Meeting of the General Steering Committee The Socialist Party’s authority is enhanced by its correct, constructive and balanced positions in the interests of democracy, its active political struggle, and the realistic alternative it offers the country for the future Yesterday morning, a meeting of the S.P. Steering Committee was held in Tirana. It was a socialist meeting, also attended by socialist MPs. The agenda included an analysis of the crisis into which Berisha’s regime has plunged the country and the definition of active positions for the Socialist Party to address it. On behalf of the leadership, the report was delivered by the party’s deputy chairman, comrade Servet Pëllumbi, who said, among other things: Political developments following the referendum of 6 November bear witness to the policy of continuously escalating the situation, seen by the PD leadership as a means of holding on to power. Berisha’s strategy has aimed, and continues to aim, to: Albania needs to put an end to corruption, theft, plundering of national wealth, incompetence, nepotism, intolerance and political chieftainism. In this situation, progressive political forces—and therefore the Socialist Party too—bear the full weight of the historic responsibility to stop and dismantle such a strategy, which seriously calls into question the future of democracy in Albania. of national wealth, incompetence, nepotism, intolerance and political chieftainism. The Socialist Party publicly denounces the strategy of escalating tension and attacks against political opponents as a dangerous strategy. It has followed with particular attention and concern the specific developments in the political situation after the 6 November referendum. The Me… Government… …the “actors” of Albanian politics as a whole. And the longer its resolution is delayed, the more suitable ground is created for totalitarian tendencies, which compromise democracy and sideline democratic institutions. Despite Berisha’s efforts to recover after the 6 November referendum, the Me… Government has sunk still deeper into incompetence and corruption. The country has a government, but no governance. The prime minister sends draft laws to parliament, while laws are not implemented. The governing coalition also formally came to an end with the official statements of the Republican Party and the Social Democratic Party. The Me… Government is mired in governance. [the article continues beyond the edge of the photograph]

Meeting of the Eurosocialist Youth in Lezhë - MPs, Eurosocialists and a delegation of the Social Democratic Youth of Denmark take part - Meeting of the Eurosocialist Youth in Lezhë “We want to live our youth... Our harbor is Europe” - MPs, Eurosocialists and a delegation of the Social Democratic Youth of Denmark take part - This was an enthusiastic meeting organized by the Eurosocialist Youth Forum of this district, with Eurosocialist guests from the districts of Shkodër, Mirditë and Kurbin taking part. The chairman of the Eurosocialist Forum for the district of Lezhë, Alban Zuri, took the floor. “We are organizing this meeting to reaffirm once again our full commitment to supporting the alternative of democratic socialism, an alternative that belongs to the future and to our integration into the European family,” he said. Standing in the ranks of a major party such as the Socialist Party—which is great not only because of its electorate, but above all because of the great ideals it defends and represents—the emancipatory and progressive role is readily apparent to Eurosocialists. “We are the ones, the Eurosocialists,” it was stressed at the meeting, “who must say: ‘Stop!’ to personal agendas that have turned Albania into a sailboat whose destination is unknown. No, our harbor is Europe. Geographically we belong to it; politically, we must belong to it too.” The demand made at the meeting for the immediate release of the Chairman of the Socialist Party and MP Fatos Nano was greeted with loud cheers for the SP and Fatos Nano. Expressing thanks for the organi- (Continued on page 2)

Among the young Eurosocialist men and women of Dibër gathered at a joyful event the day before yesterday was a delegation of the Danish Social Democratic Youth, led by Hans Stranger and Mikel Frederikson. They were accompanied by Lase Budt, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Danish Social Democratic Party, and Erik Boel, the party’s international secretary. The event organized for the occasion was opened by Xhelil Çibaku, chairman of the Steering Committee of the PS in Dibër. On behalf of the Eurosocialists of Dibër, Luan Manreka, chairman of FRESSH in Dibër, welcomed the Danish guests. Mr Lasse Budt, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Social Democratic Party of Denmark, spoke in his greeting about his impressions of his visit to Albania, the close friendship between the PS of Albania and the PSD of Denmark, and the role of young people in strengthening friendship between the two peoples. The delegation of the Social Democratic Youth of Denmark was accompanied by Ilir Meta, deputy chairman of the PS Steering Committee. A. ASHIKU

