Dashnor Kaloçi
The fourth part
Memorie.al publishes some archival documents extracted from the Central State Archive in Tirana (the fund of the former PPSh Central Committee), which belong to the year 1982, where there is a file with relations, reports, instructions, information, letters , notes, minutes of meetings of the Political Bureau, the Secretariat of the Central Committee, etc., regarding the “hostile activity” of the member of the Political Bureau and the Minister of People’s Defense, Kadri Hazbiu, (who for three decades in a row had held the post of the Minister of Internal Affairs), as well as some of his closest collaborators, such as: Feçor Shehu, Mihallaq Ziçishti, Llambi Peçini, Zoi Themeli, etc., who were accused by Enver Hoxha, as “the main collaborators of the polyagent Mehmet Shehu”. In the file in question, there is also a document with the self-criticism of Kadri Hazbiu, which is dated September 27, 1982, sent to Enver Hoxha and the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the PPSh, regarding “his poor work, at the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the lack of vigilance, for not discovering hostile groups, all of which the party and Comrade Enver had discovered”. In the 24-page document, the former head of the Ministry of the Interior, who served in that post from 1953 to 1980, writes: “There from the beginning of September when I was getting my hair cut, a driver who works with the lines comes to me of transport abroad and tells me that, on the way back from abroad, the drivers had spoken ill of my fate. I didn’t ask him what he had been told, but I told him to go and report it where it should be. He added in more detail that he had spoken to the companion who stays with me, which I ordered him to report. He told me that he had done this. I don’t know whether I told him about this case or not, friend Hekuran. After a few days when I returned from a 3-4 day service, to my family for the first time, they told me that they are taking us on the phone and so on, in meetings they ask about you, where are you and how are you, because we heard things not good, as if we have escaped as a family abroad, as if I have been dismissed from my position as Minister of Defense, etc. I told you that anyone who asks about us, you say we are fine and don’t engage in further conversation. I emphasize that these things have spread so much that even one of the workers who serves in my family left unexpectedly and disobeyed, that something is happening with me and my family. All these things, I told my friend Ramiz, along with my opinion that there is not enough fight against these harmful slogans and that they are spreading from Tirana in the first place”. For more about this, we know the 24-page document, with the self-criticism of the former Minister of Internal Affairs, Kadri Hazbiu, (where Enver Hoxha has written notes on each page), which is made for the first time publicly from Memorie.al,
The document with the self-criticism of the former Minister of Internal Affairs, Kadri Hazbiu, sent to Enver Hoxha and the Political Bureau of the PPSh Central Committee, on September 27, 1982
I feel that in recent days I have made a mistake that I must tell the Political Bureau. When we were in Peza, on the day of the meeting that took place there, Comrade Prokop Murra, who opened the meeting, when he introduced some of the participants, gave each of them their full functions (party and state). And for me, exceptionally, he said that: “the member of the Political Bureau, friend Kadri Hazbiu, also participates”.
At this moment, many people looked at me with some surprise. I, although I remained very calm in appearance, I whispered a lot of “what a bitch and a cucumber”, they will still continue with talk and slogans.
After the meeting, I talked with my friends Simon Stefani and Foto Çami, that Comrade Prokop did not do well, that you will not be expected to talk, that I have allegedly been dismissed as a minister, and expressed the opinion that what was not said can be corrected somehow.
Comrade Simon emphasized that Prokopi should read the functions as they are written; while Comrade Foto said that this should not be presented in the press.
During lunch, friend Prokop corrected him with a toast after he came and met the glass with me. I told him that it was not well done, and that there will still be gossip about me. He didn’t say anything.
When I returned, I told my friend Ramiz Alia on the phone and then to my friend Hekuran Isai, that: “just as Prokopi made the presentation, the slogans about me being fired as a minister will continue.” Both friends told me that there is nothing wrong, as the good thing was that this had not happened.
I told my friend Ramiz that I agree, but that I am going crazy for these slogans. Reflecting on this event, I consider all these evidences in front of my friends to be wrong, as well as the unrestrained expression, albeit in a very low voice.
But why did I do this?! First, because a concern was created in me because, through these slogans, unity in the leadership of the Party was being called into question, and this was being done by accusing me of all kinds of things that call into question my loyalty to the Party, the Motherland, and my friend Enver.
Second, because I gradually developed the opinion that these slogans were not being evaluated and fought quickly and with the right force in Tirana, from where they were spreading rapidly to all parts of the country. But why were these thoughts created, and what attitude did I take when I heard these slogans.
I know very well that the enemy constantly spreads various slogans, but the Party fights them with many forms, quickly and with the right effect. But on this occasion, as far as I have learned, this thing was not done as usual. What have I learned, and how have I acted?!
3-4 months ago, a family relative of mine told me that in a certain circle of people (I don’t know who), it was said (the person who told me this) would be dismissed from office, as a relative of Kadri Hazbiu , which will not be long.
I told him, not to worry about me and this issue, to tell it to the Party Committee (comrade Prokop is fine) and comrade Hekuran.
He went to friend Hekuran and some time ago he told me that the matter was not like that, while friend Prokop did not tell me whether he went or not and what happened.
Later, from the beginning of September, when I was getting my hair cut, a driver who works with the transport lines abroad comes to me and tells me that, on the way back, the drivers had spoken badly about my fate.
I didn’t ask him what he had been told, but I told him to go and report it where it should be. He added in more detail that he had spoken to the companion who stays with me, which I ordered him to report. He told me that he had done this. I don’t know if I told him about this case or not, friend Hekuran.
After a few days, when I returned from a 3-4 day service, in my family for the first time they told me that they are taking us on the phone and so on, in meetings they ask about you where you are and how you are, because we have heard things that are not well, as if we have escaped as a family abroad, as if I have been dismissed from my position as Minister of Defense, etc.
I told you that anyone who asks about us, you say we are fine and don’t engage in further conversation. I emphasize that these things have spread so much that even one of the workers who serves in my family left without waiting and without being convinced that something is happening with me and my family.
All these things, I told my friend Ramiz along with my opinion that there is not enough fight against these harmful slogans and that they are spreading from Tirana in the first place. Comrade Ramiz told me that he knows some things about these and that he had given orders to hit both the banners and those who spread them.
He asked for my opinion to be present at some ceremony and we agreed that I should go to the meeting of the General Council of the Democratic Front that would be held in a few days. Although I had considered this quite enough, friend Ramiz ordered me to go to Peza as well.
And so it happened at the meeting, what I explained at the beginning happened. I took a long time in this story, forgive me, but I think that in these circumstances it seemed inadmissible for Comrade Prokop to speak so carelessly, as he said, when in Tirana he knew well what he was talking about, and that I I went there on the order of my friend Ramiz.
I raised this issue with my friends, not because it was important for me to qualify as a minister, before that as a member of the Political Bureau, but because I thought that you would still be left with a path for gossip: “that I had not been dismissed, as was going on to speak”!
Perhaps I have exaggerated in this assessment, but my preoccupation has been to prevent you from the chatter that is detrimental to the unity of the leadership of the Party and the State.
I honestly say that I have never had and will never have a career inclination, but I do not rule out that it has developed in me as if without feeling, even a certain cult that exploded in this way.
Because that side of my life as a communist was being hit, my loyalty to the Party, to my friend Enver Hoxha. But I think that here, this arrogance has influenced the fight against these slogans, especially in Tirana, and from this point of view, I did not take what Comrade Prokop said to me at the rally as a coincidence. Comrade Prokop himself should consider this reasoning of mine. Memorie.al
Kadri Hazbiu
Tirana on 27.9.1982
