Message from the chairman of the Socialist Party and Prime Minister of Bulgaria Zhan Videnov addressed to the SSPA Message from the chairman of the Socialist Party and Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Zhan Videnov, addressed to the SSPA THE ELECTION VICTORY WILL AFFECT RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR PARTIES AS WELL AS AT THE STATE LEVEL Dear comrades, On the occasion of the full success of the early free democratic parliamentary elections, we would like to express our deep satisfaction and thank you for the warm congratulations you sent us on the final victory of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and its coalition partners. We particularly appreciate your response to our invitation to send your representatives as observers at the elections; through their objective assessments, they contributed to the conduct of democratic elections in accordance with the law. This is especially important given the complex domestic situation in the country and the interest of certain forces in discrediting the electoral process. We take this opportunity to inform you that, of the 48 parties that participated in the elections, five parties passed the 4 percent threshold and will be represented in Parliament. Contrary to expectations, 75.21 percent of the country’s population took part in the voting. Of the total number of voters, 43.5 percent of valid votes were for the Socialist Party and its coalition, 24.23 percent for the Union of Democratic Forces, 6.51 percent for the Popular Alliance, 5.44 percent for the Movement for Human Rights and Freedoms, and 4.73 percent for the Bulgarian Business Bloc. On the basis of these results, the distribution of seats in Parliament will be: Bulgarian Socialist Party and its coalition, 125 seats; Union of Democratic Forces, 69 seats; Popular Alliance, 18 seats; Movement for Human Rights and Freedoms, 15 seats; Bulgarian Business Bloc, 13 seats. The Bulgarian Socialist Party and its coalition achieved a convincing victory and are able to assume full responsibility for the executive and exercise it in accordance with the Constitution. The total number of seats in Parliament is 240. With 125 seats, the Bulgarian Socialist Party and its coalition have an absolute majority. Nevertheless, in accordance with the decision adopted by the Supreme Council during the pre-election period, our Party will seek to establish a form of government based on broad public agreement, one that will respond as fully as possible to the specific situation in the country and the need for consensus on the main issues facing the country and society in the various spheres of our political and public life. We regard this election victory not only as a positive factor in relations between the parties, but also as a stimulus for cooperation at the state level. Dear friends, we wish you a Happy New Year 1995 and every success in your future work, which carries great responsibility. ZHAN: VIDENOV. Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Socialist Party of Bulgaria.

Those who carried out and directed the crime of the “Nano Case,” and those who executed his arrest and imprisonment, failed to achieve all the objectives they had set out to accomplish. Neither Fatos Nano’s political elimination nor his depersonalization was achieved, and neither the division nor the liquidation of the Socialist Party was accomplished. On the contrary, Fatos Nano, a political prisoner and a determined, implacable opponent of Berisha’s gestating regime, irreconcilably opposed to all those who want to establish a dictatorial state or who find it easy to put little Albania up for auction in the Balkans, has further enhanced his political standing and the confidence of the Albanian electorate in him. Nano is in prison, in reality. But those keeping him imprisoned are also in prison. While Nano’s authority continues to grow, the prestige of those who imprisoned him has been almost completely destroyed. If at first it was thought that, unless Fatos Nano was arrested, the Democratic Party would split, they are now convinced that unless Fatos Nano is released as soon as possible, the DP will be transformed irreversibly and the political situation in Albania will become even more complicated. But the need to release Fatos Nano is undeniable. Fatos Nano must be freed because he is innocent. The trial conducted at every level clearly demonstrated that not a single fact or charge against him was proven. At his trial, Fatos Nano denounced the political trap set for him by his opponents. He denounced that his trial and conviction on May 7 were political, carried out by a “discredited director” of a discredited regime. Now that public opinion is learning of the open statements by the chairman of the Court of Cassation, it is becoming even more convinced of the political nature of Fatos Nano’s imprisonment. Fatos Nano must be freed to unblock the political situation in Albania. Keeping in prison, as a political prisoner, the chairman of the country’s largest opposition party, at a time when the weight, authority and role of the Par- (Continued on page 3)

