A plot sold half a century ago: its owner gets it back as a gift The unfounded and illegal actions of the Property Restitution Commission, the Privatization Board, the Mayor, and the Prefect of Durrës have caused tensions and even clashes between the 18 employees of the fruit-and-vegetable trading section, who have worked here for 23 years, and the person claiming ownership of the plot, whose request has received the unquestionable support of the authorities. In 1992, the employees’ collective in this section, pursuant to the law on the privatization of facilities by their own employees, submitted a request to the privatization agency’s offices to purchase it. Since, according to the documents, the plot on which the fruit-and-vegetable market (formerly an old furniture factory) was built in 1960 was considered state property, the employees were not allowed to privatize the facility. For a year, the employees carried out their commercial activity normally in this state-owned facility, which, according to the Mayor, Tomor Golemi, belongs to the Municipality. But the paradox is that on 10 March 1994, in blatant violation of the laws, the Property Restitution Commission returned it to the alleged heirs of the plot. Referring to the records held at the land registry, we learn that the plot of 5,620.52 m² on which the facility stands was sold twice in succession by its owner. In 1941, an area of 338.17 m² was sold to the city municipality for 8,454.25 Albanian gold francs, and in 1943 an area of 224.33 m² was sold to H. K.; the sale is recorded in ledger No. 17, registration number 313, dated 13.3.1943. Thus, the land of 562.50 m² on which the facility was subsequently built had already been sold in full. Although the Property Restitution Commission once considered it state property, the former owner therefore cannot acquire a right of pre-emption over the premises where the employees of the trading section have worked for years. Although these facts are fully known to the Property Restitution Commission and the Privatization Agency, they have not been taken into account. Meanwhile, the Mayor and the Chairman of the District Council continue to remain indifferent to the uncontrolled actions of the Privatization Agency, which harm the interests of the state and violate the laws passed by Parliament. Thus, day after day, the employees of the trading section are subjected to clashes and serious insults from the opposing party. The Mayor, Tomor Golemi, showing no concern whatsoever about these irresponsible actions involving state property, sends the employees away with the words: “Take it to court!!” Yet he himself should intervene to put an end to this serious confrontation and the abuses being committed in the name of the state. MIRELA NDINI

— The price for 8 halls is only 8 million old lekë — The premises of this city’s Palace of Culture have become an object of wholesale sale; by a decree of the Presidency of the Republic, they were placed under the administration of a union called the Independent Union. There are about 8 spacious halls which once served for meetings, artistic activities, reading rooms, and libraries, and which are being offered for the sum of 8 million old lekë. That is the price of a modest home—a room and a kitchen—in this city. For the selling party, the contract is signed by Mentor Xhemali, chairman of the Independent Union (it is still not known whether such a union even exists), for whom neither the presidential decrees—which, it seems, are being completely ignored—nor the privatization boards or government laws matter. G. K.

— A grant from the source for reducing external debt — The spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance announces that the World Bank has decided to grant Albania 25 million dollars from the source for reducing external debt. This is stated in a letter from the World Bank addressed to the World Banking Community. Among other things, the letter says that the Board of Executive Directors approved a grant of 25 million dollars for Albania from the source for reducing external debts. The letter concludes by saying that the World Bank and the International Banking Community are committed to helping Albania through its difficult process of economic transformation, and that Albania will benefit from covering its external debt package, which is currently in the pipeline. The letter argues that, in order to make sufficient resources available for developing infrastructure, Albania needs to expand its access to public and private external financing, not only to increase [unclear] but also for investment.

As we have informed you, in recent days a PSSH delegation consisting of MPs Ylli Bufi, Shkëlqim Cani, and Anastast Angjeli paid a working visit to Hungary at the invitation of the Hungarian Socialist Party. The delegation held separate meetings with the party chairman and its secretary for international relations. At these meetings, views were exchanged on relations between the parties, the current political situation in both countries, and many general issues. The Hungarian Socialist Party’s most recent election campaign was also discussed. At the Hungarian Parliament, the delegation was received by the deputy chairman of the Socialist parliamentary group, the chairman of the Economy Committee, and other Socialist MPs. It attended the proceedings of the parliamentary session. To learn more specifically about the problems of economic reform and privatization, as well as the package of economic measures recently adopted by the government, the delegation held a series of meetings at the Privatization Agency and the Ministry of Finance. In one of Budapest’s districts, the delegation was received by the Mayor, and local government issues were discussed. A large meeting with residents of the district was then held there, attended also by Hungarian Socialist Party MPs and the Secretary of State for Justice. The delegation returned home.

In the latest elections for village councils, village elders, and head elders in the municipality of Kurbnesh in the Mirditë district, the people freely elected Mark Kala, a highly educated craftsman and representative of the PDS, as head elder of the village of Kthellë e Epër. The PDS candidate was Llesh Vuka, who received far fewer votes than the Socialist candidate. This “unexpected” result for PD circles in the area has prompted the PD and its officials to take action with the aim of forcibly replacing the Socialist village elder. Mark Mikeli, secretary of the Kurbnesh municipality, has been involved in this effort. Accompanied by law-enforcement officers, he went from house to house in Kthellë e Epër, applying pressure and trying to bring about a second vote for the village elder. But of the village’s roughly 300 families, only 28 complied with the orders of the municipal secretary and the law-enforcement forces. Despite this, the efforts continue, as PD officials and their representatives seek to impose their will on the people, who have rejected them.

