By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Part Seventeen
Memorie.al / When not even a week had passed since 2 July 1990, when thousands of Albanian citizens climbed over the railings and walls of foreign embassies in Tirana and entered their premises with the aim of leaving Albania, the high leadership of the PPSh (Party of Labour of Albania), headed by General Secretary Ramiz Alia, held the 11th plenum of the Central Committee, which held its proceedings on 6 and 7 July. Although the agenda was predetermined in three main points, where the one on the development of education in Albania predominated, almost throughout the proceedings of that plenum (especially at point 4, “Miscellaneous”), the event of those days, otherwise known as “2 July of the embassies,” was discussed and debated. At that plenum, in which all members and candidates of the Central Committee of the PPSh, the first secretaries of the party committees of the districts, ministers, main cadres of the sector of education, culture, science, economy, leaders of the organization of the Union of Labour Youth of Albania, from the apparatus of the Central Committee of the PPSh, Radio-Television, ATA (Albanian Telegraphic Agency), etc., took part, absent were Nimet Cani, Ali Vukatana, Reiz Malile, Shpëtim Çaushi, Zylyftar Ramizi, Qemal Lame, Zef Loka, Pirro Kondi and Hekuran Isai, who for several days had been “in the field,” “managing” the embassy event.
After the opening of the meeting by Ramiz Alia, the floor was given to the Minister of Education, Skënder Gjinushi, who also delivered the relevant report (“On the perfection of the educational system and the further qualitative strengthening of the school”). The keynote of that plenum was the “embassy event,” discussing and analyzing in detail how and why it happened, (“the role of foreign agencies”), up to the tasks that emerged for managing that situation in those hot July days, when over five thousand Albanian citizens from all the districts of the country were in the interior premises of some of the main embassies in Tirana, waiting to leave Albania.
In addition, throughout that meeting, but mainly at point no. 4 of the agenda, (which was discussed in the last session), several of the main events that had occurred in various districts of the country during that year were also taken into analysis, such as; the protests in Shkodër in January for the removal of Stalin’s bust; the events in the city of Kavajë where the people of that city clashed with police forces; mass escapes from the state borders with Yugoslavia and Greece; mass gatherings in holy religious sites, such as the Church of Saint Ndou in Laç of Kurbin; the legal permission of religious beliefs and the opening of places of worship; or other problems raised for solution, such as; the talks of the international factor for the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with the USA, the Soviet Union, (the talks held with the Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister in Sofia by Sofokli Lazri); the Kosovo problem; international pressure for Albania’s opening to the world and its accession to several international conventions; the privileges of the high leadership of the PPSh and their families who lived mainly in the “Block”; the words circulating among the people about Enver Hoxha’s family and Ramiz’s relations with Nexhmije; the change of legislation and the penal code; the release of political prisoners; the stamping with passports of citizens who sought to leave as visitors to their relatives abroad; the new economic mechanism; housing and employment of many additions in all districts of the country; the granting of land and livestock to the cooperative peasantry; up to the supply of the urban population with basic food products and various industrial goods.
As we will see also from archival documents belonging to the 11th plenum of the Central Committee of the PPSh, which we emphasize are published for the first time, besides the leadership and some of the high functionaries of that time, several other high figures who continued their political careers even after the 1990s also discussed or were mentioned at that meeting, such as; Skënder Gjinushi, Fatos Nano, Sali Berisha, Rexhep Mejdani, Gramoz Pashko, Spiro Dede, Dritëro Agolli, Ismail Kadare, Moikom Zeqo, Mehmet Elezi, Lisen Bashkurti, Koço Kokëdhima, Ylli Popa, Aleks Luarasi, etc.
Likewise, in the voluminous file of this plenum, of great interest are also those documents that belong to the secretaries of the Party Committees of the districts or the “Information Group” who went to all the districts of the country and recorded all the main problems that emerged in the meetings of the base organizations of the party, where “On the letter of the Central Committee” was discussed, documents that constitute the largest and also the most important part of the file in question. It can even be said to be among the most important of the entire period of the communist regime of Enver Hoxha and his successor Ramiz Alia, since that period of time with the events that unfolded marked the prologue of the fall of that regime.
Likewise, of great interest are also the documents that belong to the last session of that meeting with point no. 4 of the agenda “Miscellaneous,” which constitutes the hottest point of the entire plenum, where the release from duties and retirement of three members of the Political Bureau (Rita Marko, Manush Myftiu and Prokop Murra) was discussed, even with harsh debates, as well as the release from ministerial duties or other high functions that several other “leaders” had held for years, such as Simon Stefani, Pali Miska, Muho Asllani, Lenka Çuko, Vito Kapo, Pirro Kondi, Jovan Bardhi, etc., and the appointment of “young comrades” in the leadership of the high forums of the Party and State, such as; Xhelil Gjoni, Abdyl Backa, Niko Gjyzari, Kiço Mustaqi, etc. Regarding these etc., the documents in question extracted from the Central State Archive (Fund of the former Central Committee of the PPSh) make us aware, which are published for the first time and with the relevant facsimiles by Memorie.al
Continued from the previous issue
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE 11TH PLENUM OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PPSh, HELD ON 6 AND 7 JULY 1990
MISCELLANEOUS
Several issues of today’s situations and the political problems that flow from them.