- Strong opposition from the Socialists; improvements demanded - The death penalty remains, with cases restricted Yesterday, the Penal Code of the Republic of Albania was approved in principle by Parliament, with votes in favour, none against and 3 abstentions, following a debate. Since November of last year, the new Penal Code had been submitted to members of the Parliamentary Committee on Laws and other committees for review and discussion. Particular attention and interest followed the declaration by a delegation of the European Parliament that “Albania can be admitted to the Council of Europe once it has new Penal and Procedural Codes.” The reasoning seems to favour the need for this Code in light of Albania’s domestic conditions and the creation of a state governed by the rule of law, rather than the somewhat hollow slogan, “For show, for Europe.” In any case, the Code was discussed in principle in Parliament yesterday. The Socialist opposition voiced its assessment, while the chairman of the Committee on Laws, Halit Shamata, presented the Committee’s work, including the key points, the proposed improvements and the issues that, in his view, should not be changed. Femhi Abdiu, deputy chairman of the Socialist group of MPs— (Continued on page 3)

- Statement by MP Pandeli Majko in Parliament - Honourable MPs! I asked to speak at this session to inform you, but also to express my protest concerning the brutal and illegal actions carried out by the Kastriot police against a group of Eurosocialists. They were returning to their homes in Trogzohinë after taking part in the Second National Meeting of the Eurosocialist Youth Forum. As it approached the town of Kavajë, the bus in which the members of the Eurosocialist Forum were travelling, and which had been chartered for them to attend the organisation’s political event, was stopped and detained by the police. After all the passengers had been fined and the bus impounded, the chairman of the Eurosocialist Forum of Rrogozhinë was arrested... ...along with 8 others, and they were taken to police cells, thus committing an unprecedented act of arbitrariness. As soon as the leaders of the Eurosocialist Forum learned of this serious incident, they immediately contacted the Ministry of the Interior to resolve the situation. I wish to declare that we will continue to follow the full course of this incident in order to make clear to everyone that “the law and morality of our time cannot be made by a policeman’s uniform.” Regarding this matter, and especially the cruel treatment inflicted on the members of the Eurosocialist Forum in the Kavajë police cells, I request that the parliamentary Committee on Defence, Public Order and the SHIK also discuss it as soon as possible. The victims have names. Thank you! Are they deaf, or do they not want to hear?! Yesterday RD published the following notice on its front page: “Renowned jurist Kristaq Traja appeared for a few days as a name on the phantom and illegal commission for drafting a draft constitution by the PS, as one of its key figures, even before it had been written. When questioned by an RD journalist, Mr Traja forcefully rejected this claim, calling it ‘manipulation and deception of public opinion.’ Such acts are the result of the despair and tendency of the PS forces and their ‘youngsters’ to create new tension in Albanian political life, while always ‘seeking’ consensus and compromise, with the ‘good’ intention of finding ‘common ground’ and providing the country with a ‘constitution.’” We regret the smearing of the well-known constitutional specialist Mr K. Traja. We regret even more that his name is being instrumentalised in such a way by RD, which uses him to draw “brilliant conclusions” that “such acts are the result of the despair and tendency of the PS forces and their ‘youngsters’ to create new tension in Albanian political life...” For the information of the PS “little men” who lie so irresponsibly, we tell you that Kristaq Traja was not nominated by the PS to work in the group of experts on the draft “constitution.” Not because the PS does not value Mr Traja’s recognised expertise as a constitutionalist, but because, unfortunately, he was nominated by the Republican Party itself. But for RD’s “attackers,” only the PS exists. All the worse for them. THE OBSERVER

