From the meeting of the General Steering Committee: The Socialist Party determined to take power

"Let us fight to dismantle the PD's strategy of tensions, to recognize and burn Berisha's scenarios." The means: the final electoral offensive. The political action in defense of democracy, human rights and freedoms, and of the opposition, is "decisive". The Socialist elected representatives - representatives of the largest part of the Albanian electorate - came out yesterday with this message from their extraordinary meeting held at the Central Headquarters in Tirana. "From today on we must consider ourselves to be in an electoral situation. All the efforts of Meksi and Berisha are directed toward the upcoming elections. The law "On genocide", the law "On some changes in the budget", the new electoral law that is being prepared, are precisely in function of this goal" - the deputy secretary of the PSSH, Professor Servet Pëllumbi, said yesterday before the senior socialist forum and then proposed to it the "creation of a Central Election Commission" which, among other things, would present the draft socialist electoral platform as well as the criteria for socialist candidates. So from 13 October of this year - the day when the Steering Committee of the PSSH will decide on the proposals - the largest Albanian party will function as a single electoral organism with the sole aim: victory in the upcoming elections. Many speakers yesterday spoke in line with this goal, defined not as an end in itself but as a mission to take the democratic processes in the country further. "In such circumstances we are the main political force that can advance democratic processes and save the country from the collapse into which Berisha's PD has thrown it. Objectively, such a mission is assigned to us; the PD has lost the chance given to it by the electorate" - the deputy secretary of the PSSH said yesterday. To meet this mission, the Socialist elected representatives yesterday expressed their support for raising the Party's work to the highest level. For this purpose, the highest socialist forum was presented yesterday with the proposal to convene the PSSH electoral congress, which will approve the socialist electoral platform and the socialist candidates. Everything was outlined yesterday and it seems that after two weeks a vote of confidence will be taken in a kind of special session. The vote of confidence in the pre-election forum will begin next week, on Monday, when the Durrës socialists will gather at a rally in the Sports Palace. (continued on page 2)

Servet Pëllumbi: "Let us fight to dismantle the PD's strategy of tensions, to recognize and burn Berisha's scenarios" Read on pages 2 - 3

Rallies and protests - a legal and democratic means to defend constitutional freedoms and rights

- Interview with Dr. Prof. Rexhep Mejdani given to BBC Radio - -In political terms, democracy and democratic space suffered a considerable blow in the personal struggle within the Democratic Party itself. The megalomania of victory, the refusal to accept defeat, after the surprises in the local government elections, was reflected in the expulsion from the party of the cent[?] group, while after the failure of the Referendum, in the weakening and complete isolation of the Selamist wing. Another political blow to democracy was the imprisonment, through an accelerated procedure, of the socialist leader, which brought Albanian political life to the highest tension. Likewise, the shameless and slanderous attacks against other leaders of the opposition parties were part of this trap-like scenario for democracy. The old Roman maxim "divide and rule" is found in its original form in the splitting into two of several parties and associations, and even of the Albanians of Tro[?]perit in Macedonia. Page 3

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Press communiqué of the General Steering Committee of the Socialist Party The General Steering Committee of the Socialist Party held an extraordinary meeting on 29 September to examine the current political situation in the country. After discussing with a realistic spirit and with special concern all the latest developments; After assessing the political positions of the leadership and the parliamentary group of the SP; After denouncing as anti-democratic the actions of the Berisha regime against the independence of the judicial bodies and the direct aims against the chairman of the SP, Fatos Nano; After stressing that the conflictual and destabilizing policy, as well as the illegal actions of the state and the majority against the opposition, are countered by the people's confidence in our alternatives; The General Steering Committee of the SP decided: Within the next two weeks, broad meetings and consultations are to be held with all structures and levels of the Party and its supporters, and on 13 October 1995 the General Committee is to reconvene to decide on the following issues: 1. The establishment of the Central Electoral Commission of the SP. 2. The convening of its pre-election congress, at which the electoral platform and program and the SP candidacies for the upcoming elections will be discussed and approved. 3. The definition of the electoral map and the district and zone commissions. 4. Increasing the efficiency of the work of the leading structures and improving their organization. 5. Examining the political possibilities for pre-election and post-election alliances. 6. Identifying and more efficiently organizing international support for the SP during the election campaign.

By SEJFULLA MALËSHOVA Page 13