COMRADE MANUSH MYFTIU: If I knew who they are, I would say their names here. But those who speak must be from the close people of the members of the Central Committee, at least that is what the foreign telegraphic agencies said in the news that I have seen and heard myself.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: And shall we believe that news full of slander that the foreign agencies write?! According to them, “we have arrested Nexhmije Hoxha and are keeping her in prison”?!
COMRADE MANUSH MYFTIU: In some news I saw last night on television, it was said that the Albanian ambassador in Rome told a “Reuters” journalist that there will be changes in the Central Committee of the Party.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Our ambassador in Rome has said nothing.
COMRADE HEKURAN ISAI: The journalists of the “Reuters” agency are daily saying slander…!
COMRADE MANUSH MYFTIU: Naturally we do not believe their slanders, but even the TANJUG agency transmitted everything that was said a few days ago at the meeting of the Political Bureau.
COMRADE HAXHI LLESHI: Comrade Manush, for us it does not matter what the enemies say, nor should we deal with these rumors. You, are you agreed to retire?
COMRADE MANUSH MYFTIU: Why, do I not have the right to state my opinions?
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Of course. You should state your opinions openly.
COMRADE MANUSH MYFTIU: But I beg Comrade Haxhi very much not to rush to give me advice, before I finish my thought. When I finish, let him also state his opinion.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Continue, Manush, state your opinion.
COMRADE MANUSH MYFTIU: I stated the above opinions, because such propaganda is being made by the foreign agencies and this propaganda is made first of all by those themselves, but the possibility is not excluded that there are also people, up to here, in our instances who suggest these positions to them, because they are waiting for a certain moment…! As for the replacements that are thought to be made in the Political Bureau, I agree and think they should be made.
There is no reason to wait a year, until the congress comes, leaving three empty seats in the Political Bureau. If it were not so necessary to immediately replace the comrades who are leaving the Political Bureau, then let the Bureau remain even a year with these members it has had. I am of the opinion that it is better for the young comrades to take the duty, but they must be young in the true sense of the word, not be near retirement age, otherwise there would be no need for their coming.
COMRADE SHEFQET PEÇI: I also think that the Political Bureau should be completed with three young comrades. I also think that Comrade Simon should be suggested for election as President of the Trade Unions of Albania. He is a cadre who comes from the working class, has been honored and can carry out this duty. Why should we wait for the Party Congress to make these replacements? Even at the Congress it will again be we who will decide for those comrades who should be elected to the Political Bureau.
COMRADE HAKI TOSKA: I, Comrade Ramiz, am of the opinion that the leadership of the Party Committee of the District of Tirana should also be strengthened.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: What do you propose, Comrade Haki?
COMRADE HAKI TOSKA: I propose that comrades Pirro Kondi, Pirro Lako, Bardhyl Parruca and Naumka Bozo, as secretaries of this committee, should be replaced. There are plenty of young cadres who can do their work.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Good.
COMRADE SPIRO KOLEKA: I agree with the opinions you stated, Comrade Ramiz, and I propose that all three members of the Political Bureau who are leaving it be replaced. And since it is an opinion that Abdyl Backa should come as secretary of the Central Committee of the Party, he can also be elected as a member of the Political Bureau. Likewise, I am of the opinion that the Central Committee of the Party has quite a few other comrades who can replace the comrades of the Political Bureau. And in the Party Committee of Tirana, Pirro and Naunka can leave the duty also for reasons of age. Meanwhile, the Party Committee of the District of Tirana should be strengthened, because as you also said, the 25 thousand communists of this district have fallen into great lethargy.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Is there any other opinion?
COMRADE RITA MARKO: I also fully agree with Comrade Ramiz’s word. The enemies have spoken even when we were elected to the Political Bureau and the Central Committee of the Party.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: You, Rita, the hostile propaganda has even managed to call you an immoral woman!
COMRADE RITA MARKO: It has been 38 years that I have been elected to the Political Bureau, among which 4 years as a candidate and the other years as a member. Comrade Manush has just as many. Therefore I think the proposals that we leave this duty are very right. I am a soldier of the Party and will work with all the strength I have for its cause. I have never been absent from work and will not be absent in the future either.
I am of the opinion that at this moment, naturally, the enemies may exploit our departure from the Political Bureau, just as they exploit the economic difficulties. They may even present us as conservatives, but for us it matters that the work of the Party goes well. If we look at the work of the Party and the issue of unity, no kind of slander by the enemies will worry us. The main issue is to strengthen unity and for the Party to live! This is what I think and I fully agree with the proposals made.
COMRADE PROKOP MURRA: I too, since my opinion was withdrawn, was fully agreed to retire, but I will continue to work and fight always as a soldier of the Party. I also agree with those remarks that were made for the Party Committee of the District of Tirana. For the movement of Comrade Simon, I have a concern. We discussed this issue in the Political Bureau and the general opinion was that he should be suggested for election as president of the Trade Unions.
