“The suicide of Niazi Islam without giving an account to the Party, prove the anti-party activity of this group and their discovery is a success…” / The unknown story of the opposition group that ignored Enver

Dashnor Kaloçi

Memorie.al publishes the unknown story of a group of members of the Central Committee of the ALP headed by: Njazi Islamit, Abedin Shehu, Shyqëri Këllezit, Isuf and Hamit Keçi, etc., who in 1950 when they held high positions also in the government and the army, as ministers and directors of directors, etc., were attacked by Enver Hoxha and the Central Committee of the ALP, being accused that: with their hostile activity, they had neglected the Party and its political line, holding meetings regular as if they were a party forum and another government… ?!

For them, the economic plans of the state were “impossible”. Starting from distrust in the constructive forces of our people, being contrary to the line of the Party and wanting to sabotage the realization of the economic plan of the state, they showed distrust in the realization of the plan of aggregations and other economic sectors and expected failure of these plans to strike at the Party and the state. They worried about the war being waged against the kulaks in the village and mourned them for the blows they suffered from the popular power. Military orders for them were controversial. They claimed that the compulsory execution of military orders is not fair. “The inferior,” they said, “should evaluate and discuss them, and, if he is not satisfied with their accuracy, should not apply them.” They did not believe in the defense capability of our country and in the combat readiness of the People’s Army. They were informed about the defense capability of our country, about the combat readiness of the army and about other important military secrets. They ended their discussions convinced that the defense of our country is weak and the readiness of the army is not enough. They talked about organizational and staffing problems, such as the creation of new departments, changes of ministers, first district secretaries, etc. “, said among other things in a communiqué of the Central Committee of the ALP regarding a meeting of the 5th Plenum ALP held on February 20-22 and March 6, 1950, where the activity of the anti-party group led by: Abedin Shehu, Njazi Islami, Shyqëri Këllezit, Isuf and Hamit Keçi was analyzed and condemned ”, Etc., who were later imprisoned and interned as enemies of the people. After the condemnation of the “Group of Deputies” in 1947 led by Shefqet Beja, Gjergj Kokoshi, Riza Danin, etc., who tried to come out and legalize the real opposition within the ranks of the Albanian Communist Party and the Democratic Front, “Anti-party group ”Within the ranks of the Central Committee of the ALP that was ousted by Enver Hoxha in 1950, was in fact a dissidence, or more precisely an opposition group, to the political line that that party was following. What were the functions of the members of this “anti-party group” and what was their activity? This is what this archival document is about, which Memorie.al is publishing in full, starting from this article.

follows from the previous number

Communication of the Central Committee for the activity of the “Anti-party group” headed by: Abedin Shehu, Njazi Islamit, Shyqëri Këllezit, Isuf e Hamit e Keçit, etc.

PLENUM V OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF ALP

Tirana, 20-22 February and 6 March 1950

COMMUNICATION FROM THE PLENUM OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE ALP

At its meeting on 20-22 February and 6 March 1950, the Central Committee decided to expel from its ranks the members of the Central Committee, Abedin Shehu, of Niazi Islami, who was also expelled from the Party and of the candidate of the Central Committee, Shyqri Këllezi, for anti-party and Trotskyist activity to the detriment of the interests of the Party, the people and the People’s Republic. It also decided to expel Nexhip Vincani from the Central Committee for serious mistakes and faults in his state and Party functions.

PLENUM OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF ALP

RESOLUTION OF THE PLENUM ‘OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE ALP ON THE GROUP ACTIVITY OF THE ANTI-PARTY GROUP CHAIRED BY ABEDIN SHEHU, NIAZI ISLAMI AND SHYQRI KELLEZI

March 6, 1950

GROUP TACTICS

These comrades benefited from the experience and methods of the Trotskyist group to develop their group work. They intended:

1. To break the democratic centralism, to break the conspiracy and discipline of the Party and the state, to extinguish the vigilance, to violate the organizational rules and principles of the Party and the state, to extinguish criticism and self-criticism as powerful weapons of the Party and our society. to degenerate our Party and Republic.
2. To arouse distrust in the work of the plan and to develop defeatism, disorganization, disobedience, arbitrariness and indiscipline. To hit the economy of our country, to weaken this as a basis of popular power and to complicate the internal situation of the country …
3. To undermine the leadership of the Party and the state by first undermining the positions of the leading comrades of the Party and the state that they thought could be hit more easily either by provoking them or by trying to compromise them.
4. To take advantage of any situation to strengthen and expand their positions in anticipation of other events and difficult situations for the Party, so that they can achieve their goals. Even after the discovery of the group’s activity, the aforementioned maintained a Trotskyist attitude and used the same tactics used by Koçi Xoxa’s Trotskyist group. First, they cut off joint meetings by holding individual meetings as appropriate. Second, frightened, they, face to face, desolidated with the members of the group who were more compromised and more visible to the Party, making them to some extent a kind of critique that did not carry weight compared to the guilt they had. Third, they admitted that they had always talked to each other, but claimed that these talks with those who were more compromised were “generally” and “incorrect”. Knowing well that healthy social gatherings and talks, talks between members of the government on government affairs and talks between members of the Central Committee on party affairs and power are not punishable or forbidden by the Party, they tried to presented these at first as “simple social gatherings” and as talks “between ministers” or “members of the Plenum of the Central Committee.” But in the meantime, they left the main issue in silence:
5. a) their conversations with friends who were not members of the Central Committee and members of the government,
6. b) for problems that did not belong to them, and
7. c) talks that took place contrary to the line of the Party and the state and in an anti-Marxist-Leninist, anti-socialist, anti-popular spirit. Fourth, they hid compromising and dangerous things and, when they could, agreed on the position they should take on certain issues, in order to hide what was possible, to protect who was possible, and to burn only those who were no longer able to defend themselves. Fifth, they asserted only when confronted with the facts and only as far as the Central Committee could have found out. Sixth, from time to time when they were in front of the facts they promised, in the same way as the Trotskyist Koçi Xoxe and his friends, that they would make the next self-criticism, without succeeding in doing this self-criticism even before the Central Committee.

This anti-party group worked to weaken the Party, the state, the economy of our country, to strengthen its position in the Party and in the state. He undermined the positions of the Party leadership and waited, as at other times, for a moment suitable for his anti-party purposes, waiting “when he burst into the Party.” These comrades who have never been persecuted as they have claimed, who have never been abused, whom the Party gave its hand in its First Congress by electing members of the Plenum of the Central Committee and who was given important positions in government, in the army and in other organs of power, which gave them confidence that they would work for the good of the homeland, of the popular power and of the Republic, they abused their position and the trust of the Party, of the popular power for their anti-party, anti-popular purposes.

THE GROUP MEMBERS CONSCIOUSLY DEVELOPED A GROUP AND ANTIPARTY WORK

The above-mentioned comrades conscientiously carried out group and anti-party work, so they worked conspiratorially and did not put the Party and the government in the spotlight. They knew that the work they were doing was contrary to the Party line, to its organizational rules, to its discipline, but they did not give up on this, because they deemed such a group activity necessary for their anti-party purposes. They claimed that they would never tell the Party the existence and work of the group because they were aware of the work they were doing and, if the Party had not discovered it, the group would have continued on the path to realizing its anti-party goals. Whenever there has been a manifestation of an incorrect attitude on their part, deconstruction, manifestation of anti-socialist and anti-Soviet views, manifestations of indiscipline, breaking of decisions, orders, distorted views, signs of disorganization at work, lack of vigilance. The Central Committee pointed out these weaknesses and advised them to correct them, but they, being aware of the group work they were doing behind the back of the Party, did not show anything to the Party, did not want to be corrected and continued in their anti-party work. But the Central Committee and the Party before such performances increased and sharpened vigilance. Such performances could not be accidental and detached, especially when these abnormal performances in the life of the Communists and the Party were repeated by the same person or had analogies with performances of other members of this group. With greater vigilance this anti-party group was discovered. The hostile attitude of the aforementioned after the discovery of the group shows once again how conscientious they were in this anti-party work. The Politburo asked them through its delegates, summoned them in front of the Bureau, presented themselves at the meeting of the Central Committee where the work and activity of this anti-party group was presented. In every answer to their questions and in their self-criticism, they have tried to hide their work and purpose, to preserve their “group comrades”, disregarding the interests of the Party and the state. Being conscientious in their group work, they have accepted the indisputable facts presented to them by the Central Committee, without making open and complete self-criticism on their part and without helping the Party. Conscious in their anti-party work, contrary to the Politburo’s orders to immediately sever group ties, they have continued to maintain these ties and organize defense. Despite the great help given to these comrades by the delegates of the Politburo, the Politburo and the Central Committee, they conscientiously continued to remain in hostile positions towards the Party.

