WE EMPHASIZE: Although it did not win the electoral contest on 22 March 1992, the Socialist Party, submitting to the people’s verdict and respecting the principles of pluralist democracy, accepted the Democratic Party’s governing, without ever thinking of emigration and counter-rallies, criminal gatherings such as the one on 2 April 1991 in which four mothers’ sons were sacrificed, or arson and destruction according to the scenario “Root Out Communism.” Meanwhile, conceiving democracy as competition between alternatives for the country’s progress, and as happens in every civilized country, the day after the elections—that is, on 23 March 1992—it declared its ambition, not considering it a sin at all to state that we would work for the next elections. Under pluralist democracy, parties are formed and strive to take power. The Democratic Party did this, and this is what all the other parties aim for, regardless of their position on the political spectrum and regardless of the number of their members or supporters. But why was the Democratic Party troubled by the Socialist Party’s declaration? The people believed the DP’s promises, since the desire for a better life and the dream of Europe seemed alluring and entirely justified, even though they did not know what they were dealing with. On the other hand, the DP leaders and Sali Berisha himself, those who preached electoral democracy, knew that they would not keep a single promise made in the ridiculous slogan “If we govern, the world will help us”; that is why they reacted negatively to the Socialists’ declaration that we were working for the next elections, in which a serious and responsible commitment to the fate of the homeland was expressed in a concentrated form. At that time, the Socialist Party was the only opposition party and the only party organized as a serious political force, with clear ambitions based on studied and reasoned programs and platforms, which made it more concrete and more accessible to voters. The DP did not want an opposition. Therefore, instead of thinking hard and working to draw up programs that would address the crisis the country was in, it concentrated on devising scenarios to eliminate the opposition, remove political opponents, fabricate trials and stage other spectacles that neither produce nor bring anything material, but merely repeat the same idea. Faced with such a reality, the electorate too began to become more aware, and its reactions were almost immediate. Thus began the great disillusionment, the loss of trust, the turning away from the DP, its fragmentation and the reshaping of its crisis. Meanwhile, the Socialist Party could not sit idly by and pretend, so as not to spoil the mood, so as not to restrain even ... the President. Being a party built on democratic principles and made up of honest and constructive people, yet powerless to prevent corrupt and incapable people from taking power, it began within itself and ... to reveal the lack of responsibility of ... THE PRESIDENT, THE GOVERNMENT, THE OPPOSITION ... LOAN M. RAMA (Continued on page 3)

AFTER MR. DYLBËR VRIONI’S RESPONSE, AGAIN - The Italian-Albanian Bank confirms that there is no official whom Mr. Dylber Vrioni has asked to resign - Interest in the disclosure of Mr. Vrioni’s income, especially for the few-day period at the end of December ’94 - “Zëri i Popullit” requests a meeting with Mr. Vrioni before publishing: Albanians are clean, while government officials, governors and bank presidents are hiding behind a veil. Deputy Prime Minister and Albania’s Minister of Finance, Mr. Dylber Vrioni, responded yesterday. Everything was presented as a reply to the “Gazeta” regarding the article “The president of the Italian-Albanian Bank is Albania’s Minister of Finance! What are these posts hiding?” But, strangely, the President of the Italian-Albanian Bank says nothing in the response after the ... . In any case, we are convinced of the truths written by Shqiptare. - But you wrote it in the newspaper yesterday! - Yes, but today your president says he has notified them that he is resigning from the position of board chairman. - I don’t know. We have nothing official about that. - Without going into the matter—since deception has been in fashion from 22 March onward—as well as the Bank’s cultural center, we asked Mr. Vrioni whether he respected Albanian law. Considering the creation of this Bank a truly great achievement, we feel a moral obligation toward the many bankers and financiers, among them people who have been imprisoned and candidates for imprisonment, to say that Mr. Vrioni cut the ribbon at this Bank and was the first to take the post of its President. And our former ambassador in Rome, Mr. Dervishi, told the newspaper: “I ask—” Vrioni. Everything was expressed as a reply to the “Gazeta” concerning the duties of the chairman of the board. “I don’t know. We have nothing official about this.” Without commenting further—since deception has been in fashion from March 22 onward, along with the Bank’s “cultural movement”—we ask Mr. Vrioni, if he respects the truth, to provide the official document—the date, protocol number, and name of the person to whom it is addressed—that communicates his “removal.” He should do so through RD, also to lend some credibility to this pro-government newspaper. While awaiting a reply, we state our position and would also like to clarify matters for Mr. Vrioni, including some of his “successes.” In more than 80 agitated lines, the Minister says that it was He who established the Italo-Albanian Bank in February 1993, whose creation was a great achievement for attracting investment to Albania, guaranteed by reliable institutions. We feel it is our moral duty, toward the many bankers and financiers—among them, people who have been imprisoned and candidates for imprisonment—to and was the first to take the position Dervishi, told the newspaper: “Ask the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the telegrams and information sent about the meetings in ’90 with the president of Banka di Roma, and about the objectives and results achieved.” Among other things, Mr. Dervishi recalls more than five meetings Mr. Ilir Hoxha held in Rome for the same purpose. Meanwhile, Mr. Ylli Bufi, former Prime Minister of Albania, says of this matter: “The discussions took place at government level, and we spoke about establishing the joint bank in ... (Continued on page 2)

The financial police look on - “I cannot remain silent about the failings of the financial police, who fine people transporting fuel illegally in the same way as sellers of chewing gum and chocolate,” says Mr. Beg Haxhiu, inspector with the state control service in the district of Kurbin. This police force has fined hundreds of fuel transporters a negligible amount, up to 5,000 lekë, and absolutely not even once has it “confiscated” the goods, although the movements were without documents and for profit, as the financial inspectors themselves write in the fine reports. According to the state control inspector, the head of the district financial police, Gëzim Çera, has ... (Continued on page 2)

