By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Part One
Memorie.al / On December 25, 1989, while it had been nearly three months since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Eastern Bloc was collapsing day by day, and in Romania on that very day, after a swift trial, dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu was executed by firing squad along with his wife Elena (footage of which at the time made the rounds of the world and was followed with great interest even in communist Albania), the top leadership of the Party of Labour, headed by Ramiz Alia, convened urgently in Tirana. Among other things, this is made known also by an archival document bearing the classification “Secret,” containing the minutes of the meeting of the Secretaries of the Central Committee of the PPSH, attended by Ramiz Alia, Pirro Kondi, Foto Çami, Hekuran Isai, and Lenka Çuko, which reveals the regime’s anxiety in the face of the unrest sweeping Eastern Europe, and chiefly Ceaușescu’s Romania.
At this meeting, the highest communist leaders, in addition to the social problems of the day – such as housing, or the supply of the population with food products, clothing and footwear, and industrial goods for everyday use – also analyzed and discussed with great concern several confidential pieces of information, such as a telephone call to the editorial office of the newspaper “Zëri i Rinisë” (The Voice of Youth), in which someone on the other end of the line made known the creation of a democratic party, etc.
Likewise, in the document in question, the top leadership of the PPSH also analyzed spontaneous reactions or words spread by certain citizens, such as on city buses etc., who drew analogies with the events in Romania, as well as reports from the “TANJUG” agency or the “Greek reaction” about demonstrations in Shkodër and incidents in the border area in the south of the country, where four citizens killed at the border had been dragged on the trailer of a truck, etc.
Faced with this critical situation, Ramiz Alia appears to have begun floating the first ideas for controlled economic reforms, changes in the concept of class struggle, and the abuse by party and state organs of people’s biographies, reaching as far back as grandparents – something which clearly seems to be a desperate attempt to keep power on its feet.
Alongside these measures concerning the domestic situation, at that meeting Ramiz Alia also spoke about issues of Albania’s foreign policy, clearly articulating with his own mouth the revision of relations with the European Common Market, as well as diplomatic relations with the USA and the Soviet Union, since according to him: the arguments used until that time for breaking off diplomatic relations with them had become outdated and were no longer valid.
Moreover, the head of communist Albania, Ramiz Alia, made it clear to the Central Committee secretaries at that meeting that: “in case representatives of the USA seek the restoration of diplomatic relations, we will tell them that we will study this matter.” Since according to him: “we can no longer move forward with political grudges, because politics is not made with grudges.” However, on this point – namely, the revision of foreign policy and the restoration of diplomatic relations with the USA and the Soviet Union – Ramiz Alia appears somewhat contradictory, since a little earlier he states: “By this I do not mean to say that we should establish relations with the USA, but to use a different argument.”
Perhaps, and very likely, alongside Ramiz Alia’s dualistic character, he floated that idea to test the pulse of his subordinates in the top leadership of the PPSH, and to hear their opinions on that matter – indeed, one of the most important that could have been discussed by official Tirana since 1946, when the American mission received a firm order to leave Albania immediately! Regarding this, etc., we will become acquainted in the document in question, which was recently extracted from the Central State Archive in Tirana (the fund of the former Central Committee of the PPSH) and is published for the first time by /Memorie.al
THE SECRET DOCUMENT WITH THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE SECRETARIAT OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PPSH, DECEMBER 25, 1989
MEETING OF THE COMRADE SECRETARIES OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PARTY
December 25, 1989
Attending the meeting are comrades: Ramiz Alia, Foto Çami, Hekuran Isai, Lenka Çuko, and Pirro Kondi. The meeting is chaired by the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party, comrade Ramiz Alia.
At this meeting, comrade Pirro Kondi informs the Central Committee secretaries about the discussion of comrade Ramiz Alia’s speech, delivered at the plenum of the Central Council of the BPSH, in the Party organizations of the district, and the problems that have arisen from this. He also reports to the comrades on the supply situation in the capital. Comrade Ramiz puts forward some ideas for solving the problems of current development in the field of the economy and in every other sector.
COMRADE PIRRO KONDI: With the instruction you gave, comrade Ramiz, we immediately convened the basic Party organizations of production enterprises, agricultural cooperatives, institutions, and neighborhoods, and gave them the relevant guidelines for discussing the speech you delivered at the plenum of the General Council of the BPSH. At this meeting, information was also given on the political situation in the world, as well as on the situation in Romania.
In the basic Party organizations of the city, the discussion of your speech has almost finished, while in the countryside it will soon be completed. At that meeting, clarification was also given regarding the malicious slanders of the Greater-Serbian forces of Belgrade and the international reaction against our country. In the basic Party organizations, problems were raised, questions were asked, and some opinions were given on certain issues. In general, the moral-political situation is very sound. All communists expressed solidarity with your speech, comrade Ramiz, and with many of the points raised there.
