WE HIGHLIGHT: Near Laç there is a holy place, a place of pilgrimage. Every June 13, believers and nonbelievers go there, young and old alike. They kneel, pray, hope... They seek God’s help. And they make no noise. They do not applaud or cheer. They do not engage in politics either. It is a Holy Place. But yesterday this tradition was broken. Because Sali Berisha went there, the former communist President. As never before, prayers to God were replaced by the dogmatic grandiloquence of a man who for 25 years had devotedly and exemplarily [??] served as a communist, and who kept the works of Marx and Enver Hoxha instead of the Bible and the Quran. Thousands of residents of the northern regions had set out not to hear Sali Berisha—if that had been the case, most of them would not have gone there—but to hear the word of God, to share their troubles and seek His help. But... My revered Monsignor Rrok Mirdita and the other missionaries of God yielded the holy place to the former atheist communist. That is why the solemn ritual sounded like a meeting of the Democratic Party. An unprecedented case. A precedent in the entire history of religious institutions, occurring for the umpteenth time only in Albania. Nowhere else. And with Sali Berisha alone as its protagonist. No one else. Throughout the world, heads of state visit religious institutions. But they stand in line with the faithful and pray in silence. They do not speak or engage in politics. Because that temple is holy, and only the word of God is heard there. Yet our honored President, from former communist, former Marxist and exemplary atheist, seeks to present himself as imam, priest and father all at once. But does anyone believe him?... LUAN M. RAMA

(PS–PAD meeting) Yesterday, PS Deputy Chairman Servet Pëllumbi and its Vice-Chairman Namik Dokle held a meeting with PAD President Neritan Ceka and member of that party’s Assembly, Blendi Fevziu. The discussion focused on the need for the opposition to function in a more organized way as such, in defense of the rule of law and the institutionalization of democracy. In this connection, it was emphasized that the round table of Albanian political forces must function more broadly, as must the round table of opposition parliamentary parties on matters of common interest. Representatives of both parties stressed that it is essential for the opposition to undertake joint political action so that it can be granted the necessary democratic space on TV, and so that the violent actions of the police against opposition activities are neutralized, the independence of the judicial bodies from political pressure is protected, and anti-judicial manipulations “in the name of the law” are prevented. Opinions were also exchanged at the meeting on the situation in the region and the course of the Albanian state’s foreign policy. President Clinton’s invitation to the Albanian President to visit the USA was assessed as a positive step toward Albania.

At the Tirana Court: Luan M. Rama is found guilty and fined 1 million lekë. At the Tirana Court: Trial against the deputy editor-in-chief of «Zëri i Popullit» concludes Luan M. Rama is found guilty and fined 1 million lekë. At long last, the trial against Luan M. Rama, deputy editor-in-chief of «Zëri i Popullit», has also concluded. Yesterday at midday, presiding judge Fetrit Kaja announced the ruling of the judicial panel, according to which Luan M. Rama is found guilty under Article 20 of the Press Law and fined one hundred thousand new lekë, which, according to the ruling, he is required to pay in four installments over a period of two months. Thus, the Press Law once again demonstrates the justice of the protests by Albanian journalists, who rose up forcefully against it—protests that the parliamentary majority not only disregarded, but also crushed by force of its votes, precisely in order to use it against opposition journalists and newspapers and the free press. In the case of the publication of the article for which Luan M. Rama was prosecuted, and in which he was also deemed by the court to have been at fault, it is true that an inaccurate fact is present; however, in such cases the law provides the affected person with the right to issue the necessary correction. The deputy editor-in-chief of «Zëri i Popullit» offered this legal right to the plaintiff, Asqeri Boçi, but he refused, choosing the sole course of action: filing a complaint with the prosecutor’s office. Without wishing to offer interpretations, and considering the prosecutor and the judge to be enforcers of the Law, whose essence is anti-democratic, it is essential that Parliament review the Press Law once again, so that it is not used as a sword only against opposition journalists and the free press.

