- Nothing, if the DP does not begin its reflection with the votes of 26 July and 6 November. They showed that parliamentary representation does not correspond to today’s Albanian reality Minister Anagnosti resigns, emphasizing that on 6 November Berisha lost At last, one of the ministers, Anagnosti of Culture, resigned, revealing more openly what is simmering in the PD camp. As has become known, in a letter addressed to the prime minister he also states that the failure of 6 November is Berisha’s defeat, and that the government has never seriously analyzed the results of the referendum. Although belated (he should have resigned long ago, when he saw that culture was being destroyed), this is a step that should be welcomed. At last, all efforts to preserve the façade of unity, to give the impression of change, and to defend to the very end the legal violations committed during the campaign are falling apart. And if parliament began its post-referendum work with the draft law on gambling, Berisha and the PD pulled themselves out of their initial confusion and put forward a new card for propaganda consumption. Both the party and the president are pretending to reflect and to feel the need for change. In the PD-affiliated and opposition press alike, people began talking about changes in the government, far-reaching changes, corruption in ministries, etc. As always, this was accompanied by a report from the State Audit Commission, presented by Blerim Çela; this too was symbolic, as if to show Albanians that the methods of struggle had not changed: propaganda smoke would again be used, and here and there a scapegoat as well. Not a day goes by without talk of far-reaching changes and the mention of ministers’ names and lists, truly sowing an atmosphere of terror among government members, who wait with frozen hearts to see where the axe will fall and what labels will accompany it: incompetence, corruption, etc. And at last the first one gave the signal, warning all the ministers, with the exception of the PD. But can the removal of some ministers and other senior officials really be called change and reflection? If, for example, Bashkim Kopliku is removed, will it be possible to rectify the illegal privatizations through which, by means of party boards, the property of a large number of Albanians was stolen in favor of the party’s businesspeople? Can such things at least be prevented from happening again when the Albanian parliament has no intention of passing a law or discussing a privatization strategy? So what can removing Bashkim Kopliku alone and replacing him with someone else achieve? Can removing Agron Musaraj and replacing him with someone else bring change, when it is known that the minister is not the one who personally detained people without cause and used violence in police stations, violence that even led to citizens’ deaths; nor is the minister himself the one who prevents peaceful demonstrations and protests by workers and political parties, but rather it is the «mother party» that controls this ministry above the law, while the minister is its loyal soldier. Albanians know that Fatos Nano, as chairman of the Socialist Party, did not condemn either Fatos Dervishi or Arben Çelesh(i), Gjakut and Agim Bendo, or Prelë Martini. Albanians know that nothing will change if other, new and unfamiliar names are put in place of these names, as may indeed happen. They know that nothing will change, and the newspaper will be shut down again, and even the innocent will be found guilty, as long as party leadership and directives remain over the prosecutorial and judicial bodies and those bodies are not independent even on paper. Of course, nothing can change when all state administration employees have the threat of dismissal hanging over them like a sword, when there is the financial police, when even those who advertise their products in «Zëri i Popullit» are pursued, etc., etc. So, is the PD capable of making changes? The answer to this question is NO. Albanians, too, said NO to the PD on 6 November. It is not true that Albanians voted that day on the constitution. Everyone knows that very few people knew the draft and very few knew what it was about. But that day Albanians said NO to the continuation of legal violations, human rights violations, political imprisonment, and the persecution of the opposition. They said NO to the party-state, the party police, party courts, the party presidency, party television, party diplomacy. At the same time, they said YES to changes and corrections which, as can be seen, the PD is not capable of making. Nothing will change if Meksi leaves and Leksi comes in, even if he has a beard in addition to a moustache. The crux lies somewhere else, there, in parliament. Today the Albanian electorate has changed, the PD has splintered; other parties have appeared on the scene and parliamentary representation does not correspond to reality. The Albanian parliament does not represent Albanian reality. The sooner new elections are held, the better it will be for everyone. For the PD itself, too. Albania needs a balanced parliament where the need for consensus and compromise is felt, where the parties need one another. Ridiculous coalitions may serve propaganda purposes, but how long can this last? They may hold for a month, two, three. Then what? Well, today the PD is ready for such coalitions. But the two votes that were held, those for local government on 26 July and the vote on 6 November, were two loud alarm bells showing where one must begin. And it has begun.