In some basic organizations, such as those of institutions, the university, research institutes, etc., the problem was raised that these theses could be elaborated more broadly. In one organization, the question was asked why Yugoslavia had put its television at the disposal of the events in Romania, or how relations would develop with the former socialist countries that have now completely transitioned to capitalism.
In some organizations, the problem was raised that we should be more firm in the responses we give to the Yugoslavs, to the Greek reaction, and to others, regarding the frenzied slanderous propaganda they have undertaken against our country. One organization secretary said why we did not refute the Yugoslav slander that drugs allegedly pass through Albania. He had heard this on the radio. I explained that the whole world knows that in our country there are no drugs, so there was no need to refute this. The Yugoslavs, I clarified, that is their business—to slander—but we do not fall into their mistakes.
There were also some questions of this nature that might imply that something could happen in our country, or in the sense that the events in the Eastern countries have nothing positive about them. The communists also reported some rumors they had heard. But there are also unformed people who express uncertainty. For example, a worker at the “December 21” enterprise had said on the bus: “Let’s eat through this New Year too, because who knows what will happen.”
A communist had intervened immediately and given the proper response. The general request of the basic Party organizations, especially of the university, is that your speech be read also to the non-Party masses. This request was also made by the chairman of the Professional Unions of our district.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Let it be read.
COMRADE PIRRO KONDI: All the problems raised in the basic Party organizations have been clarified to the communists. As for the events in the countries of Eastern Europe, we clarified that these countries had long ago abandoned the socialist path and have now completely transitioned to capitalism, handing over the benefits to anti-communist and most reactionary forces—so one master left and another master came. As for the issue of relations, we explained that comrade Ramiz emphasizes in his speech that with the countries of Eastern Europe we will have the same relations that we have with other countries.
Regarding what “TANJUG” and the Greek reaction have put out – that allegedly there were demonstrations in Shkodër, that in a village of Gjirokastër 4 minorities were killed and massacred, dragged behind a tractor, that they had attempted to escape, and other such nonsense – we clarified that these are monstrous slanders by the Greater-Serbian forces and the Greek reaction. They do this, we told them, and to divert world public opinion’s attention from what is happening in Kosovo, to divert our country from the socialist path, to swallow it up.
This is enough, we told them, to dismiss Belgrade’s slanders. Here lies the political maturity of our Party and our state, which does not engage in petty squabbles. We also explained that such events cannot happen in our country because our country has followed a different ideological, political, economic, and social path from the Eastern countries – the Marxist-Leninist path.
With great force, the problems of trade, municipal services, and the treatment of workers were raised in the basic Party organizations, because there have been shortcomings in this regard. Some time ago, comrade Adil himself went out for an inspection in Tirana to see how supplies were. Inspections have also been carried out by the executive committees of the regions. I carried out an inspection in the neighborhood shops of the “Stalin” Textile Combine and the Auto-Tractor Combine.
In fact, the supply of the market with food items, fruits, and vegetables this year has been good, but commercial service leaves much to be desired, especially regarding the storage and display of goods. In one shop, there were no onions, at a time when the warehouses were full. The merchandiser of the warehouse said that this shortage is because sorting is being done. You must take measures, I pointed out to her, so that no item is missing from the shop.
During this time, some imported shirts and shoes were also put on the market. Here they sold out within the hour, but the shop windows were broken etc., although the trade sector had taken measures to avoid confusion. The pensioners raised the problem that those who buy in large quantities engage in profiteering. Such disturbances always occur when there are retail goods. Comrade Adil told us that more consumer goods will come again. We will sell these in the peripheral shops, because in the center there are embassies.
People criticized the football match that was not shown on television. The match was not shown on television to attract money, and indeed we secured good revenues. The stadium was filled like never before – 400 people had come just from Kruja. But after the match there was chaos on the train going to Laç and Shkodër, because there were no seats. When I was informed about this, I called the comrades of Kruja to send buses, and so it was done.
At those meetings, the problem of housing was also raised, and it was said that favors are being done in the allocation of apartments. Citizens have many complaints about housing, and the fact is that things are not done fairly in the allocation of apartments. One example: behind the newspaper “Bashkimi”, a large house was demolished and a building was constructed – the Party School built it together with a military enterprise. The citizens whose house was demolished were told they would be accommodated in this building, they would get one staircase from the first floor to the sixth, and agreements were made.