Yesterday the Minister of Defence, surrounded by generals, for the 12th time, gave a 40-minute presentation on the progress of army reform, describing it as positive and on the right track. His press conference, held immediately after the one Serreqi gave the day before yesterday, appears to have been planned as part of the calendar of celebrations and activities to commemorate the PD’s coming to power on 22 March 1992. Mr Zhulali called the press conference transparency on the part of the Ministry of Defence, but it was a transparency that addressed only the issues of interest to them. Once again, as on dozens of previous occasions, Mr Zhulali provided no detailed explanations concerning the scandals in which he and his ministry have been involved. According to Zhulali, army reform has proceeded according to a precise strategy, defined when the PD came to power and directed toward political activity. (Continued on page 2)

of national wealth, incompetence, nepotism, intolerance and political chieftainism. First, to recover from the setback of 6 November, fully dominate the segments of power controlled by the PD, and prepare the PD to keep Power alive. Second, to intensify the struggle against the opposition, especially against the Socialist Party, which it has declared its principal enemy and an insurmountable obstacle to achieving its political aims. “Berisha’s regime” is the main cause of the outbreak of political-struggle tensions and of the divisive policy that is assuming deeply worrying proportions. Berisha, it seems, is hurrying to create a suitable pretext for establishing a personal dictatorship. His most recent statements at PD forums, his open assertions in favour of “strongman” rule, calls against the SP and its portrayal as neo-communist, the abusive reactivation of events such as those of February 1991, the claim that “democracy did not come to Albania without blood”—on which the anti-[unclear] propaganda that power will not be relinquished without blood is based—and the deliberate widening of the gap and antagonism between the ruling party and the opposition are all being used to serve a sinister purpose. Through the 6 November referendum, it became clear that [the party] had been unprepared, together with other opposition forces, to resolve the political and constitutional crisis by democratic means. But developments are such that they are worsening the situation and call for more active tactical and strategic positions. The current political situation is quite complex. It is weighed down by pessimism and mass disappointment, insecurity and rising crime, but also by hopes, wishes and sound ideas that show democracy has now put down roots and cannot easily be trampled underfoot. On this basis, a series of contradictions are realistically at work, among which the most prominent is the contradiction between, on the one hand, the overwhelming majority of people in our country, who are interested in defending and consolidating democracy and its institutions, and, on the other, Berisha’s regime, which has plunged Albanian politics and the reforms into a real collapse and is pursuing a strategy of successive political tensions. This has essentially become the principal contradiction in our society at the present stage of transition. It is deepening and setting in motion and testing… [text unclear] …with particular concern the developments in the political situation after the referendum, but there is no governance. Draft laws are mainly sent also formally ended Social Democratic Party. Calling the sociopolitical situation in Albania “Berisha’s regime” is not accidental. The centralization of power by Berisha, the increase in arbitrariness, revenge and unscrupulous attacks against the opposition and opponents within the PD itself, accompanied by euphoria over success and [unclear], show that Berisha is the main instigator and person responsible for the severe blow being dealt to democracy and political pluralism, freedoms and human rights in Albania. Political life in our country is significantly affected not merely by the governing policy of the PD and the institutional crisis, but also by the severe crisis within the PD itself, which now has its own history of splits and conflict among its factions. The PD chairman, Selami, a co-culprit and jointly responsible for its [unclear] and failures, has recently come under attack from the PD pressure network [unclear]. After the referendum, [he] issued further messages and openly presented his options for overcoming the crisis step by step, starting with the constitutional crisis, calling on the PD to reflect. Time has proved the Socialist Party’s measured positions right, and they therefore received massive support. This soon assessed the so-called “current anti-communist movement” too, whose standard the PD—and Berisha personally, its de facto leader—are trying to seize in their rivalry with LDSH. According to him, there is no more important task than the struggle against the SP and other opposition forces. (Continued on page 3)

Today in Bulqizë There are 10 miners from the Bulqizë chrome mine, unemployed for a month and a half (as a result of an arbitrary decision by the mine director) because of their participation in the hunger strike; they are to be punished for standing up to state representatives over their rights and demands. They are being pressured to provide full addresses and information about the corruption overseen by the state inspectorate, the Albkrom management, etc.; they are trying to conceal it. We will inform you about the progress of the trial when it is over. Correspondent of “Zëri i Popullit”