After being dragged back and forth, like a game of open and shut, the Arsidi affair—which has kept well-known figures from Albanian banks, and even a prime minister, under arrest for months—has now reached the point where Arsidi has reportedly been summoned to Tirana to clarify the murky waters and dot the “i”: who stole and who did not steal the 1.6 million dollars that came out of the state coffers. A newspaper warned yesterday that by Friday, that is, today, it would be decided whether Arsidi would come to take part in the trial-scandal bearing his name. All this is an attempt to drive into a dead end the case involving this open file on corruption by those in power. Arsidi will not come to Albania, unless some ... happens. This is the occasion, after ... seriousness mentioned alongside the foreign ministers, to bring Arsidi as a witness to the trial in Italy, where parallels are drawn with his role, and another foreigner in a case that has concerned them for some time, a process from which he is serving the sentence of that time of the Socialist Party ... All of it convinced them that the ... was washed in ... and in judges ... (The Arsidi affair ...?) ... Arsidi ... As if he were the main beneficiary in the corruption involving 9 or 10 or 12 billion lire, while Fatos Nano received the famous “courtesies,” according to Blerim Çela’s explanation. At that time nobody invited Pernjola to come to the trial where Fatos Nano, although on the other side of the Adriatic, that is, very close, declared that no judicial proceeding had begun against him and that he owed no one anything. But what can you do about the independent Albanian justice system, which made every accusation against Pernjola, inspired by boulevard newspapers? When it came to hearing him as a witness, this “justice” forgot him. We believe Pernjola continues this work, while the accusations against him formulated in Albania have been dismissed by Italian justice; meanwhile Fatos Nano continues to back his “bombs” as president. That is why the character Pernjola came to mind, now that the “Arsidi affair” is being brought in to unravel the Arsidi scandal. Between these two characters, who could point to a great difference? In the “Arsidi” affair, the battle is within the same camp, that is, to strike some “trusted” people involved in a corruption scandal and protect ... some others. Pernjola, by contrast, was simply a pretext. But Pernjola brought millions to Albania, whereas Arsidi, a creature of today’s people in power, took millions from poor Albania. C. P.

Peshkopi Seven thousand residents of the villages of Brehdanz, Zdojan, Ushtelenzë, Rashnapojë, Tomlin, etc. are suffering from a lack of water. They have taken their jugs and are walking as much as an hour in search of water at the old springs. The water taps in these villages are dry because of an arbitrary act by some children in the Çipurrë neighborhood within the city limits, who pierced the main pipeline and, by fitting a tap and pipes to it, cut off the water supply to the villages below. In response to this act, the Tomini commune has filed complaints with the law-enforcement authorities, the water-supply directorate and the district council, but has encountered a wall of iron silence. On the contrary, the water-supply enterprise— (Continued on page 4)

For more than 8 days, the unidentified body of a young refugee has been lying in the morgue of Korçë Hospital. He was found together with two other bodies on the Greek-Albanian border. Worse still, the young man’s body was left without refrigeration, on a concrete floor, which caused it to decompose completely. The hospital management, for its part, has asked the city’s municipal services to make arrangements for his burial. The latter, however, has refused and continues to remain silent.

It is Luigj Deda, a member of the Kurbin district council and the person responsible for the PD, who raised this issue with concern at the council’s latest meeting. It has now become fashionable, he stressed, to violate the dignity of students and teachers in the district’s secondary schools, particularly those in Mamurras and Laç. Certain individuals drive cars and motorcycles into school grounds, students are harassed, and the police do not intervene. A teacher is assaulted in front of students at Laç high school, and again the police remain silent. And how many other cases are there?! This issue has been raised with the education directorate by almost all the school principals. Who should protect the dignity of teachers and students more than the law-enforcement authorities?

The number of violations involving the use of electricity in the Durrës district has doubled compared with the period from September to December of last year. The absence of electricity meters, broken seals on meters, unauthorized electricity connections, etc., are among the most notable violations involving the use of electricity in this district.

Yesterday morning, 30 minibus drivers protested in front of the Shkodër district local-government building, sounding their vehicle horns for several minutes as a sign of protest. The cause was a police operation to clear the road at 4 a.m. in the square in front of Rilindja in Shkodër, where the minibuses were stationed and passengers waited for trips to Tirana. During the operation, the police took the drivers’ documents. They did so on the grounds that this place was not designated for minibuses to stop, but only for buses. The minibus drivers, however, say that these vehicles are also properly licensed to make this route and that they want a designated pick-up point, so passengers and those in need of transport know where to go. The drivers kept their vehicles lined up until around 9 o’clock. Later, the leaders of the federation informed the district, where they are organized as a drivers’ union, and held a meeting with the Mayor, Filip Gurra. They announced that he had committed to resolving this dispute.

Under a sensational headline, the independent political newspaper “Koha Jonë” announced in yesterday’s issue its “horoscope” for the Socialist Party’s split. With very little in its anonymous article, it reached the conclusion that “internal sources in the SP are now indicating that the Party was heading toward a split(!).” The article in question, which also undertakes to report what the SP deputy chairmen discussed among themselves, likewise takes it upon itself to transform the public positions of the young Eurosocialist MPs into generational jealousy. We do not yet know whom “Koha Jonë” owes for such an article, insulting to the Eurosocialist Forum, in whose pages, along with mistaken opinions, quite a number of entirely fabricated facts were reported on this occasion. We do not concern ourselves with the composition of delegations. While expressing respect for the newspaper “Koha Jonë,” it is clear that the moral of the whole “show” yesterday amounted to the profit made from selling the newspaper. We hope that such conduct will not be repeated.