National wealth up for political auction At the canning factory in Tirana Workers protest - They are denied the right to participate in the privatization of the factory - Yesterday, a group of workers from the Tirana canning factory came to the newspaper’s editorial office. They came and wanted to make public the protest of all their colleagues against the way the factory is being privatized. Although they have worked and shed their sweat there for many years, they are now being denied the right to take part in the privatization of this facility, with two people who have no connection whatsoever to the factory claiming ownership of it, except that, according to information from the workers, they are PD activists. And this, as they put it, is being done by the current government, which so loudly promised to make all Albanians owners. It is being done by the party that controls this government, as part of its general privatization policy, to divide property and wealth not fairly and in accordance with the law, but among party members, those in power, and their friends and acquaintances. We have knocked on the doors of the PD government offices, all the way up to Mr. Tritan Shehu, the outraged workers said, but so far we have no hope that anyone will defend our right. Correspondent of “Zëri i Popullit”

Elbasan - At the privatization office: “If you talk to the journalist, you’ll never win” - Elbasan Bread sellers thrown out onto the street - At the privatization office: “If you talk to the journalist, you’ll never win” - The privatization of the bread factory in Elbasan, which was given to the owners of the land, is throwing the shopkeepers who sell bread out onto the street. Of the 25 bread shops in total, 16 were privatized two years ago. The other shops remained state-owned so they could sell bread produced by the factory and ensure they could survive in the face of competition from private bakeries. Although these spaces, too, were privatized, in April last year the nine women working in state-owned shops were asked to pay an installment toward privatization. Bukurosh Abdullai and Feruze Beqari, two of the shopkeepers who paid the aforementioned installment on time, say that for months they have been… (Continued on page 2)

Yesterday afternoon, the international conference on foreign investment in Albania opened in one of the halls of the Hotel Tirana. It will present the final programs for the future outlook of investment in Albania. Representatives of around 400 different domestic and foreign firms are taking part in the conference, organized by the Albanian government, Group 24 and the European Commission, as well as representatives of 24 of the world’s most industrialized countries and various international financial mechanisms that have invested, or are interested in investing in Albania in the future. Albanian President Sali Berisha also took part in the opening session. In his speech, among other things, he said that Albania had been the only country in the world to ban foreign investment in Albania. Berisha went on to say that many foreign investments had been attracted so far, but that there had also been various difficulties: the lack of a tradition of foreign investment, inadequate infrastructure, the conflict in the region, poor banking services and legislation had been some of the obstacles to attracting these investments. He then added that there were more than 400 joint and foreign enterprises in Albania and that double taxation had been eliminated with more than 35 countries around the world. In presenting the advantages of investing in Albania, Berisha said that our country was one of the countries with low investment costs. The conference’s co-chairman, Benvader, from G-24, the DG1A directorate and the European Commission, noted in his opening remarks, among other things, that Albania had changed greatly since the communist regime and that the efforts of the Albanian authorities had been supported by international financial mechanisms and Western countries. Around 1.3 billion ECU have been provided to Albania in various forms from the budgets of the EU and EU member states, as well as from other donors. At first, these funds were intended to overcome the emergency situation and were in the form of (Continued on page 4)