But now I have the impression that perhaps the workers will not receive this proposal well, thinking that he was released from his current duties because he did not fulfill them. It is true that we, the other comrades of the Bureau, were also released from duties, but we were released for reasons of age. So let the workers not tell us: “Why did you bring us this man to lead the Trade Unions, who did not fulfill the duty he had?”
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: What other opinion do you have, Prokop?
COMRADE PROKOP MURRA: We ourselves gave this variant, but…!
COMRADE SHEFQET PEÇI: Simon Stefani is serious, an honored worker, a man who has come from the working class and it will receive well the proposal that he become president of the Trade Unions.
COMRADE DRITËRO AGOLLI:And I would say that also from the psychological side, it would not have a good effect that a Minister of Internal Affairs leads the working class. I have the impression that the workers will not receive this well. For Comrade Simon I have great respect, I have known him closely, he has always worked well, he is an honest man, but for those reasons I said above, I think he should not go to lead the working class. It would be better for him to be appointed as chairman of the State Control Commission, where Comrade Manush was.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Very well.
COMRADE JOVAN BARDHI: I consider fully right the opinion expressed by the comrades that I retire. I expressed such a desire to Comrade Adil not only for reasons of age, but I considered it necessary to be replaced by some young comrade, with broader and more complete skills and knowledge for the economy. I also think that the comrades of the Political Bureau who will leave this duty should be replaced with young elements from the composition of the Plenum. For the movement of Comrade Simon, I agree with Dritëro’s opinion.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA:Good.
COMRADE SIMON STEFANI: I am a soldier of the Party and I am ready to work wherever the Party assigns me. I was previously a worker and I am ready to go again to work as a worker. I told these to Comrade Ramiz as well. I have tried to work honestly in the duties entrusted to me, sacrifices have been dear to me, because the situations have been very difficult, but I have not spared myself, I have put all my energies in the service of the work.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: That is so.
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI:You were also without experience in the sector that was entrusted to you to lead.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: As it seems, the general opinion of the comrades is to replace the members of the Bureau who are retiring.
COMRADE HARILLA PAPAJORGJI: For the comrades who lead in the Party Committee of Tirana, did we not decide…?
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: First let us judge for the comrades of the Political Bureau, then for the others.
COMRADE SPIRO KOLEKA:Will Comrade Simon remain as a member of the Political Bureau?
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: As a member of the Political Bureau he can remain, but let him move to the duty of chairman of the State Control Commission.
COMRADE SPIRO KOLEKA: It is better for him to be chairman of the Control Commission, than president of the Trade Unions.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: The concern that Dritëro had and the opinion he gave for this issue is right. As Dritëro raised it, this issue could take on a political character for us, it could be interpreted as if we are sending the Minister of Internal Affairs to control the working class. So, it will be better for Simon to become Minister of Control.
Now, to complete the number of members of the Political Bureau, are you agreed? (They express agreement) Do you wish to make direct proposals for as many comrades as are needed, or for us to present 5-6 names and for you to give your judgment for them?
COMRADE SHEFQET PEÇI: It is better for the Political Bureau to tell us which comrades it has thought of.
COMRADE ABDYL BACKA: The proposal that was made for me for the duty of secretary of the Central Committee of the Party is a great trust, because this is a high duty that requires manliness, maturity and experience. I thank you for this trust that you have in bringing me a duty with a heavy weight and full of responsibility, but perhaps there may also be some other comrade who has more experience than me as a party secretary.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: It is true that for this duty manliness and knowledge are needed. To complete the number of members of the Bureau, I think it would be good for you to propose to me some of the comrades who until now have been candidates of the Political Bureau. For example, Comrade Kiço Mustaqi, who is thought to also become Minister of Defense, can pass as a member of the Political Bureau. Also, Comrade Vangjel Çërava, who is also young in age, can become a member of the Political Bureau. Manush rightly proposed that those who will be elected be young. And the third member of the Bureau, to be elected now, can be Comrade Xhelil Gjoni, whom we proposed to elect in the Secretariat.
Xhelil is a member of the Central Committee of the Party. Thus the number of members of the Political Bureau is completed. Now there remain to be filled the two seats of the candidates of the Political Bureau, that of Kiço and that of Vangjel. For candidate of the Political Bureau, for example, Xhemal Dymylja is proposed, whom today we have as a member of the Central Committee of the Party and first secretary of the Party Committee in Shkodër. The other candidate of the Political Bureau can also be Comrade Niko Gjyzari, who is a candidate of the Central Committee of the Party.
So, one must first be elected a member of the Central Committee of the Party, so that he can then also be elected a candidate of the Political Bureau. Do you wish us to present, besides these, also other candidacies? One candidacy is also Shane Korbeci, but he too is a candidate of the Central Committee of the Party and we must first elect him a member. Another candidacy is Bujar Kolaneci, also a candidate of the Central Committee of the Party. I presented several candidacies to you, now you will judge which is the most suitable./ Memorie.al
Continued in the next issue