Shkodër – Malësi e Madhe — Two people crash their car on the Dukagjin road; one is killed — The car in which brothers Marash and Pal Lera were returning from Duga[g]jini skidded off the road at a place called Karmë e Kirit and plunged 2,000 m down into the ravine. This happened at 9:30 p.m. on Monday. The accident had a tragic outcome: Marash Lera, 32, an officer of the Internal Affairs Branch in Shkodër, died instantly, and his brother Pal Lera, an inspector at the State Control Branch in Shkodër, was seriously injured. They had gone to Dukagjin to celebrate the feast of Shna Ndoit with their fellow villagers. The sad news became known in Shkodër yesterday morning. One day before this accident, another accident occurred on the main road of Malësia e Madhe, where a 25-year-old young man from Bajza lost his life when a motorcycle collided with a car. On this sad occasion, we extend our condolences to the two families who have lost their sons. MUSA KURTULAJ

Yesterday, Socialist Party Deputy Chairman Servet Pëllumbi and its Vice-Chairman Namik Dokle met with Agrarian Party Chairman Lufter Xhuveli, its Secretary-General Resmi Osmani and Vice-Chairman Edlir Petani. The PA representatives spoke about the recent holding of its second national conference and the program it approved. The pillars of our program, Lufter Xhuveli emphasized, are a realistic assessment of major historical events, solving the acute problems facing the countryside and Albanian agriculture, the PA’s electoral objectives, and its cooperation with the parties of the left and center. We aim, he said, together with the other progressive forces, to put a stop to adventurism and amateurism in the running of the state. PS Deputy Chairman Servet Pëllumbi praised the PA’s positions, especially since agrarian policy in the country remains one of the most important issues in our country, both now and in the future. In this context, the possibilities for further cooperation between the two parties were discussed. Press Spokesperson of the Socialist Party

Activists, party leaders, veterans, socialist women and Vlora’s Eurosocialists gathered to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the establishment of the PSSH. A range of emotions. The socialists of June 12, 1991—the people who created the party’s new organizations in the city’s neighborhoods and in every village, and who led the process of reforming the party along the path of democratic socialism—met proudly to recall those difficult days, and also with a commitment to advance the SP’s alternative. June 12 is not just an ordinary calendar date; it has the significance of a symbolic day, a milestone marking the birth of a new political force in Albanian life. Four years is not a long time, but it is not short either when it comes to demonstrating the role, importance, political weight and historical value of the act of creating the SP. The meeting was opened by the party’s vice-chairman, Shpëtim Gjika. The SP secretary, Theodhori Shina, then spoke about the contribution of Vlora’s socialists to the party’s creation and consolidation, and gave an overview of the party’s work over these four years. Afterwards, the party’s vice-chairman, Gëzim Tushi, delivered the commemorative address and a retrospective assessment of the party’s four-year history. Memories of the July 26 campaign, in which the Vlora SP won 8 of 11 communes; 36,000 signatures in defense of Nano; and the 70-percent “No” vote against the draft constitution, which backfired on its supporters. These achievements reflect the work, heart, mind and soul of the socialists of Novoselë, Kotë, Himarë, the Vlorë River area and the city. The meeting ended with a cocktail reception. Correspondent of «Zëri i Popullit» KURBIN The hall designated for celebrating the fourth anniversary of the founding of the PSSH in Laç, Kurbin, was completely full hours before the scheduled time, with dozens of socialists and Eurosocialists from the towns and villages who had gathered there. This is a telling fact: socialists do not leave the halls empty. The same happened at the Kurbin socialists’ cocktail gathering. The deputy chair of the district PS, Xhemal Luka, conveyed greetings on behalf of its leadership. We wish those present well on behalf of the Socialist Party, and extend our wishes to Fatos Nano; we wish one another well. It was a justifiable and, at the same time, well-deserved joy. The PS’s growth to over 35 percent compared with May 22 ... ... the 1992 election, its broad reach and organizational consolidation, its ever-growing authority, and the convincing manner in which it was so clearly demonstrated on November 6—these are some of the reasons behind the joy of the socialists of Kurbin. On behalf of the K.P.D of the PSSH, committee member Shpëtim Cami delivered greetings. The chair of the Kurbin Eurosocialists, Maksim Gega, conveyed greetings on behalf of FRESSH. The singers Lirie Rasha, a Merited Artist, and Mimoza Hallili added to the joyful atmosphere in the auditori-um at this wonderful gathering. ... BE... [?]

