponsible publications of RD and the fever of some extremists encourage to continue, has at times shown signs of easing, when a cultured individual manages to inspire a certain goodwill toward the PD. Nevertheless, the Kavajë socialists, analyzing the weaknesses in their work among the people, managed to set objectives for winning over the poor and objectively left-wing electorate, part of which, not yet freed from its old hostility, goes to the PD without enthusiasm, out of habit. The growth of PS influence in the Kavajë district is indicated not only by the fairly modest numerical increase in its membership—around 70 people over the past three months—but especially by the general awakening of the people of Kavajë in response to the PD’s failure to keep its promises and the severe economic and social conditions prevailing in the district. More than 88 percent of the people of Kavajë today live on ... (continued on page 2)

It is Kurt Kola, chairman of the association of former political prisoners, who, as of 15:00 yesterday, was under arrest with the security measure of “house arrest.” Mr. Kurt Kola was detained by the police authorities of Police Station No. 1 at around 7:00 in the morning, several hours after the special forces’ assault on the headquarters where the association of former political prisoners was holding its hunger strike. From that time until 15:00 he was held at Police Station No. 1. At that hour, he was served with an arrest warrant from the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office, on the charge of “obstructing the implementation of the judicial decision of the Tirana Court,” as well as the security measure of “house arrest.” When we contacted Mr. Kola yesterday at around 19:00, he told us that he was continuing his hunger strike. E. BRAÇE

What was to happen in the building of the National Association of the Persecuted, as dawn broke on 12 August, had been foreseen by a court ruling issued several days earlier by the Tirana Court. The claim filed by the Albanian government against the former persecuted, who had barricaded themselves in a hunger strike, very quickly took the form of a ruling in a series of legal proceedings. Once sent to the enforcement office, it declared the strike illegal and called for its suspension. But the strike committee and those barricaded inside refused to accept such a ruling, stressing that they would resist until their final demands were also met. As the seventh day of the strike came to a close, the strike committee received the enforcement office’s decision, which stated that the hunger strikers were required to end the strike by 18:00 on 11 August, reiterating that force would be used against them if they failed to comply. To everyone’s surprise, the chairman of the Committee for Defence and Order, MP Hajdari, went to the association to deliver this order. (Continued on page 2)

The hunger strikers from the Krujë district, who had been confined during their hunger strike since August 6, 1994, were forcibly removed two days ago by masked civilian commandos, who acted brutally and swiftly against those confined. There were 40 hunger strikers confined in a private carpentry workshop in a neighborhood of the city. After being forcibly removed from there by the civilian commandos, who have still not been “identified,” they confined themselves again in a private home. But once again they (Continued on page 2)

The neighbors, when they see you setting off for Skëndulate, tell you: there are no people; they have left; they went out. At 10:15 the big house is like this. The end happened at 9:30. The day before, the representative informed the hunger strikers of the court’s decision; they asked for a 24-hour extension. An explosion was heard. The next day; unanimously, the request was granted under threat; unanimously, before it expired, they decided; to end the peaceful hunger strike. Minutes were recorded. They all came out; calmly. The police, who were outside, remained watchful and correct; without intervening. The self-imprisoned came out. To go in where? THANAS DINO

— Within the Government there may be people assigned specifically to destroy democracy — If the PD National Council does not distance itself from the violent actions against the hunger strikers, then I will leave the PD. — I consider the violent intervention by police forces to be a coup d’état. — As long as the Albanian parliament and the PD do not analyze this event and take the appropriate measures, we are not living in the Republic of Albania but in the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania. — I do not regard these violent efforts against politically persecuted people as efforts by the PD to hold on to power by force. Within the Government there may be people who have been given special assignments to destroy democracy. — Prime Minister Meksi passed by while the police were assaulting the hunger strikers near the building where they had confined themselves. — We will convene the governing council of the 1990 student movement to distance ourselves from the PD’s actions today. — In the actions the police were undertaking, I foresaw bloodshed, and I saw it being deliberately provoked; but the strike committee managed to avert this sinister objective with great wisdom. (Continued on page 2)

