President Berisha seeks accomplices A representative body of the Forum for Democracy is elected Yesterday, President of the Republic Sali Berisha invited the country’s political parties and trade unions to a roundtable scheduled for this morning. The Socialist Party of Albania denounces this latest initiative by Berisha as another demagogic attempt to deceive public opinion, both inside and outside the country, about the current political, financial and social crisis gripping the country. Therefore, it, like several other genuine opposition parties, is boycotting and publicly denouncing Berisha’s invitation to a roundtable on the current crisis as a deceptive maneuver. The text of the invitation sent to the parties itself makes clear that the authorities, headed by Berisha, seek to make the opposition jointly culpable for the current situation. On the one hand, it aims to share the PD’s full responsibility for the situation created with the other parties, so that it can present itself to the people as absolved of responsibility for the loss of money in the pyramid schemes. The purpose of today’s roundtable is to place a multiparty “stamp” on decisions the government has already made about the failed pyramid schemes. One day before the announced date for the distribution of the money, the parties have nothing to tell the people. Therefore, their invitation to the president’s roundtable today is a formality with ulterior motives. - The PD is fully responsible for the current situation, and therefore it must answer to the people itself for the damage it has caused them through its failed economic policy. It created these pyramids itself in order to profit from them by obtaining undeserved money and to control Albanian finances in the absence of private banks. (Continued on page 2)

Zgjidhet përfaqësia e Forumit për Demokraci

With the delegation of Italy’s PDS, led by Ranieri Yesterday, Secretary General Rexhep Mejdani and Secretary for Foreign Relations Maqo Lakrori received at the PSSH headquarters a delegation of Italy’s PDS, led by its International Secretary and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Italian Parliament, MP Umberto Ranieri. The friendly meeting was attended by member of the Italian delegation Roberto Cuillo, PSSH Presidium member Arta Dade, and PSSH Foreign Affairs Committee member Enver Reçi. The Socialist leaders and representatives of Italy’s PDS discussed the latest developments relating to the economic and political crisis in Albania. The Socialist leaders presented and explained the PSSH’s proposals for resolving the crisis our country is going through. Both sides expressed their desire to further develop friendly relations between the Socialist Party of Albania and Italy’s Democratic Party of the Left. The working meeting was held in a very warm and constructive atmosphere. With representatives of the American Democratic Institute Maqo Lakrori received at the PSSH headquarters a delegation from the American Democratic Institute consisting of Jonas Rollet and Thomas Melia. The friendly meeting, at which views on the current situation in Albania were exchanged, was attended by the Institute’s representative in Albania, Erin Samberi, and PSSH Presidium member Arta Dade. PSSH Spokesperson

The PSSH opposes taking part in roundtables that do not seek a genuine solution to the serious problems In response to the invitation received from the Office of the President of the Republic, the Presidium of the PSSH declares: The PSSH, like all the political parties involved in the Forum for Democracy, has called for a political solution to the current crisis. At the heart of this solution is the demand for the government to resign, since it is chiefly responsible for the situation created in the country and, as such, cannot guarantee the country’s necessary political and economic stability. The issues referred to in the invitation sent to the PSSH are already government decisions, and therefore discussing them is pointless. The PSSH opposes participating in such demagogic roundtables, which created by the corrupt and failed government of the Meksi cabinet. The PSSH declares once again that it is ready to engage in dialogue for a comprehensive resolution of the crisis, on the basis of the proposals put forward by the Forum for Democracy. Tirana, 3 February 1997

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Open debate at the PSSH headquarters: The Albanian economy in collapse The economy is taking revenge on politics Berisha, the great usurer The government is pursuing a deceptive solution The PD’s company has been involved in fuel smuggling “Shqiponja”—a smugglers’ den Tritan Shehu—its president Pages 4–5 Open debate at the PSSH headquarters: The Albanian economy in collapse The “usury” crisis—a part of the general crisis in the country The economy is taking revenge on politics Berisha, the great usurer The government is pursuing a deceptive solution The PD’s company has been involved in fuel smuggling “Shqiponja”—a smugglers’ den Tritan Shehu—its president Pages 4–5