- After the former property owners, it is now forcefully attacking political persecutées as well, thus losing its own social base. - The loss of its social base leaves the DP without the legitimacy of the people’s vote. - Early elections—the only lawful way out—to contain the crisis, avoid violence and police terror, and guarantee the future. The hunger strike by the politically persecuted ended thanks to their determination and the professionalism of the police, which, through its “dialogue” with our batons, turned them from their cells into participants in the strike at Tirana prison. But the strike’s epilogue also marks the prologue to a new drama in the country’s political life, especially concerning the position of the party in power toward accumulated problems that have once again surfaced. The hunger strike by the politically persecuted once again brought the DP into sharp relief, showing it in a fierce conflict with at least one major guiding force. These conflicts mean that the DP and the state it governs now stand on elements that have been disparaged. By its stance toward the hunger strike by the politically persecuted, the DP lost one of the “marble pillars” on which it relied and which it hoped would remain loyal to it forever. The first pillar, that of the former property owners, has long been cracked and crumbled, its members scattering among the other parties vying to seize the banner of the return of property. The second “pillar,” that of the former politically persecuted, received its fatal blow from the DP’s leading representative. By extinguishing the branch on which it itself stood, the DP now appears to have no supporting social base. Its claims that no one… [text continues outside the frame] …has been abandoned by the electorate that gave it its votes in a —[?]— manner, in the name of true democracy and a new society. The other social groups that gave it their votes did so with such scale, desire and satisfaction, of the position. The DP can now be called only a party of the state administration. The administration, by its nature more fragmented than politics itself, is ready to change its temporary “party”… and so its “discipline of the herd” is also temporary and can easily unravel. The political amalgam called the Democratic Party is now in a phase of accelerated precipitation. This is one of the conflicts in which the DP finds itself after the hunger strike. The dismissive treatment of its statements shows that this party is entirely failing to find the strength to understand and analyze the situation that has arisen. But it must analyze and confront the people and the other conflicts brought to the surface by the hunger strike. One of these conflicts is between the philosophy and policy the DP has pursued from its founding until today, on the one hand, and the philosophy and policy it now claims it intends to apply in the current circumstances. The DP’s attacks on the hunger strikers are, in essence, attacks on the policy it has pursued up to now. These include all its actions against … [?] … and, together with the policies of ordinary criminality, usurpation and the noose: against the denial and violation of the values created by the Albanian people during the dictatorship, against the historic role of political organizations and groups during the last half-century, etc. The historical memory of peoples preserves events from the depths of centuries; while the memory of events from the last three years is extremely… [text continues outside the frame] [Text fragment cut off at the top edge.] ...distributed among the other parties that were ... fighting to seize the flag of ... plundering property. “The column of the ...”, she was politically persecuted ... who received the fatal blow. Directly from the PD. By ... grafting the branch on which it stood, the PD thus appears to have no supporting social base. Its calls that no one can separate them from the politically persecuted ... by the PD express only the ... that the awareness of ... arouses. A broken pane cannot be glued back together ... The loss of the social base of former owners and former political persecuted persons has left the PD definitively without the legitimacy of the people’s vote that brought it to power on March 22, ... ...having faced labeling, attacks, contempt, and political and economic persecution, have for some time pinned their hopes on the parties of... the first test that other political forces might entice their ambitions, both material and moral. The PD’s support among this social group...

WE SOCIALISTS HAVE BEEN AND REMAIN OPPOSED TO VIOLENCE AGAINST THE HUNGER STRIKERS - Dr. Servet Pëllumbi, Deputy Chair of the SP - Asked by our journalist about police violence and the arrests in recent days of hunger strikers from the association of the politically persecuted, the Deputy Chair of the Socialist Party, Dr. Servet Pëllumbi, stated: “We said from the outset that we socialists have been and remain opposed to the violence used against the hunger strikers who came from the ranks of the association of the politically persecuted, just as we firmly condemn the arrests and trials that will follow, to put back in prison those whom the prisons gave a name—a status—and brought together in an association…” …parliamentary initiatives in defense of their demands; it was the first political force to issue a statement in defense of the hunger strikers and to warn of the danger of an “outburst of anger” among those who had been fed up, those who were upset that we called them the “striking force” and “such people of the DP.” Then as now, we… [text continues outside the frame] ...we have been and remain against ... and, which was inflicted on the hunger strikers and... which was inflicted on the hunger strikers and... the politically persecuted, who “dared to ... sought their rights and disrupted Berisha’s ... holidays amid the luxury of ... It is in keeping with the logic... that is being pursued by the one who remains ... from the PD. The Meksi Government and the President himself... Their logic is that... (Continued on page 4) ...against the policy that ... its ... policy of the past. But there are no signs of saving such a life. The attacks the PD is making against the hunger strikers are, to some extent, ... (Continued on page 4)

