RESOLUTION ON ALBANIA proposed by the Socialist Youth of Austria, the Albanian Eurosocialist Youth, the Social Democratic Youth of Denmark, and the Democratic Left Youth of Italy. The former Prime Minister of Albania and chairman of the Socialist Party, Fatos Nano, was tried in connection with Italian aid. Legal procedures were not observed in his trial. aid. Legal procedures were not observed in his trial. Such a trial appears to be political. It is contrary to the legal principles of a democratic state. But the Nano case is not the only one showing that democracy is facing problems in Albania. We are currently deeply concerned about the unconstitutional process through which the approval of the constitution in Albania is proceeding. The International of Socialist Youth therefore: - condemns the procedures that led to Nano’s imprisonment - demands the immediate release of Fatos Nano - calls on the Albanian authorities to undertake political efforts to approve the constitution by following the principles and basic requirements of a democratic state. This resolution is addressed to the Council of the Socialist International, the Socialist Group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, and the Party of European Socialists. Approved by the Executive Committee of the International of Socialist Youth, 6 November 1994, Vienna. The Executive Committee represents its highest forum after the Congress, which is convened once between congresses. At the latest meeting of the Executive Committee, held in Vienna from 2–6 November, 74 full-member delegations from all continents took part, along with around 32 others that were observer or consultative members, or had been invited to follow the Committee’s proceedings. During the five days, numerous activities took place, including the International of Socialist Youth seminar for students, meetings of the Socialist Youth of Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa, and working groups that drafted resolutions for a new, more democratic economic and political system, as well as several other resolutions, including one on Albania, highlighting the Nano issue and the problem of the Constitution. On 4 November, a ceremony was held to mark the centenary of the founding of the Socialist Youth of Austria. At the plenary session on 6 November, greetings were delivered by the Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and chairman of the Socialist Group in Strasbourg, Mr. Peter Shider, as well as the Vice-President of the Socialist International, Mr. Alfred Gusenbauer, while the Mayor of Vienna hosted a reception for the delegations attending the meeting. But the main issue that made our participation in this meeting necessary was the consideration and voting on our application for full membership... So let us focus on membership. To be admitted at a meeting of the Executive Committee, 100 percent of the votes in favor are required. The path to a vote is very difficult. First, applications are reviewed by the ISY Presidium; if consensus is reached there, they are forwarded to the ISY Bureau for consideration, and only after full consensus is reached there are they submitted to the congress or Executive Committee for discussion and a vote. If a member of the Presidium or Bureau does not give their consent, the application is blocked at the first step. Meanwhile, it is essential to understand the relationships among the organizations or groups within the International in its governing forums. Traditionally, the two most influential groupings in the International of Socialist Youth (and among the parties as well) are the Scandinavian grouping (Sweden, Denmark, Norway), and the Austrian and German grouping, which are also the founders of the International, its principal funders, and dominant in the Presidium and Bureau. If these groupings agree to support an application, it is generally taken into consideration. It is even better when one of these organizations guarantees the candidacy under discussion. In these relationships, we had kept in mind from the outset that we were not in 22 March, and that the people’s outlook had evolved considerably. In the end, the people, indifferent to Berisha’s rallies, had a keen political instinct in declaring that the constitution bore clear signs of personal rule. [The following section continues outside the frame]

The rejection by popular vote in the referendum of 6 November of Sali Berisha’s draft Constitution—his code of law—is a great victory for our people on the road to true democracy. The people showed with their vote that they no longer trust either Sali Berisha or his servile officials. They showed that they oppose the establishment of unlimited power based on violence and repression; they showed that they oppose corruption, incompetence, division, and the political persecution of those who do not think and act in the same way as the democratic majority, “the Leader of the Albanians.” In short, on 6 November Sali Berisha lost political power. In this context, it is clear that the vote on 6 November was first and foremost a political vote. The naïve, political militants and short-sighted power maniacs can go on consoling themselves by saying otherwise. Meanwhile, let us make a supposition: imagine for a moment that Sali Berisha had won. Can you imagine what would have happened?… This is not about the failed reception at the Palace of Brigades, for which arrangements had been made and supplies secured, even including choice grapes. Nor is it about the blaring horns and the motorists’ well-wishers, the whinnying, songs, lustful screams, and frenzied demonstrations by the imported crowds. No, it is about much more. What Berisha said at his grand rallies would have been repeated for months. The stale refrain would have continued: “The people have answered the kissers of Athens and Belgrade,” followed by comments such as: The great consensus has been achieved; the people have definitively broken away from those dreaming of a broken career; the vote and victory in the referendum have been given by the people to the enemies; well done to the people of Peginat, who understood Edit’s words correctly and appreciated his apology; the Albanian electorate has once again shown that it is… Everyone is with the Democratic Party, so there must no longer be any other parties in Albania; 6 November is the day of the great oath, and a whole host of such absurdities. Had Berisha won, 8 November would have been proclaimed a holiday. The self-proclaimed Leader of the Albanians would have organized other referendums too. Since he would have had the exclusive right to call referendums, he could have changed the amendment on the President’s election from four years to, for example, two seven-year terms; he could have outlawed whichever parties he wanted, as long as they “reorkeonte the democratic institutions,” which in Albanian means Berisha’s institutions, etc. Sali Berisha lost. That is why he has become meek. Had he won, you would have seen how he would speak to you. So do not forget: the man who overnight turned from a communist into a democrat in order to become President can become anything in order to remain President. LUAN M. RAMA