- Residents of villages flooded by Lake Fierza warn the government - After 30 November, residents of the villages flooded by the lake of the Fierza hydroelectric plant are ready to begin a new hunger strike in the district of Kukës and in other northern areas affected by these floods. This statement was made by Jahir Tota, head of the hunger strike organized a few months ago in the district of Kukës, and also a member of the board of the association of those flooded by Lake Fierza. The previous strike, which led to clashes between the strikers and other residents of Kukës and other northern districts on the one hand and police forces on the other, forced the government at the time to sit down with the strikers and sign an agreement with them to resolve their problems. This meeting took place on 12 May of this year, and the agreement between the government and the strikers included six points for meeting their demands. According to Mr. Tota, not a single point of this agreement has been fulfilled to date. Although the government subsequently issued Decision No. 306, dated 30 June 1994, no measures have been implemented so far, even though the association of flood victims has been ready and has fulfilled all its obligations. In fact, land was allocated to residents of the flooded areas in the former Karavasta marshland, but according to the association these are salty, unproductive lands, which have not been converted into farmland despite years of efforts. The association emphasizes that its demands would be met with an allocation of 2,000 hectares. Mr. Tota also emphasizes that although the President of the Republic issued Decree No. 886, dated 12 July 1994, to provide credit support to villagers who would be relocated from the flooded villages, nothing has been done to implement this decree so far. A few days before the referendum on the constitution, the prime minister issued an instruction for the Agricultural Commercial Bank to provide loans to these villagers. But this instruction is formal and intended only to deceive the villagers before the referendum, because it was not accompanied by the allocation of the corresponding funds to the Agricultural Commercial Bank. Representatives of the association of flooded areas also have objections regarding the matter of construction and the designs of the new houses they are asking to have built for them. Under these circumstances, when they see that they do not (Continued on page 2)

Yesterday’s plenary session was opened by the chairman of the presidium, Pjetër Arbnori, with a request to place on the agenda, under an accelerated procedure, the draft law «On Amnesty» on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the Homeland. However, according to Arbnori, the presidium and the chairmen of the parliamentary groups had been unable to reach consensus on the amnesty request submitted by two groups of deputies: one from the PD, accompanied by a draft law, and the other by deputies from the PS, PSD, PD and the independent group. Since the matter has remained unresolved, Mr. Pjetër said, we must discuss it and decide. Mr. Spahiu, chairman of the PD parliamentary group, suggested that this matter could be settled without lengthy discussion by the deputies, and therefore requested five minutes to make another attempt to find common ground among the parliamentary group leaders. This was achieved. Parliament ultimately decided that the request of the PD group of deputies and the corresponding draft law would be examined by the Committee on Laws today, (Continued on page 2) of the SP; PSD; PD and independent groups. Although the matter remains unresolved; said Mr. Pjetër; (Continued on page 2)

Meeting of the veterans of this district Shkodër In honor of 23 November, which marks the founding of the antifascist youth organization, and 29 November, the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Shkodër and all of Albania, as well as the formation of the 27th Assault Brigade, the veterans’ committee of this district organized a commemorative meeting yesterday morning. Veterans, partisans who took part in the liberation of Shkodër, relatives of martyrs, etc. were present at the event. The meeting spoke of the glorious heroism of that year in the struggle for freedom. The partisans of the National Liberation Army are always proud of the fact that they fought alongside the largest anti-fascist coalition against the enemy and its collaborators. The heroism of the people of Shkodër, like that of all Albania, has throughout history been boundless; it was also so during the five years of the National Liberation Anti-Fascist War, when the epic of eternity and the sublime sacrifice for freedom and democracy were written in blood. The lives and deeds of 140 heroes and martyrs whom Shkodër gave to the homeland are written in this epic. 29 November, as the day of the liberation of Shkodër and, at the same time, all Albania, is non-negotiable, because the blood of the fallen is non-negotiable. Veteran Hysen Alibali, former cadre of the 27th Assault Brigade, shared recollections of the formation of this brigade and the battles fought by its partisans. The participants at the meeting were also greeted by Sapedin Stankaj, chairman of the steering committee of the PS district. MUSA KURTULAJ

