The leadership of the PSSH considers the activities of the “organizing groups” non-statutory and calls for respect for KPD decisions TIRANA—The leadership of the Socialist Party of Albania decided yesterday, following a meeting , to express its free opinion, even if different. I am against rallies, or a congress cannot be held like this, with lines that lead us into two halls. Leadership member Ilir Meta said that a modern party means an institutional party, where

The leadership of the Socialist Party of Albania, continuing its preparatory work for organizing the 3rd Congress of the Socialist Party, and implementing the decisions of the latest meeting of the KPD, announces the following after discussions at last night’s meeting: The PSSH leadership reaffirms its commitment to implementing the decisions of the latest KPD meeting and calls on all KPD members to respect the institutions, KPD decisions, and established rules. Any organization outside the PS structures is considered a violation and has nothing in common with the decisions taken democratically at the KPD meeting. The leadership decided that the working group for organizing the work phases for the 3rd PSSH Congress shall determine its work. The PSSH leadership reaffirms its support for the Coalition government in order to meet the challenge we are facing. The leadership decided to convene a meeting of the General Steering Committee to discuss and approve the Congress theses on Monday, 26 July 1999.

TIRANA—The leadership of the Socialist Party of Albania decided yesterday, following a meeting, to reaffirm its commitment to implementing the decisions of the latest KPD meeting. The leadership calls on all KPD members to respect the institutions, KPD decisions, and rules established by free vote. The PSSH leadership considers any organization outside the PS structures a violation that has nothing in common with the decisions taken democratically at the KPD meeting. The leadership members reached this conclusion yesterday after nearly three hours of extensive discussion at a working meeting, the latest in the preparations of the theses for the PSSH’s Third Congress. At the start of the meeting, PSSH General Secretary Pandeli Majko expressed concern about the organization of a series of activities which, he said, were non-statutory and would have serious consequences for the PS, its structures, and its functioning. Majko asked the leadership members to express their views on the matter. Leadership member and MP Lush Përpali said he considered these activities carried out by former PS chairman Fatos Nano abnormal and damaging to the Socialist Party. He said they did not constitute opposition, but instead displayed a clear anti-government line, which he found unacceptable. Përpali said the PS could not be divided, despite efforts to do so. Leadership member Ethem Ruka said in his remarks that, so far, almost all leadership members had maintained a balance amid developments in the PS. This party has forums; some people are elected in them, others fall, but what must remain is discipline, he said. Ruka said that the PS had now lost discipline and that work to factionalize it had been going on for some time. If there are people here who want to degrade this party, we are standing ready to save it, Ruka said. Regarding the activities of recent days, Ruka said that, at best, this could be called anarchy, but it was never democracy. No one has been stopped from expressing their free opinion, even if it is different, but I am against rallies, because a congress cannot be held as two congresses, by two separate routes. In this way we have opened the way to anarchy, Ruka said. He added that there needed to be a clear, organized response from the PS leadership to these events; its absence was being exploited to do things in the PS that would not be tolerated in any other party in the world. Ruka added that everyone was invited to compete within the party. Leadership member Arben Malaj said the statute did not prevent anyone from announcing their candidacy for party chairman or campaigning among party members. He referred to specific articles, saying that if he decided to announce his candidacy for chairman, he would seek to campaign among party members. Leadership member Namik Dokle said some matters were very clear in the statute. Referring to the chapter on the functioning of party bodies and to several of its provisions, Dokle said it guaranteed the right to freedom of expression, even when opinions differed, in party forums and in its press. Meanwhile, referring to the adoption of decisions, Dokle quoted the statute as saying that the adoption and implementation of decisions are binding on the elected representatives who make the decision and on those to whom it is addressed. Further, referring to section 15/2 of the statute, Dokle quoted it as saying that candidates are selected by secret ballot and through alternative candidacies. Something we have not yet done, Dokle said. Leadership member Luan Hajdaraga described the activities carried out by former PS chairman Nano as outside procedures, outside statutory rules, and outside any content approved democratically by the party forums. He said this activity should be considered punishable, does not serve the party, and cannot be imposed on it through organizing groups or commissions. Hajdaraga said these actions were already familiar, and that others had done the same in their parties. Leadership member Ylli Bufi said elections up to the congress must take place within the party structures. In this context, he continued, we must decide how we will hold the congress and whether we will adhere to the phases approved by the KPD. Otherwise, we are faced with two lines: the theses developed by the leadership after analysis in the party forums, and the anti-government ones being presented by Fato[—]si, Meta said a modern party means an institutional party, where forums function according to statutory rules. He described the campaign launched by former chairman Nano as abnormal. He said such a campaign resembled complete anarchy, which was holding hostage not the party but the whole country. It was creating uncertainty among our international partners, who are waiting to see what will happen in October, and among investors, who are reluctant to invest because of the idea of instability being put forward in this campaign. Thus the country is being held hostage because of an unacceptable, entirely mistaken assembly, Meta said. He added that it was important for people and PS members to know the official position of the leadership and the KPD. Otherwise, through our silence we are becoming accomplices in holding the country hostage, Meta said. Anyone among us who emerges from the Congress should know that they will not even end up in a kiosk. Leadership member Elmaz Sherifi said the working groups were functioning and that he considered it abnormal for those who belonged to these working groups not to attend and instead to hold non-statutory activities. There is no alternative outside the forums and statutory rules, and there should be none. Leadership member and Secretary for Public Relations Ilir Zela said that the method, rules, and procedures for the dismissal up to the congress had been clearly defined in the decisions adopted by the KPD, which could not be contested. Meanwhile, he said, there was a noticeable willingness not to respect the forums and their decisions, citing as examples activities organized in Tirana by an organizing group and a meeting of the theses commission, among which Nano’s non-statutory activity was selected. Leadership member and PS International Secretary Arta Dade said that for some time there had been organizing groups and parallel, non-statutory structures operating alongside the party’s legal structures. With such arrangements, we are not only bringing anarchy into the party, but are also failing to take the matter seriously. Referring to the activities of former chairman Nano, she said that everyone was at fault for allowing such activities. If we had carried out such activities when Nano was chairman, one cannot imagine what his reaction would have been. (Continued on page 4)

Nano is not respecting the party forums and is seriously damaging the party