A group of teachers from three schools in the town of Çorovodë failed to obtain permission to hold a peaceful rally under the slogan: “Let’s protect our children, the future of Albania...” The effort by the teachers, well-intentioned and made without regard to party affiliation, simply as teachers, fell on deaf ears at the police station in Skrapar. The head of this body, Muharem Noga, told the assembled representatives that he would not allow any kind of rally because it would “feed the Socialist mill,” while declaring that he would serve the party currently in power. He then told the representatives how many years in prison each of them could face for violating the law. The teachers returned disappointed, a bad sign also for the youth union, which had been planning to hold a similar peaceful rally. All these efforts were made to draw attention to the phenomenon of child abductions in Skrapar. Four cases have been recorded in just a few years. The latest was the most tragic. The case of four-year-old Denis Osmanika sparked considerable debate and sharp exchanges directed at the competent authorities, because to date not one criminal kidnapper has been caught and punished. Meanwhile, the latest reports from sources who do not wish to be identified say that the “Denis” case, so widely publicized in this town, was closed mysteriously. The investigative authorities have concluded that the child may have drowned. Meanwhile, the central forensic examination seems to be keeping its report secret. The announcement that the perpetrators had been found, according to reports from the prosecutor’s office, was mistaken. The people who had taken responsibility for abducting Denis admitted to the abduction and transporting the child to Berat only because of violence inflicted on them by some police-station employees! AURREL GURI

The Laknas strike continues In February 1993, the agricultural enterprises were dissolved. The land-allocation commission began distributing land on the basis of a government decision. First, the local residents received land, while the 40 families from Korçë and Kukës, who had lived here since 1956, were left out of the first plots. Initially, from 1956 onward, we worked in the former agricultural cooperative and later in the state agricultural enterprise. When the agricultural enterprises were dissolved, our village was again assigned the plots in front, while residents of the area moved into our homes voluntarily, without approval from the relevant authorities and in violation of the implementation of the Law on Land. The years 1993–1994 have now passed, and this alone makes it clear that the “Law on Land” has been violated. It is particularly interesting that, compared with other settlements where there have been claims, new owners emerged in our village without title deeds or inheritance rights. The former cooperative and its chairman, Qemal Vrapi, and the commune chairman, Makar Stibu, used the land fund to serve their own interests, allowing people who arrived after 1991 to settle there in complete violation of the Law on Land. In order to obtain what they gained, local officials left the residents who are now making their case without land and without any other source of income. Forty families in this village, unable to find a way to resolve the issue, went on strike on 30 May 1995. The strike is continuing. Although the residents of this village have found themselves facing a struggle for their very survival, the concrete actions of the state bodies to date have amounted to nothing. Despite their extremely difficult circumstances, the strikers are determined to continue on their just course. Residents and strikers are left wondering whether the next steps by the authorities, or their indifference, will protect the residents’ interests or those of the three smugglers. Under these conditions, day by day we are being pushed away from democracy. ALI JAHOLLARI Chairman of the Laknas Trade Union Council

These days, the enforcement office attached to the Elbasan court has posted several lists announcing the auction of the homes of some citizens. However, no one has come forward at these auctions, because the houses belong to people who borrowed from the bank. Overdue unpaid loans amount to very large sums, although they are covered by banking secrecy. It seems that banks have the right to demand that deadlines for repaying loans and interest be respected, even though in some cases they themselves issue loans without observing the proper criteria. The involvement of the court, specifically its enforcement office, in the conflict between banks and borrowers is an attempt to bring this relationship within a legal framework, albeit very belatedly. Nevertheless, the number of debtors is greater than it appears. There are other debtors besides those who owe money to banks. Perhaps the sums here are even larger and the number of people involved greater. Since 1993, state enterprises, joint ventures, and even legal and natural persons have owed the cement factory many tens of millions; they received cement but have still not settled their accounts. Likewise, among the former construction enterprises, the cannery, and all the enterprises in this sector that have been privatized, there are debtors who perhaps think their obligations to these enterprises will be forgiven. It seems that seizing the property of indebted individuals and then putting it up for auction is not a solution to this problem, since every citizen considers it practically impossible to buy these properties. This raises a question: instead of the money it should have received, will the state end up having to “wake up” the state enterprises whose assets it seized from citizens? SEJDIN CEKANI

WE DRAW YOUR ATTENTION — This is the refrain of the calls made by collectors of privatization vouchers. — In Sarandë, their exchange rate is threatening to fall below 15%. — Their rush towards the holders of vouchers resembles a flock of predatory birds swooping down on a victim who is being robbed of the last of their livelihood. Perhaps this is not an accurate comparison (when speaking of an honest section of the population, namely pensioners), but, unfortunately, similar scenes occur as people chase after pensioners, calling: “Bonds, who has bonds...” The pensioners, tired from long queues and waiting, anxious and lacking confidence that they will ever become owners, as the President himself promised, quickly become victims of the voucher collectors. — How much are you offering? — 15 percent... — That’s very little... — The rate will go lower, so hurry before it’s too late... And Haria Shehu, a mother and pensioner from Sarandë, after this exchange will “decide”... No, she won’t sell them; let them burn in her hand. She’ll send them to her child Neksi in a letter and tell him: “Take them, I’ve already wrung the value out of them.” But there are many people who are forced to take cash, have no hope, and do not hold on to their privatization vouchers for long. As soon as they leave the savings bank counter, you see them bargaining with the voucher collectors and, satisfied with 20–30 thousand lekë (old lekë), heading home. You feel sorry for them when you see them bewildered, as if arguing with themselves because they feel cheated and humiliated by the very head of the so-called democratic state. PANAJOT ZOTO.