The Courts: TRIAL OF 5 MINORITY MEMBERS TODAY IN ITS SEVENTH DAY - Witness questioning began - Yesterday, the trial of the five Greek minority members passed its sixth day and entered the phase of questioning the witnesses presented by the prosecution. Interest continues to be high, as reflected in the presence of journalists, representatives of the diplomatic corps, as well as other Greek MPs who appear to have changed their minds. At last, tension in the court premises seems to have eased somewhat, as can be seen from the conduct of the police officers, who are at least treating foreigners more humanely. Inside the courtroom, the prosecutors’ proceedings, with the witnesses and their testimony, were far from proving the espionage charge. Asked whether the charge had so far been substantiated, prosecutor Qeleshi told “Zëri i Popullit”: “We brought it as a charge at the last hearing. At the hearing where we present our closing arguments, it will be established whether it holds or not; nevertheless, we stand by the charge we brought as prosecutors, so that all hearings can proceed to the end.” In any case, let us wait to see whether other witnesses will substantiate the charge brought. At the start of the hearing, lawyer K. Ngjela spoke and requested that the judicial investigation into K. Qiriako be expanded; he was also accused in connection with a seminar held with Interreg funds for TPE. In this context, Ngjela also requested that other witnesses be questioned! Ngjela and lawyer Bilero submitted objections concerning the… …five minority members shown by TVSH, and asked the court to intervene. Questioning of witnesses then continued. The first to appear before the trial panel was witness Theodhori Drico. His few words were: “These people are innocent. I know nothing. I saw a dispute with Bezhahan over the village’s irrigation and water work. I have heard nothing about changing borders or autonomy.” Vasil Blero, chairman of the Delvinë district council, said that he knew of an irregular list containing the names of dismissed education employees, discharged officers and financial police employees. Bilero said he knew nothing about “Omonia” funding. The witness said that Marto had also been present at three meetings with Van Der Shtotel, but he gave no explanation about the second meeting, which Marto insisted on. Nikolla Papaj told the court that he had been at a family celebration in Sebastianë and had also received a crystal gift. He said Omonia was a lawful organization and its activities were open. The list of those dismissed had appeared in the newspaper, where a protest had been published; it had also been made public to Van Der Shtotel and at the most recent meeting. Sotir Qiriazi, chairman of “Omonia,” was interrupted several times while speaking because of his opinions concerning the defendants’ innocence. Continuing (continued on page 2)

Korçë: Law-enforcement forces seek to evict the Socialist Party from its premises - The Prefect of Korçë, Mr. Qerim Kiri, suspends a hasty action by the law-enforcement forces - On Wednesday morning, [text unclear: “of this kind”], but things are different with the SP. SP representatives have several times made inquiries with local government officials at the municipality and district levels, but they do not care and are unwilling to take responsibility for a fair resolution of this problem. For those who deployed the police escorts, Law No. 7502, dated 25.7.1991, which requires state bodies to… [text continues outside the frame] provide normal conditions for the work and activities of these political parties, is of little importance. In the end, Prefect Blerm Kiri had to intervene for the law-enforcement forces to withdraw and to prevent an unjust action. ALI MYFTARI