But when the building was allocated, they were told: you will take the first floor and the sixth floor. They then came and complained to the Party Committee of the district. True, the professors, they said, are respected people, but we workers are no less respected. You are right, I told them. Even in the construction enterprise, workers had complaints against the Executive Committee of the district regarding the allocation of apartments.
I also told Llambi (Gegprifti) about the criticisms and remarks made regarding housing. Give up, I told him, on favors and friendships, because you are creating discontent with the people. I suggested that the contingent that the district executive committee will take for writing and learning purposes should be determined from the start – even the city – and even the floor on which they will be allocated.
For the traditional New Year’s holiday, all measures have been taken, both as regards the supply of the market, and regarding venues and the activities to be held. The market has been very well supplied with food items, fruits, vegetables, etc. I personally went out to inspect the shops to see the situation. On Skanderbeg Square, 3 – 4 pine trees have been placed, decorated with small multicolored lights. Likewise, several small stalls in alpine form have been set up, which will sell sugar products, postcards, and toys for children.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Very good.
COMRADE PIRRO KONDI: On New Year’s Eve, after 12:00, people, especially young people, usually come out to Skanderbeg Square. Therefore, we thought there should be some orchestra so that people can dance and enjoy themselves. There will also be mobile carts there, selling almonds, hazelnuts, sugar products, etc.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Alcoholic beverages must not be sold under any circumstances, because there is a risk of some scandal.
COMRADE PIRRO KONDI: No, no, there will be no alcoholic drinks. We have taken all measures, comrade Ramiz, so that everything goes smoothly. Instructors from the Party committees of the regions, of the district, comrades from trade, etc., will also be on duty there.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Agreed, so.
COMRADE PIRRO KONDI: The Cuban painting that was taken from the Art Gallery was found – it had been taken by a first-year student of the Institute of Arts. As for the slogan, we still have not traced it. But this slogan is not like the previous one. The information about the poor condition of the canteens in the university dormitories was not accurate. I personally went for an inspection and saw that the food was very good. I also sent the district youth secretary to talk with the young people about the problems they have.
The students raised the problem that the social food premises in the “Student City” should close at 10:00 p.m. instead of 8:00 p.m., because they study until late hours and when they come to the dormitory they find nothing to eat. This was requested more by the students of the Higher Institute of Arts, because they stay until late hours practicing on instruments, since they are few in number.
For example, 10 people study on one piano. I told the director of NTUS to change the venue’s schedule. The students of the Institute of Arts also raised the problem of the lack of spare parts for musical instruments. Clarinets, for example, they don’t use them for just one reed. These spare parts, they said, cost no more than 200,000 lek.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: The Committee of Culture and Arts must provide funds for the spare parts of musical instruments.
COMRADE HEKURAN ISAI: You can even carry them in a suitcase.
COMRADE PIRRO KONDI: I will discuss this problem with the comrades of Foreign Trade. Another complaint the students had was about cigarettes – they wanted “Apollonia” and “Porti” packets, which cost less. I note that since Xhevdet Pata became director of the university dormitories, order has been established there. I instructed the comrades of the University Party Committee to do careful work with the students in explaining the political situations we are going through, because the ideological pressure of the bourgeoisie particularly targets the youth.
But greater care in this direction, I told them, must be taken with the students of the Arts department, because literature and art are fields that are most affected by the ideological diversion of the bourgeoisie and revisionism. This is the first point. Second, the students of this department have a bit of a mania to appear and discuss with foreigners about music, literature, and art – but the foreigner is not beyond giving a color TV, some fabric, a clarinet, etc., so that the students enter into deep discussions also about other problems, and thereby achieve his bad objectives. I instructed them that the students must be reserved in contacts with foreigners – not to not speak to them when asked something, but not to enter into deep discussions.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: And in the canteen of the Pedagogical School, how was the situation?
COMRADE PIRRO KONDI: The food in the Pedagogical Secondary School, in the Technological School, and in the “7 Nëntori” Polytechnic was not good. There were many shortcomings in the supply of the canteens. For this, we are drawing the attention of the directorates of these schools. This is the general situation in Tirana, comrade Ramiz.
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: Mehmet Elezi called me on the phone and told me that the editorial office of the newspaper “Zëri i Rinisë” had been called by someone who said: “We inform you that the Democratic Party of Albania has been created.” These people had left the line open so that we could trace the number, but the phone was not blocked. It appears to have been made from the small booths on the street. Likewise, when some peasants were passing along the road in a border village, the Yugoslavs on the other side of the border had told them: “Where are you going, to the demonstration?” “You have demonstrations over there,” they had replied. / Memorie.al
HEAD OF THE GENERAL SECTOR
Fatmir Zaloshnja
To be continued in the next issue
