5 years after the proclamation of political pluralism

Our society is moving toward political pluralism The full text of the letter that Dr. Servet Pëllumbi addressed on 5 December 1990 to the former First Secretary of the Central Committee of the PPSH and Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Ramiz Alia, can be read on page 2

Declares PSSH General Secretary Gramoz Ruçi to the BBC It is not true that this statement is the result of a meeting of the Defense, Order and SHIK Commission of which I am a member. In no meeting of this Commission, which I have attended, has the event of 2 April been discussed, let alone the phonograms found in the so-called “labyrinths of the Ministry of Internal Affairs”. In order to respect public opinion I want to underline and emphasize with my moral, political and above all legal responsibility that there is no phonogram, let alone one, bearing my signature and the content referred to by the chairman of the Defense, Order and SHIK Commission. Therefore I say this is his fantasy, secondly this is a manipulation of public opinion, thirdly this is a speculation by Azem Hajdari in his role as chairman of a permanent parliamentary commission.

Five years ago, on 12 December 1990, Albanian society entered a new era of its development, that of the establishment of multiparty political pluralism. This is a major historical event, which marked our country’s entry into the currents of democratic development on the model of advanced Western democracies. The proclamation of political pluralism in December 1990 was mainly prompted by the December student movement. For this reason, Albanian society today addresses the students with respect and gratitude. It was our courage [?] that freed the homeland of the Party of Labour to put an end to its poverty [?] economic [?], and it called for the will of the entire people. But the movement for democracy has roots much deeper than December 1990. Our people’s aspirations for democracy date back to the creation of the new Albanian state, and even earlier the dreams of a free and democratic Albania inspired our people in the heroic National Liberation War against the fascist occupiers and their collaborators in the country. With the liberation of the country, the democratic spirit of our people never died out. But the establishment of the totalitarian communist system in our country limited and suppressed these dreams. The democratic intellectual movement that opposed the regime in various democratic ways became the object of persecution and barbaric repression by the communist regime. The existence of different and not contrary alternatives to that of the communist Party was the main feature of the totalitarian state based on the theory of the dictatorship of the proletariat. On the basis of this theory and practice, our country experienced one of its greatest tragedies, that of isolation from the world and the class. Continues on page 4

The First Congress of the Socialist Women’s Forum concluded its work Page 3

Another act by the unlawful state Yesterday our journalist Ardian Myslimi was summoned to the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office, where he was informed of the opening of criminal proceedings on a defamation charge concerning a SHIK employee named Ylli Sefa, who is mentioned as one of the organizers of the disruption of a Socialist Party rally in Lushnje, in the “ZP” article dated 24 October 1995 titled “The paths of the state in action”. This action is the latest in the long list of journalists of “Zeri i Popullit” and opposition press organs in Albania who are subjected to criminal prosecution, which are part of a psychological terror against the political opponents of the regime, with the aim that they remain silent and do not denounce the unlawful actions carried out by segments of the power of the Democratic Party Page 3

After a statement by the President of the Republic about the collapse of the Stability Government Why did Berisha bring down the stability government? He himself had declared: "The PD has decided to strongly support this government for the following reasons: 1) Its creation was welcomed by the entire Albanian people, the democratic forces and international democratic opinion. 2) Its program is truly promising... Read on page 3 “R.D”, dated 15 June 1991

NATIONAL LIBRARY TIRANA