TIRANË This is another new conflict, arising from the difficulties encountered as work continues on the Bovilla water supply system. Around 600 families from the villages of Zall-Mner, Zall-Bastar, Bulqesh, Bruzaj and Bërzallë have been on hunger strike for days as a protest. These are precisely the families that, under a special government decision, were to be relocated? Will its decision to move the residents settled in Bathore be implemented, or will the residents of the villages around Bovilla be transferred somewhere else? Only the Government can answer this question. ... [The] government decision on the continued orderly progress of work in Bovillë [provides that they] will be transferred to the Bathore area. As is known, the families who came from the northeastern region to Bathore refused to comply with the Government’s decision, and the outcome of the conflict between the residents and the law-enforcement authorities is now well known. So, we are dealing with another new conflict. What can the Government do to resolve it? these questions. A. C

— Residents of Sasaj threaten a hunger strike — While the land conflict between local residents and newcomers continues in Lukovë, more than 300 residents of the village of Sasaj are threatening to go on hunger strike if the dispute over the boundaries between the two villages (former NB sectors) is not resolved in their favor. The relevant body has announced that, starting with the municipality and extending all the way to the ministry, around 40 hectares of Sasaj’s traditional land (formerly belonging to cooperatives) are being transferred to Lukovë to compensate the newcomers, who are the majority in that village. At the same time, arbitrarily, the village of Sasaj is being given around 25 hectares of land on Mount Lavan, 1,000 m above sea level, an area it has used as pasture since 1976, as well as 28 hectares of cadastral land to compensate for the land it has not received (out of 84 hectares of fixed land). Thus, while this division allocates around 40 hectares of land to each Lukovë resident, each Sasaj resident is entitled to only 12 ... It is precisely this (unjustified) disparity that the people of Sasaj regard as an injustice perpetrated against them by the municipal authorities and those above them, leaving them with no alternative but to make no concessions, even if sacrifices are required. “Let them leave us the 40 hectares that were taken unjustly,” say residents of this village. “Then they can ask us to give the newcomers in Lukovë what they are entitled to.” But that is not where the problem lies. Such demands are being made, as is evident from the very mayor and head of the municipality, who, by manipulating the former village council, give us pastureland as farmland, bread in the mountains, and take the 40 hectares that belong to us, say former residents of Sasaj. Apparently, the conflict will not be easy to resolve, despite the municipal authorities’ efforts to reach a consensus. The people of Sasaj are determined not to divide the land; they will either win what is theirs. The issue is obtaining justice swiftly. PANAJOT ZOTO

The lack of protectionist laws in our country for goods produced here, as well as the absence of price ceilings for imported goods, has given foreign producers free rein to bring products into Albania at below cost. The lack of protectionist laws in our country for goods produced here, as well as the absence of price ceilings for imported goods, has given foreign producers free rein to bring products into Albania at below cost, seriously endangering the existence of domestic production. This is precisely one of the main reasons putting the Durrës Tobacco and Cigarette Factory at risk of closure. The factory continues to endure extremely difficult days because domestic production is being stifled by the large quantities of cigarettes smuggled in through customs points. The smuggling of foreign cigarettes has substantially reduced the value of domestic cigarettes. Another factor that has paralyzed cigarette production at this factory is the sale of substandard tobacco, which has been held up in the factory’s warehouses for a very long time. Taking advantage of this opportunity, as well as the very reasonable price of this substandard stock, many traders flocked to the factory and managed to remove around 10 tonnes of such tobacco from its warehouses. Dozens of mini-factories have been set up in the homes of traders of this kind, who produce cigarettes by hand. This questionable method of production has kept many buyers from purchasing locally made cigarettes. To counter this phenomenon, which seriously threatens the factory’s future, a small-goods production unit was set up in recent days, enabling the production of cigarettes using the finest selected materials and at a lower price than artisanal production. In addition, this factory is undertaking more ... (Continued on page 2)

The hall designated for celebrating the fourth anniversary of the founding of the PSSH in Laç, Kurbin, was completely full hours before the scheduled time.