The Central Committee, in order to help these comrades, to save them, to get them out of hostile positions towards the Party in which they have fallen, to make them work for the good of the Party and the people, i advises them to delve deeper into their guilt, to analyze the deep causes that led them down this path, to draw conclusions, and to reveal all their group work, that only then will they hope to be healed and they can return to the path of the Party for the good of the Party and the people and for their own good. Otherwise they will not be worthy to be party members. The Plenum of the Central Committee warns the comrades, who have fallen into this scum, to get out of the hostile positions they are in today, why they are dangerous, and will put them deeper in the path of betrayal if they do not return resolutely. on the way to the Party. Sound, open, unhesitating and bold self-criticism is the only tool of the communists who err to start the turn towards the Party path. To be able to do so, the aforementioned comrades must build strong and sound trust in the Party, feel its love. This, in turn, will protect them from the provocations and dangers they will definitely find in their path. Q. It is a great mistake to think that it is not opportunistic or that it is a shame to become one. in-depth analysis of mistakes and faults and a complete self-criticism today for the reason that it was not done yesterday. Only the microbourgeois can think and reason like this.

Conclusions

The Plenum of the Central Committee concludes that our Party built on Marxist-Leninist principles, guided by the teachings of Lenin and Stalin, following the example and experience of the Bolshevik Party, is and will be like a granite rock where they have broken and will break head internal and external enemies and the element of factions and factions. She has extensive experience in fighting internal and external enemies. She has always crushed these, emerged victorious and has strengthened and strengthened more and more her ranks, her unity, her role as a vanguard leader. The Trotskyist clique of Belgrade, an ally of imperialism, is an enemy of the Soviet Union, of our People’s Republic, and of our Party. This clique has worked and will work against our People’s Republic, the Party and our people. It seeks to encourage, mobilize, organize, inside and outside the Party the anti-party element, the enemies of the class and any remnants of reaction in our country against our Party and popular power. In addition, this clique gathers and organizes the enemies of the people and traitors of our country on its land and throws spies, provocateurs and saboteurs within the borders of our country. He does all this for a single purpose: to prevent the construction of socialism in our country, to secede our country from the Soviet Union and to put it in the lap of imperialism. In the activity of the group, which included the main elements: Abedin Shehu, Niazi Islami, Shyqri Këllezi, etc., there were signs that show that the Trotskyist clique of Belgrade also has a finger in it. The anti-party and anti-state work of this group with the typical forms and tactics of the Trotskyists, the direct assertion of Niazi Islam that he did Trotskyist work, the fear expressed by him that he was not considered a Protestant, the rejection of Soviet advisers’ suggestions for better work organization and their rejection and rejection of the Soviet experience, large-scale and overt sabotage by Titoist agents, especially on the railways, Niazi Islam’s failure to take action to end this sabotage, his protection of saboteurs and his encouragement of with their praises and decorations, the suicide of Niazi Islam on February 25, without holding the Party accountable for all its and the group’s faults and without revealing all the hostile activity, proves this anti-party and anti-state activity of this group. The discovery of this group is another important success in the way of strengthening the unity of the Party, of leading and strengthening the ranks of the Party, in the revolutionary mobilization of the Party and of the working masses for the realization of the Party line, for the strengthening of our relations. of friendship with the USSR, of love for the peoples of the Soviet Union, of the Bolshevik Party and the great Stalin, and of the strengthening of our ties with the liberated peoples of popular democracy who stand united around the glorious Soviet Union. But to become completely like this you need:

1. Let the struggle against Tito’s Trotskyist clique, which is an accomplice of the imperialist and hostile reaction of the Soviet Union, of popular democracies, of socialism, and of communist and workers’ parties, develop more and more vigorously. Intensify the war on a larger scale against their Trotskyist and pseudo-socialist activity and ideology. Intensify the work for their comprehensive unmasking. To watch and strike every display of Trotskyist views and activity in the Party and outside the Party. The party must be constantly mobilized against any show and hostile activity of this clique.
2. To develop even more sound Bolshevik criticism and self-criticism and to strengthen the internal democracy in the Party. To increase the compatibility in the Party organizations for the purity of the Party ranks, for the purity of its line, for the communist education of the comrades. To value criticism and self-criticism as the only law of development of the Party and of our Republic, without which the existence of the Party and the construction of socialism in our country is endangered. Where sound Bolshevik criticism and self-criticism are not used, sick friendships, reservations, prejudices, personal grievances, residual hatreds, disharmony that slowly and systematically lead to anti-party paths and the destruction of the Party organization take place. Where criticism and self-criticism do not take place, comrades cannot be cleansed of the flaws and micro-bourgeois waste brought to the Party, they cannot be saved from the pressure of the bourgeoisie, people cannot be helped to improve and improve their work. The party must make criticism and self-criticism increasingly a powerful weapon for itself, for the organs of power and for the masses of the people.
3. To develop the revolutionary vigilance that is necessary for the protection of the Party from the enemies that enter into its smuggling and for its cleansing, which is necessary to see the weaknesses, shortcomings and omissions in the work of the Party and the government, to distinguish the causes. and their deep reasons and take timely action. Keep in mind that the enemy intends to join the Party and when inside is aiming towards leadership. This is shown by the experience of the Bolshevik Party and the experience of our Party. He aims to weaken the Party in every way and his efforts become so great and methods so sophisticated, the more the enemy is weakened and struck. Therefore, even more strongly, the task is set before the Party to cultivate revolutionary vigilance and to develop this vigilance in the working masses of our country, in all patriots to preserve our power from enemies and to ensure the protection of our country by itself. masses.
4. Strengthen conscious and steadfast discipline in the Party. To preserve and defend the principle of democratic centralism and the organizational rules of the Party against which all the enemies of the Party wage war. The strict observance and implementation of the rules of the Statute is the first and foremost duty of every member of the Party.
5. Intensify the efforts of the forums and the members of the Party for the ideo-political establishment of the members of the Party. To give greater importance to attending Party courses and all other forms of education, such as political schools, study districts, individual study, press reading, collective reading, the fight against illiteracy within the Party, that members of the Party to arm themselves with the powerful weapon of Marxist-leninIste theory to be worthy vanguard warriors.
6. To increase the efforts for the realization of the economic plan of the state and the fight against negligence, omissions, negligence, disorganization, demobilization, defeat in the realization of the plan. The enemy knows that the well-being of our people is linked to the realization of the plans, therefore he directs his blows against the economic plan of the state. To fight with the utmost severity against any abuse and against any sabotage of the economic plan of the state.
7. To work tirelessly and more and more to strengthen the ties of friendship and love with the Soviet Union which is the helper and protector of our country and people, which is the great support of the defense of our country’s independence and the building of socialism In our country. Increase the love and gratitude for the Bolshevik Party and the great Stalin, the leader of all progressive humanity and the defender of peace, democracy and socialism. To strengthen and tighten more and more the ranks of our people with those of the peoples of the countries of popular democracies around the Soviet Union and with all the progressive forces of the world, in the great movement of peace partisans led by the great Stalin.
8. In light of the experience of detecting the activity of the anti-party group, Party organizations to analyze their work, strike and correct mistakes, shortcomings and omissions.

In view of the above, the Plenum of the Central Committee decided:

• To expel from the ranks of the Central Committee the members of the Central Committee, Abedin Shehu, Niazi Islami and the candidate of the Central Committee Shyqri Këllezi, who in contradiction with the most basic rules of the Party have conducted an anti-party group activity with which they have damaged the Party, have not maintained the Party line and its interests and have worked contrary to the Party line, have not made self-criticism before the Central Committee. Considering that after his expulsion from the Central Committee Niazi Islami committed suicide, an act which is in itself reprehensible by the Party, given that Niazi Islami has hidden his hostile activity from the Party, given that his suicide is another hostile act against the Party to cover up the betrayal he had committed to the Party and the state, the Central Committee decided to expel him from the Party after his death.
• The Central Committee expelled Hamit Keçi and Isuf Keçi from the Party and approved their arrest for crimes against the people and the state.
• Gather the assets of the Party to work on this resolution and after the assets the resolution to work in all the basic organizations of the Party.

Let the work of this resolution serve as a powerful weapon for strengthening the Party, its unity, the organizational rules of the Party and the revolutionary vigilance. To use the work of this resolution for the realization of the economic plan of the state and for a great development of criticism and self-criticism so that the elements, who may have reservations, who may have been wrong and who are afraid to speak openly, that are inadvertently found compromised by the various methods used by the class enemy, to speak openly, without fear or hesitation, about themselves and others. The Party will give them a hand, will help them to get out of positions that are dangerous for the Party and for themselves, to get out of those positions that make them always the prey of the enemy. Only in this way will these elements be resurrected and walk proudly, with a pure heart from the revolutionary, in the path of the Party./ Memorie.al

PLENUM OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF ALP