Statement by the Albanian Helsinki Committee The Association of Orphans of Albania, which has around 5,000 members, has appealed to the Albanian Helsinki Committee to help resolve as soon as possible the deeply painful and extremely urgent issue that has been troubling it for a long time. The issue concerns the fate of 600 young orphans raised in the Children’s Home who, under the regulations in force, after completing eight-year schooling, can no longer remain in that home but must be placed in various programs, receiving a scholarship—some to attend secondary schools, others to attend vocational schools. The Association of Orphans of Albania has long been raising its voice with the highest state bodies, including the Council of Ministers, as well as the Ministry of Labor, Emigration and Social Support, parliamentary groups and local authorities. It has requested that the status of an orphan be approved, that orphans be given priority in employment, that they be taken into consideration for organized emigration, and that the association have its representatives on the Albanian Adoption Committee. But none of these requests has been heeded. Under these circumstances, the group of orphans in the Korçë district declared a hunger strike on 27 June. If force is used against the strikers, the Association of Orphans of Albania warns that the hunger strike begun in Korçë will spread throughout the republic, to all branches of the association in the districts. In view of the dramatic situation facing these unfortunate orphans, the Albanian Helsinki Committee reminds state bodies at every level that, under international instruments such as the UN General Assembly Resolution of 20 November 1959 and the Law on Human Rights approved by the People’s Assembly, No. 7692 of 31 March 1993, the state must take the place of parents for orphaned children. The Albanian Helsinki Committee therefore calls on the highest state bodies to assess this extremely painful problem seriously and as a priority, not only from a legal perspective but also on humanitarian grounds. Accordingly, the orphans’ voices must be heard; otherwise, this will damage the image of the democratic regime in Albania. Albanian Helsinki Committee Tirana, 29. 06. 1995 [The article begins mid-sentence:] the status under the provisions in force, after completing eight-year school, placed in various pathways, vocational training schools. Once placed in jobs, the state also provided them with a home so they could start a family of their own. The Orphans’ Association emphasizes that these provisions have not been implemented for some time. After completing eight-year school, orphans are turned out of the Children’s Homes, and the state guarantees them nothing except financial assistance of 600 lek a month, which, needless to say, is not enough even to eat once a day. With great difficulty, the Association has managed to find them some sort of accommodation in dormitories, where three, four or five people sleep in a room. Moreover, dormitory administrators tend to deny them even this kind of shelter. In short, these hundreds of orphans, whose number will increase when the school year ends, are without work, shelter, prospects, family or support, and are in the depths of misery. In their despair, some of them have even begun committing suicide. Worst of all, driven by [unclear], they risk turning to the streets and theft for a hamburger, or being drawn into the plans of mafiosi for prostitution, etc. Albanian Helsinki Committee Tirana, 29. 06. 1995

A look at a memorable day June 29 will be a In the middle of this “wedding” like a

A look at a memorable day June 29 will be an unforgettable day for us Albanians. Isolated from the world in an absurd way until five years ago, we had not forgotten that geographically we were in Europe and that in all the features that define a people, we were Europeans. Albania’s road to Europe, apart from those who had been called onto the stage to throw flowers at the deceivers there, was understood by everyone as an uphill road that would not be easy to climb. We were held hostage by our economic backwardness, by the absence of the institutions of a state governed by the rule of law, and by our mindsets. Nevertheless, the day would come when every calendar would simply mark June 29—the day that would mark the end of one stage on our path toward joining Europe: acceptance into the EC. Now, this is a wedding in which all the participants rejoice in freedom; this is also why we have given this brawl the title “Wedding with a Brawl.” It has become clear that this jubilation will not go smoothly to the end. Like a wedding with a brawl, it was made that way for us by the contradictory statements of quite a few European personalities, some of whom seem ready and willing to accept Albania into the EC, while others seem to demand more proof, as if they are not convinced that we are taking a positive and sufficient step… In the middle of this “wedding,” a statement by one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Albania drops like a bomb. “Apparently,” Mr. Zef Brozi, President of the Court of Cassation, said with deep sorrow, “some politicians in power do not want Albania to join the EC…” Until quite recently, every step taken against the interests of the party in power—or of the state party, that is, the monist state—seemed to us to be inspired by the external enemy, whether imaginary or unidentified. Nevertheless, according to the mindsets produced by that time, that enemy existed and was a potential threat. Today Albania is generally surrounded by a friendly atmosphere; indeed, if you follow the line of propaganda put out by the party in power, it seems that Albania has no enemies. But here we are, at this historic moment: when we lack potential external enemies, internal enemies appear on the scene. This is the only way to judge those political forces and politicians who do not want Albania to join the EC. The facts that Mr. Brozi stated so emphatically yesterday—as an indication, as an unfavorable situation, as a source of discord here—we have sensed in the steps of “discord,” in the actions of our politicians, the recklessness of those in power, those who conduct high politics, who, whether out of megalomania or for foreign, anti-Albanian interests, have continually fanned the flames of conflict between government and opposition. They have done so to such an extent that, even when they had nothing to occupy themselves with, just to keep this tension high, they artificially stirred up new conflicts. Let us recall that the year began with the “Jagos of democracy,” continued with the artificially stirred-up need to punish those accused of the February 1991 massacre, went on with the matter of the situation surrounding the 400 thousand dollars of “Zëri i Popullit,” followed by a call to attack the Council’s unit, and continues with various lists from the past… And who knows what else the kitchen that manufactures tension and discord will produce, filling the Albanian political and social scene with fear and uncertainty—with events and arrests, attacks on journalists and political violence, violations of judicial authority, and… What else could be added to this list today, on the day when Albania’s admission to the EC is being discussed? Does all this not show that someone wants to load the joy of the wedding—which, to put it in the simple language of the people, is symbolized only by white—with discord and…?

