Meetings between the leaders of the Socialist Party and members and sympathizers continue From yesterday's meeting in Tirana The socialists challenge Berisha and his party once again. This time in the center of the Albanian capital, Tirana. The vice chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania, Prof. Servet Pëllumbi, the chairman of the parliamentary group of the Socialist Party of Albania, Namik Dokle, members of the leadership of the Socialist Party of Albania Ulqin and Poçi, the municipal councilors Reçi, Shallvari, and Xhoja were once again warmly welcomed at the Academy of Arts by more than 700 residents of Tirana's Zone 10 in a hall where the victory of the socialists was shouted three times as loud. The vice chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania, Servet Pëllumbi - arriving from Lushnja where the armed instruments of the state are once again exercising violence - described the meeting, the seventh in this socialist tour, as a completely normal activity in the conditions of a democratic society. “It has never happened that members and sympathizers of the Socialist Party of Albania disrupt the meetings of other political forces; on the contrary, others have used violence against us. But we will continue our path,” said the vice chairman of the Socialist Party. “We are witnesses,” he continued, “to a backlash which, according to the scenario set in motion by segments of the state, SHIK, the police, thuggish phalanges, is directed against a legitimate, parliamentary party with broad support among the people. “If this backlash and this violence continue, we warn that our tolerance must not be abused. Otherwise, the right arises for us to turn to the people to defend pluralism, democracy; the electorate must defend its alternative and its party,” said Prof. Servet Pëllumbi. (continues on page 2)

Statement by the Parliamentary Group of the Socialist Party of Albania The approach of the parliamentary elections has hardened the state. The acts, until now sporadic, against the opposition have begun to become more organized. In this context our parliamentary group strongly denounces the actions organized by the state organs and paid agents against the opposition. They have sought, through violence and force, to disrupt meetings with the people, with members and sympathizers of opposition political parties. This is what happened with the meetings of PAD and PSD, as we have read in the press, and especially intense have been the attacks against the political activities of the Socialist Party. This grouping of political forces that is being targeted is not accidental. They are precisely the ones that have gained the greatest reputation as an opposition, they are precisely the ones that were at the head of the line-up against the Berisha project in the constitutional referendum of 6 November. Meanwhile, tricks are also being used against the right, especially by narrowing its legislative space. The latest, but also the most scandalous, case was the one that occurred in Lushnje, where a group of thugs organized by SHIK and police officers, arriving from Berat, violently prevented the holding of a political event in which the deputy chairman of the Socialist Party, Servet Pëllumbi, and the MPs Musa Ulqini, Ibrahim Baçi and Vladimir Metani were to take part. The phalanx commanded by Alfred Haxhiu, head of public order in Berat, Ylli Sefa, a SHIK officer, Mersin Kaso, a tax police officer, etc., enthused by the speeches of the chairman of the Democratic Party Sali Berisha, who brilliantly violated the Constitution and called them “bouquets of flowers for democracy,” unleashed on the people of Lushnje and the MPs the full arsenal of state hooliganism and their own banditry. The people of Lushnje endured, as they have endured at other times. As did the people of Shkodër when these kinds of phalanges killed Xhovalin Çekini. As did the people of Berat when some boys were beaten during the Referendum. The people have endured because they have thought, and still think, that these problems should be resolved by law and Constitution. They expect Berisha and the power he leads to fulfill their constitutional duty to guarantee the free vote and the peaceful transfer of power into the hands of that political force which this free vote will choose. We ask the head of state to state publicly what measures he will take to guarantee the free vote? What measures will he take to ensure that the opposition is not hindered in its political activity? What measures will he take to prevent tension from rising and conflictual policies from being fabricated, often also encouraged by his speeches? What measures will he ultimately take to guarantee his decree on political manifestations and activities, which Mr. Berisha has still not changed? We tell the phalanges not to play with the people's patience and tolerance. We tell the authorities not to abuse the hooliganism and weapons of the police. We tell the head of state to guarantee the constitutional rights of the opposition. If he cannot do this, or worse, if he does not want to do this, even worse, then let him not try to do the opposite, the people have the undeniable right to defend their constitutional rights. The opposition will stand by the people. The PS Parliamentary Group 25.10.1995

After Shefqet Peçi, they seek to kill another Hero of the anti-fascist resistance, Bedri Spahiu. Read on page 2

Fatos Nano “The opposition to communism is not anti-communism because very often it resembles communism itself. The opposition to communism is tolerance, respect for the law” Read on page 3

Read on page 12

-Interview with Mr. Spartak Poçi -Housing is an acute problem; over 4 years only 10,500 apartments have been completed, started back in 1990. -About 400 villages with a population of 1.4 million inhabitants are inaccessible by vehicles for at least part of the year. -The government should implement the detailed program for rehabilitating the existing roads, drawn up also with foreign expert contributions, and should not divert the funds for electoral purposes. -Tourism activity is completely out of control, when the whole world has a highly qualified and competent system to monitor it. Page 4

N o t i c e On Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at the headquarters of the Socialist Party of Albania in Tirana, the meeting of the General Steering Committee of the Euro-Socialist Youth Forum of Albania will take place. The members of the Steering Committee are informed to attend. Presidency of FRESSH