Statement by the Democratic Alliance Party. We demand the immediate release of the political prisoners. Unable to resolve through dialogue the problems with the National Association of Former Political Prisoners, and having provoked the start of the hunger strike with deeply insulting statements about this long-suffering group, the government and the Democratic Party authorities have unleashed a wave of terror and arrests against the strike participants and their supporters, once again showing the brutal face of a police state that flagrantly violates the laws and the rights and freedoms of citizens guaranteed by law. The Democratic Alliance Party, committed to national democracy and the rule of law and opposed to a police state, strongly condemns state terrorism against the peaceful hunger strikers of the association of former political prisoners and publicly demands today that: 1 - All the thousands of political prisoners who took part in or supported the hunger strike be released immediately and unconditionally. 2 - An immediate end be put to every form of state terrorism against them. 3 - The unlawful blackmail of students of the Faculty of Economics be stopped. 4 - The Prosecutor’s Office hold legally accountable all those who ordered the use of violence against the hunger strikers, those who ordered the new political arrests, as well as the heads of SHIK and the Ministry of Public Order who are manipulating the files of the dictatorship. The Democratic Alliance once again affirms its commitment to resolutely defend, at any cost, the political and civil rights of all former political prisoners and persecuted people. Democratic Alliance Tiranë, 17.08.1994,

News After 27 years in communist prisons, Kurt Kola, chairman of the association of political prisoners and the politically persecuted, ends up behind bars again. So, Sali Berisha’s regime, for which Mr. Kola and all the other persecuted people gave everything, repays them in the same way. Meanwhile, there is no confirmation as to whether Mr. Pjetër Arbnori is still continuing his vacation in the former villas of the Blloku or not, but it is well known that he will not demand the freedom of the political prisoners. ANTON VILA

As we learned from the newspaper «Aleanca», this newspaper’s journalist Ernest Tushe, a former political persecuted person and participant in the hunger strike, serving as spokesperson for the strike committee, was released yesterday morning after spending three days in a cell under arrest. The first news communicated to him was of another restrictive measure: movement would be restricted indefinitely. Correspondent of «Zëri i popullit»

«Who will win the agency’s tender ...» [partly illegible] ★ ★ ★ Difficult, the place ... [partly illegible]

- Without the approval of its editor-in-chief E. Bahani, ... special correspondent of the newspaper Lira, publication of the association ... [partly illegible] ★ ★ ★ - Concerning the misuse of gravel on the Maliq-Korçë-Mollaj road ... [partly illegible] ★ ★ ★ - In Kavajë ... [partly illegible]

... in glass and that of nuts and bolts ... under the conditions of ... employing 2,000 citizens, alongside 1,000 others employed in the private sector. ★ ★ ★ - At the Korçë geology office, the discovery of new reserves was made ... [partly illegible] ★ ★ ★ - With an initial investment of 12 thousand German marks ... [partly illegible]

... in the city of Laç. ★ ★ ★ - Residents of the village of Sharë in Tirana continue to express their concern to the government about the risk posed to the new roads by the earth in this area, which ... [partly illegible] ★ ★ ★ - In Bulqizë, 18 decisions have been made in favor of former owners, and for 22 others in favor of privatization. Legal acts are becoming an obstacle. ★ ★ ★

- The Albanian National Bank reduced the interest rate for its clients by 2 percent. ★ ★ - The national council of the association of former political persecuted persons convened today in a full session; they discussed the violent actions carried out against the hunger strikers. Participants also expressed opposing views. ★ - The staff of the newspaper Aleanca protests against the authorities in power over the arrest ...

STATEMENT The Albanian Helsinki Committee reminds both public opinion and the country’s authorities that in June of this year it organized a symposium whose central topic was the issue of the secret files of the former State Security service. The symposium was attended by a broad range of participants from the country, including representatives of various political entities, as well as participants from abroad. One of the main points around which the debate focused was that this issue should be dealt with specifically in order to provide a complete and definitive solution in the form of a law to be approved by Parliament. Among other things, it was requested that the files not be used prematurely for the political needs of the moment. Cases of people being targeted and identified by reference to the files were denounced. We regret to observe that this practice has not come to an end. The Ministry of Public Order’s communique concerning the hunger strike by the former politically persecuted refers to the participants’ characteristics, describing them as “criminals and former agents of the Security service.” Such an approach is unacceptable under the norms of constructive debate in a democratic system. Determining guilt is the exclusive competence of the judicial authorities. The Albanian Helsinki Committee takes this opportunity to draw attention to the issue of the files, calling for it to be treated with the seriousness it deserves and for every attempt to use the files as a tool in political warfare to be stopped. The Albanian Helsinki Committee

We inform the readers of the newspaper that yesterday’s issue was not published because of a lack of electricity (at the printing house).