Statement of the District Steering Committee of the Socialist Party The economic and social situation in Mirdita is grave and unbearable. The District Steering Committee of the Socialist Party analyzed this situation on December 8 last and presented several troubling accounts of the social situation and the measures that need to be taken in the district, declaring: 1 - The economic and social situation in Mirdita makes it clearer than ever that the DP authorities cannot justify the decline in energy and the condition of society by saying that Mirdita has no industry; it has never had any, and the government has not properly allocated and distributed funds… Apart from the industrial sector, the situation had already worsened in the copper sector as a result of the closure of the copper-smelting and refining plants in Rubik. Without consulting the opposition at all and without drawing up a legal plan, they shut down copper processing, turning the factory into a city of nothing. The Albakri Corporation has been sold; Rubik’s plant equipment has been left unvalued, and most of it is ready to be made part of an overall collapse. Also, in Mirdita, the bankruptcy of the Volunteer Unit, which manufactures [unclear], has been brought about, and the measures to put it right have been inadequate… (Continued on page 2)

600 families have had their electricity cut off You haven’t paid the electricity bill, so now the electricity will be cut off. The first to feel the consequences of this measure in the district of Malësia e Madhe were the villagers of Palvar, Dobra and Sterbeg. More than 600 families in this area are now without electricity. The power was cut off by the management of the district’s relevant enterprise because they had not paid for the electricity they had consumed in their homes. This measure is expected to be extended to other villages as well, since the electricity enterprise is said to be in financial crisis. This penalty has greatly angered the villagers. Dissatisfaction began when the price of electricity for household consumption was raised. However, unlike these villagers, who share their troubles with one another, there are also those who react harshly—indeed, as they say, to the extreme—against this measure. Some in this group are capable of throwing [objects] onto the high-voltage line supplying Malësia e Madhe, thereby causing short circuits and breaking the wires on the line. Thus the power cuts are accompanied by attacks on the lines, unlike what happened in several villages in the area mentioned, where people demanded electricity and asked when their lights would be turned back on. It is not known how long this situation will last. Some specialists say that cutting off the electricity is not a solution. They say that a reasonable and acceptable measure would be to lower the price of electricity for household consumption, accompanied by stronger monitoring by the enterprise and the electricity police. But reducing the price of electricity is up to the government, not the enterprise. The latter controls the cabin units and whether or not the power supply is cut off. MUSA KURTULAJ

Korçë ORPHANS’ HUNGER STRIKE - Their demands are for housing, employment and social support - There are 30 women aged 20–30 who have gone on a hunger strike, representing all the orphans of Albania. The strike began late in the evening on the 27th. According to information received from Korçë and a call issued by the Steering Council of the Orphans’ Association, based in Tirana, we understand that their demands are simply for economic necessities. Their difficult circumstances and the total lack of support from the current state have left this group of people out on the streets. They are asking the Government and local authorities to resolve once and for all their problems with employment, housing and social support, which for this group is at a laughable level. At present, in the city in Albania, no one receives any social assistance of around 6,000 lek a month—a fact that should also prompt human rights and freedoms organizations to take action. Despite the grand promises made during election campaigns and afterward, the reality is deeply painful and offers no prospects at all; things may get worse, since the Albanian parliament and Government have still made no effort to approve the status of the orphan. “We have learned” that the hunger strike by the orphans of Korçë has been met unfavorably by law-enforcement authorities. There have been threats, including statements that it would be forcibly broken up. Nevertheless, the strike continues. We have also learned that it has received support throughout the country, including from the executive board of the Orphans’ Association. DIRTAN PRISHYA

The Orphans’ Association emphasizes that these provisions have not been implemented for some time—