SHKODER One and a half years in prison for Gjovalin Bari The “Çekini case” — a political crime awaiting clarification The trial of Gjovalin Bari, which began on Thursday, concluded yesterday at the Shkodër court. He was accused and investigated for assisting after the commission of the crime; he was the perpetrator of Çekini’s murder on 14 January of last year, a murder whose criminal picture, in the current political climate in the Vlora district, is unclear. The Çekini case—politics had given it the name “kushja” [unclear]—and for Gjovalin it is another repeated conviction. These and other statements made to the police, through testimony and witnesses, after numerous [unclear] and those [unclear], are now contradicting one another. While the Shkodër court tried Bari, the General Prosecutor’s Office not only did not approve these proposals, but also requested that another person be summoned and questioned in this case, specifying the person’s name. Thus, after 11 months of investigation, the case came to trial only a short time after the special commission, established at the time to examine the events of 14 January, reported to parliament. The prosecutor and one claimant are seeking six years in prison for Gjovalin Bari. For the prosecutor, the evidence pursued against him is more [unclear]… [partly illegible] to implicate him in committing the crime that has been brought to court? [partly illegible] In this case, the invisible [partly illegible] another piece of evidence was thus, by [partly illegible]. According to the lawyer, this charge of concealing the crime does not hold in this case, because the perpetrator of the crime has still not been identified. Without investigating and questioning [partly illegible] Bari. But pursued against him is more [unclear]… [partly illegible] At yesterday’s trial in Shkodër, after [unclear], a chronology was given of the painful events of 14 January, which, according to him, began with Selami Çela, who went in front of the “Migjeni” theatre and insulted those who had spoken against President Berisha at the Democratic Party meeting. The Democrat and Gjovalini Bari were found in a café in this case. For the trial panel, the evidence showed that Gjovalini Bari met Selami Çela after a conflict, when gunshots rang out and Gjovalini Çekini was found dead. The court concluded that Gjovalini Bari had helped Shalamin hide in time and sentenced him to one and a half years’ imprisonment for this act. Although he spent a year under arrest during the investigation, he now has six months of the sentence handed down yesterday left to serve. Meanwhile, the questions of innocence and independence remain to be decided by the court, surrounded by their criminal and political mystery.

Elbasan: Shtohet papunësia Janë edhe 189 familje të tjera të qytetit të Elbasanit, të cilat në muajin Shkurt u shtuan vargut të gjatë të familjeve që kanë nevojë për ndihmë ekonomike. Në këtë qytet, me afro 27 mijë familje, deri në muaj maj për 5522 prej tyre merren përkrahje sociale. Në krahasim me qytetet e tjera, Elbasani duhet të jetë “vend nderi” për numrin e familjeve pa asistencë, në krahasim me mjetet jetese. Madje numri i tyre do vetëm nuk po ulet, por ka tendencë të rritet çka dëshmon se në këtë qytet papunësia vazhdon të mbetet një plagë e rëndë. Fjala është për një vendim të shkruar në protokollin e mbledhjes të këtij këshilli, i cili mban numrin 274, datë 8.12.94, ndër të tjera thuhet: «Nga fondi i të ardhurave të blihet një autoveturë për nevojat e komunës». Këshilltarët unanimsht pohojnë se një vendim i tillë nuk është diskutuar e për rrjedhojë as është miratuar. Me sa duket ky vendim «nën dorë» nuk është i vetëm nga ku drejtuesit e komunës mund të kenë nxjerrë edhe përfitime. Milot: Ven(d)im i vështirë Në këshillin e komunës së Milotit këshilltarët kanë ngritur edhe një shqetësim. komunës mund të kenë nxjerrë edhe përfitime. Vlorë: Mungesa në farmaci Farmacitë private në Vlorë ka kohë që nuk janë furnizuar me insulina, një ilaç kryesor për të përballuar emergjencën e diabetit. Ngëllehen po mungesë e lëndëve ekonomike të farmacive. Të tjerat janë të gjitha në interesim dhe humanizëm më të madh nga shteti.