— Press conference by Mr. Valeri Abramian, Russian trade representative Yesterday morning, the trade representative of the Russian Federation in Albania, Mr. Valeri Abramian, held a press conference focusing on the socioeconomic situation in Russia and economic relations with Albania. Mr. Abramian said that Russia’s economic program envisaged three stages: overcoming the crisis in 1994, followed by economic stabilization through the end of 1995, and the third stage, after 1996, involving economic growth. The reform, overall, is proceeding in accordance with the government program, in which radical economic reform has been carried out, a development which, according to him, has created an economic situation for this year. Below, while presenting a two-year assessment of the reform, it was stated that its results had been positive: the decline in production had slowed, changes had been made to the structure of gross output, inflation rates had fallen, a two-tier banking system, commodity exchanges, foreign-exchange and securities markets had been established, a positive balance in foreign trade had been achieved, and a step had been taken toward Russia’s integration. (Continued on page 4)

A budget of 1 million 100 thousand dollars? Teacher Antoneta Perja’s budget is one million 100 thousand dollars, available to the brother for the renovation of the crossing point at Kakavijë, according to the spokesperson? * * * In Korçë, the brewery known as “Birra Korça” began operating recently, employing 65 workers. * * * The market, no producer of nuts? from? production? there is none? is? A lot ... * * * In Shkodër, a group of artists at the Shkodër ... has given ... * * *

— In just the last four years, the holdings of the National Library of Tirana have been enriched with 1,711 books and 261 periodicals, mainly donations from various authors, foundations, and foreign embassies. * * * — Two Durrës boxing teams, the youth and adult teams, competed yesterday locally in an event organized by the “Durrës” association. Seven boxers ... * * * — Tirana Prison ... these days in the arrangement of the cleaning ...

— An American pays 1.5 dollars to speak with Albania for one minute, while an Albanian pays 2.5 dollars to speak with America. * * * — Filming has begun these days on the documentary “Tomorri - Albania’s Olympus,” with a screenplay by P. Balliu and cinematography by G. Haxhihyseni and B. Starova. * * * — These days, a 30-year-old Albanian Macedonian, wanted by Interpol for two months, was arrested in Shijak. He is accused of a murder committed in ... * * * — In one of the neighborhoods of Lurë, 18-year-old I. was ... accidentally.

— Eurosport and RT Quatro will be the two new stations that residents of the capital can watch starting today via satellite connection. * * * — The Democratic Youth Forum branch in Burrel organized a fashion show featuring 20 young models. * * * — In the outskirts of Fier, during a dispute involving a death, 23-year-old citizen A. Llumi was stabbed to death and another citizen was injured. The police are searching for the perpetrator. * * * — In the city of Berat, 120 weddings were registered during July; there were 450 such weddings across the whole district.

— Sarandë and the city of Nashar in Malta established twinning relations these days. The relevant protocol was signed in Sarandë by the two mayors. * * * — The Agricultural Commercial Bank branch in Gjirokastër, compared with the same period last year, has increased fixed-term savings deposits sixfold. * * * — The German-Austrian-Albanian company “Dersch Gitac Seba Hakt” won the tender, in which 16 companies took part, for the construction of the Kërrabë water supply system. * * * — The English charity “Forca

the charity—has been helping for two years with the reconstruction and equipping of the hospital network in the districts of Dibër, Pukë, and Mirditë. * * * — The cost of tourism development in the area around Butrint will be 200 million dollars, and the same amount will be spent on infrastructure, according to a plan by the company “AX Holding” from Malta. This plan was approved in recent days by the territorial planning council of the district of Sarandë. * * * — According to an inspection by the State Control Directorate in Tirana, serious violations of legal provisions were found at the Transport Equipment Trading Enterprise, with a total value of 7 million and 700 thousand lekë.