— Interview with Ilir Meta, Deputy Chairman of the SPA and FRESSH — You took part in the meeting of the Executive Committee of the International of Socialist Youth. What does this Committee represent, and what was considered at its latest meeting in Vienna? The Executive Committee of the International of Socialist Youth represents its highest forum after the Congress and meets once between congresses. At its latest meeting, held in Vienna from 2–6 [continues outside the image frame]. … full membership of FRESSH in the International of Socialist Youth. In the announcement you sent from Vienna, you mentioned that of 30 applications submitted from Eastern and Central Europe, only that of the Albanian Eurosocialist Youth was accepted. It would be of interest to readers if you explained how this was achieved and what it represents. There are two ways to be admitted to the International of Socialist Youth: at a congress or at … [continues outside the image frame]. … and we have excellent relations with these organizations, as well as with the Spanish, Belgian, Democratic Left Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, French, etc. organizations. At the previous ISY congress in Uruguay, where FRESSH was accepted as an observer member, for the first time the Union of Scandinavian Social Democratic Youth (Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland) acted as guarantor for an organization. With the support of the Austrian Socialist Youth and the German Social Democrats, FRESSH was able to be [continues outside the image frame] accepted as an observer member of the ISY with 100 percent of the votes. As for guaranteeing the application for full membership at the first plenary meeting of the Executive Committee, the Socialist Youth of Austria took the lead (in the past five months three of its delegations have visited Albania at the invitation of FRESSH), along with several meetings in Vienna between FRESSH and the German Social Democrats, supported by the Union of Scandinavian Social Democratic Youth and the other members of the European Committee of Socialist Youth. This was extraordinary support. Thus the application of the Albanian Eurosocialist Youth was passed unanimously by all 74 delegations from around the world. Of around 30 applications submitted by socialist and social-democratic youth organizations in Eastern and Central Europe, only the Albanian Eurosocialist Youth was accepted. Meanwhile, FRESSH is the first organization from the socialist youth of Eastern and Central Europe to be admitted as a full member, while the Socialist Youth of Hungary is also a member of the International. This admission is therefore of extraordinary importance and speaks to the priority that the International of Socialist Youth gives to relations… (Continued on page 4)

Since the evening of 11 November, Kurt Kola, chairman of the National Association of the Politically Persecuted, has declared a hunger strike. Held under house arrest for more than three months, he—who spent over 25 years in the camps and prisons of the dictatorship of the proletariat—is escalating his struggle against Berisha’s regime by going on hunger strike, thus deploying his last weapon. This news was confirmed to “Zëri i Popullit” by a relative of Kurt Kola, who also said that Mr. Kola had sent all his relatives away from the house and was continuing the hunger strike alone. alone.

— Berisha was deceived by his own faith — Berisha must have read or heard Hegel’s saying that history does not repeat itself twice. Even if he has not read it, he must have heard it. The pomp with which he is conducting the election campaign in Albania in spectacular fashion was a pale copy of 22 March 1992. At that time Berisha and those accompanying him were genuine. The population had a successful idea. The PD electorate on 22 March was credible, even though Berisha’s confidence in victory with that procedure and method of collecting votes was … [text cut off/illegible] Berisha tried so that … It is not that we are in 22 March, and starting from … a keen political instinct in declaring that the constitution had clear signs of personal rule. Characters of the kind of … of Salimi and T. Shehu. The constitution is a document that does not … (Continued on page 2) Berisha in politics must understand…

Yesterday, former US President Xhorxh Bush paid a private visit to Albania lasting several hours. He was received by the President, who decorated him with the “Golden Order of Skënderbeu,” with the citation recognizing the assistance this distinguished American and champion of freedom gave to the Albanian people and to other peoples liberated from communist dictatorship. President Bush called the decoration a great surprise and said he was happy. At the meeting between Berisha and Bush, Berisha expressed his own and the Albanian people’s gratitude for the assistance he had given and for the assessment made during the period of communist dictatorship. Berisha also praised the Bush administration’s stance on the Kosovo issue, saying that your drawing of the red line in Kosovo was of decisive importance in stopping the aggressor. Berisha also mentioned some unreasonable blockades and tensions that make things difficult, which can be resolved through dialogue. The press office statement from Berisha’s office does not specify which blockade is meant, but the implication is that it concerns the frosty relations with Athens. According to this statement, Bush met with his wife and said: “Assistance for democracy and Albania is in the interest of the United States, and we seek relations with Albania at the highest level and are proud of this.” Bush also visited the Skënderbeu Museum in Krujë.

Gjirokastër Dozens of Socialist Party members and supporters, party activists, members of voting committees, observers and other campaign workers gathered yesterday morning at a special and moving meeting organized by the chairwoman of the district Socialist Party. Deputies Theodhor Bej and Leontinë Çuçi also took part. The chairman of the district Socialist Party, Resul Llogo, thanked the electoral team and party staff for the referendum result and drew several conclusions, focusing in particular on present and future duties. Strengthened and massively supported by young people, the party and its alternatives will know how to justify themselves and the people’s trust in every circumstance, with responsibility. Notably, to mark the referendum vote, 35 new members of all ages joined the party. Theodhor Bej conveyed greetings on behalf of the General Steering Committee of the PSSH and said that the Socialist Party and its parliamentary group would not cease working for even a moment to consolidate genuine democracy in Albania. Organized in the form of a cocktail reception, the meeting featured conversation, accounts of the events of recent days, songs, photographs and toasts. THANAS DINO

On Monday, 14.11.1994, at 16:00, a meeting of the General Steering Committee of the SP will be held, with the following agenda: “Political situation and the SP’s options for overcoming the constitutional and political crisis in the country.” Presidency of the Socialist Party of Albania

On Monday, 14 November 1994, at 10:00 a.m., in the Meeting Hall of the National History Museum, Mr Idajet Beqiri, Chairman of the Albanian National Unity Party, will hold a press conference on the results of the referendum on the Constitution and the Albanian National Unity Party’s future political position. You are invited to attend.