- Interview with Dr Ermelinda Meksi, PS MP, by journalist Erjon Braçe - - Near the PS, round-table meetings with economic specialists on specific issues have begun, organised by the party’s respective committees. - Question: Since 1992, there has been frequent discussion of economic reform. We would like to know your opinion of it. Answer: Property reform is at the heart of economic transformation, and the foundation of economic reform is the conditions for developing a market economy. Since I support the market-economy alternative based on mixed ownership, I would emphasise that this requires: - Reducing state ownership until its dominance is eliminated in favour of private ownership. - Even so, on a global and general scale, state ownership should remain strong in the future as well. What matters here is modernising it and making it competitive under market-economy conditions. Privatisation is, under conditions of sovereignty, a good and rapid way to reduce state ownership and strengthen private ownership. But privatisation should never be considered an end in itself; rather, it is a necessary means of modernising the Albanian economy and its structure within the framework of a market economy and the development of society and the economy. The modernisation of Albanian society and the economy should be the strategic goal of a reform leading towards a social market economy. The result of the development process will be an efficient economy based on the dominance of private ownership, competition, economic solidarity, social care that reduces inequality of opportunity, and the protection of cultural values, tourism and the natural environment. Of course, today’s political, economic and social situation does not yet ensure the possibility of rapid economic growth or transformation without tension. But I think that transparency and the mobilisation of the country’s greatest intellectual potential can provide guarantees for these transformations. The domination of private ownership is achieved through... - Privatisation of state assets. - Stimulating private investment by opening new businesses. Both should proceed in parallel, but today the social consequences of the first path in our economy are also significant. Question: How do you assess privatisation to date? Answer: The process so far has taken an extremely wrong course, and the legislation has led to corruption in the administration and in the very legalisation of national wealth. Privatisation in Albania is following a completely original path, in the sense of a practice not followed in any other country. This originality lies in the aim of favouring certain people connected to those in power. Privatisation has been carried out mainly on the basis of Council of Ministers Decision 16 of May 1993, which exceeded even the powers of the 1991 law—a highly transitional law intended to open the way to privatisation, but certainly not to serve on its own as the basis for privatising the entire economy! The overstepping of these powers is evident because: - While Law No. 7514 of 10.8.1991 states that “Privatisation shall take place through auctions, the sale of shares, free of charge, etc.,” Council of Ministers Decision No. 216 of 27.5.1993 states only “car- (Continued on page 3)

- Current toll of victims of the earthquake in Japan - Reports from Japan say that by yesterday up to 3,500 people had been found dead following the powerful earthquake in Kobe, and the number of injured had reached 300,000. 11,000 buildings have been completely destroyed and 200,000 people have lost everything; television footage shows a veritable holocaust. People are moving through the city searching for a piece of bread, food or medicine, because everything has been destroyed. Meanwhile, fires are raging and gas pipes are exploding. The port is closed and relief efforts are facing difficulties. The United States, Britain, France and Russia have sent immediate aid to Japan. Search operations continue to find people under the rubble.

It is a curious fact that Durrës, a city that has carried significant weight in the national economy, with almost one hundred thousand inhabitants and a reputation for its light and food industries, today finds itself in an almost complete paralysis of production and trade, with foreign investment absent. The private economy dominates this city, but has developed in only one direction: trade. In this context, the number of bankruptcies is ... In 1995, and the possibility of foreign investment. The private economy dominates this city, developed in only one direction: trade. In the context of registrations, in these three markets. At a time when more than 80 percent of industry is not operating, and the financial means to invest in industrial production are very limited, people saw trade as the only source of income. Half the city continues to base its livelihood on petty trading or smuggling. For seven years, while there are nearly 3,000 children and young people, mainly, who have taken to the roadsides or markets of bankruptcy, nearly ... The causes of bankruptcy are more or less the same for everyone: inability to pay shop rent, high taxes, the increase in customs duties, a sharp decline in purchasing power because of high prices, etc. Meanwhile, a wave of bankruptcies has emerged in the private sector, along with other causes that compound the difficulties of operating under conditions of development... MIRELA NDINI

Read on page 2 7 MILLION DOLLARS JUST FOR CUSTOMS DUTIES. WHAT ABOUT THE PROFIT?