Revenge — the PD’s true «reflection» after the people’s No During the referendum on the constitution, Berat became another center for the escalation of police violence and terror. Faced with this violence, as in other cases, various citizens, members and supporters of the Socialist Party and other opposition parties [the following text is unclear]. The motives for this political withdrawal [unclear]. What they are dealing with is simply politics. What they were unable to achieve with numerous rallies and «loud» propaganda and TV, what was not accepted through administrative means, was achieved by organizing the forces of state terror and attempting to find pretexts — [unclear]. BERAT: Without any cause, on the date ... (text faded and partly illegible) ... Police forces are imposing fines on many PS representatives at polling stations on referendum day. With the aim of [unclear] this day in the city of Berat, demonstrations of police forces brought from Tirana are being held. On 17.11.1994 the family of Bardhosh Haxhiu became the target of violence: they detained and brutally beat his sister Minerva Hasani and his two sons, Genci and Bernard Hasani. Genci Mane was forcibly taken from a café and beaten in a bestial manner, breaking his teeth and causing numerous wounds. The same was done to citizens Theodhor Ndreu and Eljon Kajazi, who were detained and unjustly beaten. Many families live in fear and anxiety of such searches and raids by «Brisku». KUTALLI: In the commune of Kutalli, with around 9,000 voters, on 5 and 6 November 1994, forces gathered to «experiment» with the «Libohovë» method. The police escort, led by Edmond Koxhakau, Edmond Fishta, Luta Cala, Afrim Zyberi, Gëzim Cala, Fatmir Baro, Enver Dyli, etc., carried out Gestapo-style operations. At 26:00 on 5 November, in the village of Donofrosë, Zejnepa Dervish, a schoolteacher [unclear], was improperly taken from her home. She was brutally beaten and then taken to the Berat public order center. At the Berat public order branch, she was tortured by police officers; torture instruments, iron objects and even a carbine were used, and against her [text breaks off]. (Continued on page 2)

Durrës DEMOCRACY UNDER THE KNIFE: ... OF DECEPTION The so-called «Democracy» is growing richer by the day in the branding of shame and crime. The violation of Albanians’ free conscience deepens the descent, while [unclear] between dream and reality. The inhuman scenes of revenge against political opponents have become part of people’s lives, sowing revulsion and hatred toward their perpetrators. Lule Jazerxhiu, a PS member and member of a polling station in the Sukth neighborhood, has been brutally beaten and threatened by a Shijak public-order officer who, on orders from above, carried out his assigned task in the same way. The marks of the wounds on her body are evidence of this. It is not difficult to understand the purpose of these shameful scenes in Shijak. On 6 November, this polling station was to be moved from the neighborhood for the dictatorship as far as Elbasan, although there was no [unclear] there. ... SIRELA NDINI

The activists of the Socialist Party of the Kolonjë district analyzed their work in connection with the result of the November 6 referendum. In this referendum, said the report delivered by the chairman of the district’s SP, Sotor Kokeri, 89.4 percent of registered voters took part, and 64.1 percent voted against it. In all the communes and municipalities of the district, the draft constitution was told No. Compared with the July 26 elections, the Kolonjë electorate that supported the socialist alternative showed an increase of 2 percent; the city of Leskovik clearly contributed to this. During the referendum campaign, the party gave priority to centers with the greatest population density, and the voting results confirmed that this work had been worthwhile, which means that in the future, too, specific work must be carried out for every area and village. An analysis of the referendum results shows that the SP has a stable electorate in the Kolonjë district, both in the city and in the countryside. But it is the duty of the party bodies and the local-government bodies led by socialists to organize their work in such a way as to continually strengthen the party’s ties with the electorate. The Kolonjë people’s intuition and dissatisfaction with the difficult economic and social situation shifted them to the left. Therefore, it is also a task for the future that the governing councils of each ...; the party presidium in the district work with detailed programs for the future. Starting from the fact of how the referendum campaign was conducted and who conducted it; although the SP, as the main political force in the district, bore the brunt of it; the positions of the PSD and PDNJ should also be assessed. Victory was prepared by an intensive campaign; while optimism about the district’s political situation before the referendum did not ... (Continued on page 2)

- 120 new members were admitted - On Tuesday afternoon, the socialists of the city of Korçë held a review of their work on the results of the November 6 referendum, with a very broad turnout. Present were the chairpersons of the city organizations; members and supporters; activists involved in the polling-station committees. The meeting became a warm discussion, in which various speakers highlighted the work done in those days and noted the words [as printed: “fjalët”] of the voting in increasing the people’s votes. It seemed to be the wish of all the citizens of Korçë, and not only those attending the meeting, that this time the PD be given a forceful NO. This was evident among many citizens, who were not only interested in a high-turnout vote but also continually sought to get involved in ensuring that the work went smoothly. The chairman of the district’s SP, Niko Pa... (Continued on page 2)