By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Part Two
Memorie.al/Throughout the entire history of Albanian football championships, republic cups and other activities in this type of sport developed before the 1990s, naturally various incidents and events have been recorded among athletes, fan groups and law enforcement forces, just as has happened and happens everywhere in this type of sport, one of the most popular in the world. But two of the gravest events that alarmed the Central Committee of the PPSh (Party of Labour of Albania) and the Albanian government of that time, are thought to be those that took place in 1987 and 1988, in the city of Pukë in the match between the local “Tërbuni” and “Industriali” of Laç, for the national championship of the third category, and that in the City of “Stalin,” in the match between the local team “Naftëtari” and “Dinamo” of the capital, valid for the championship of the first category (today the superior category), which among other things became the object of analyses and meetings not only in the respective cities, but up to the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the PPSh.
For both these extraordinary events that have left traces in Albanian sport, after the 1990s several writings have been made where former footballers, trainers, referees, high local functionaries and other figures connected with sport or not have given their testimonies, who have given their versions regarding the events in question, but archival documents have never been made public, as to how they were treated by the high leadership of the PPSh, which athletes and fans were punished (even with prison) or high local functionaries who were dismissed from the high party and state duties they held. Starting from this, in this writing we are publishing some archival documents and photos from these matches, which have been extracted from the Central State Archive and are published for the first time together with the respective facsimiles. Memorie.al
Continues from the previous issue
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE SECRETARIAT OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PPSh, WHERE THE GRAVE EVENT THAT OCCURRED IN THE CITY OF “STALIN” WAS ANALYZED, IN THE FOOTBALL MATCH BETWEEN THE TEAM “NAFTËTARI” AND “DINAMO” OF THE CAPITAL
PARTY OF LABOUR OF ALBANIA
CENTRAL COMMITTEE
— General Sector —
MINUTES
OF THE MEETING OF THE SECRETARIAT OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PARTY, 11 JUNE 1988
The Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Party, in its meeting of 11.6.1988, took into consideration the matter “On the ugly event in the stadium of the City of ‘Stalin’.”
The meeting is chaired by comrade Foto Çami, secretary of the Central Committee of the Party. Participating are the secretaries of the CC of the Party, comrades: Hajredin Çeliku, Lenka Çuko and Simon Stefani.
Participating as guests to report are comrades: Abdyl Pilafi, first secretary of the Party Committee of the District of Berat, and Sofie Çuedari, first secretary of the Party Committee of the Region of the City of Stalin.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEETING
“ON THE UGLY EVENT IN THE STADIUM OF THE CITY OF STALIN”
COMRADE SOFIE ÇUEDARI: Among the inhabitants of the City of “Stalin” the spirit of localism is emphasized only for sports matters.
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: Naturally, it may be more emphasized for sports matters, but also for other matters it exists…!
COMRADE ABDYL PILAFI: That is so. Also in other directions, judgments with a localist spirit have been noticed, for example, for study rights etc. We bear responsibility before the Party for the event that occurred. If we had better evaluated the need for preventive educational work and if measures had been taken throughout the week, we would not have found ourselves surprised before the situation that was created in the City of “Stalin” on the day of the football match.
COMRADE SIMON STEFANI: Why didn’t you go there earlier? Even when the match with the Gjirokastra team took place you were instructed to show care. Then you took measures and everything passed well.
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: For every football match are we to wait to give you instructions? We warned you once to take measures in the case of the match with the Gjirokastra team..! You knew the psychology of your fans and players. Did you not draw conclusions from that warning we had given you?
COMRADE ABDYL PILAFI: We feel the responsibility heavily that we did not show the proper care, comrade Foto.
COMRADE ABDYL PILAFI: …We feel the responsibility heavily that we did not show the proper care, comrade Foto. In that period our attention was concentrated more on the preparations for the wheat harvest campaign…!
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: There, surely, the situation was boiling beforehand. Two weeks earlier the windows of the bus of the volleyball athletes had been broken, while to you perhaps the situation had been presented as calm.
COMRADE ABDYL PILAFI: I too had concern, but also comrade Sofie, who was to depart those days for the 10th Congress of the Union of Women of Albania.
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: Nevertheless you did not take concrete measures.
COMRADE LENKA ÇUKO: Since you had concern, you should have gathered the secretaries of the base organizations of the Party and asked them to take all measures. All the communists and cadres should have been set in motion, otherwise the secretaries should have borne party responsibility…! These problems are not solved only by telephone.
COMRADE SOFIE ÇUEDARI: I feel deeply my responsibility, especially for the indifferentism that the communists and cadres of the City of “Stalin” have shown. For this I made self-criticism in the base organization of the Party and in the Party Committee of the Region. Indifferent attitudes have also been noticed among the comrade’s secretaries and employees of the apparatus of the party committee, whom I have as daily collaborators and this adds to me even more responsibility. The criticisms that are made to us in this meeting are very just.
I should have exercised control, not contented myself only with the concern I showed several days earlier. I gave orders that the tickets be printed earlier and that they be taken by the most suitable people. I also spoke with comrade Abdyl and with the head of the Branch of Internal Affairs. I was anxious that we strengthen care, since being also police fans of the “Dinamo” team, some unpleasant event might happen to us. Even the day I departed for the 10th Congress of the BGSH (Union of Women of Albania), I was very anxious.
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: And although you had the anxiety, you knew the situation, you did not take concrete measures, at a time when other cases similar to what happened had also been noticed.
COMRADE LENKA ÇUKO: Comrade Abdyl said that in some cases and for some matters there have been manifestations of localism. So even the first secretary of the Party Committee of the District himself has noted these manifestations, which are not noticed only in sports matters.
COMRADE SOFIE ÇUEDARI: I tell the Party with the greatest sincerity that such manifestations have been noticed mainly for sports matters. Even the opinions that; “the district does not help us,” have appeared precisely in this direction.
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: The first secretary of the Party Committee of the District stated a concrete reality.
COMRADE LENKA ÇUKO: There have been such opinions also for study rights and for the investments that are made.
COMRADE SOFIE ÇUEDARI: The problems of supply in the City of “Stalin” have generally been solved well and especially in the supply of vegetables etc., we present ourselves better than the district. While for study rights there has been and some such opinion as; “the comrades of Berat have taken for themselves the best branches.”
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: If the comrades of the district have any mistake in these directions, let them answer, but the creation of such opinions should not be allowed.
COMRADE LENKA ÇUKO: There are some criteria on the basis of which study rights are assigned. It is not good to create these opinions and “divisions.”
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: Why did you not gather the bureau of the Party Committee of the District, comrade Abdyl, to inform the comrades about this event?
COMRADE ABDYL PILAFI: I thought we would hold the meeting of the Bureau of the Party Committee of the District today, but I was notified to come here…!
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: You should have gathered the bureau of the Party Committee of the District on the night of the event or, the next morning, at least only to inform it about what happened and later you would gather again to analyze the matter. This was an extraordinary event, for which the bureau should have been informed immediately.
COMRADE SOFIE ÇUEDARI: During all these days almost all the comrades of the Party Committee of the District have been with us, in the City of “Stalin.”
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: The meeting of the Bureau of the Party Committee of the District could have been held there too, in the City of “Stalin.”
COMRADE HAJREDIN ÇELIKU: The bureau should have drawn the conclusions and determined the measures that should be taken.
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: You remembered very late about the meeting of the bureau. It seems to me that in the first place, the defect of the Party’s work is that you have not seriously evaluated this match. You have not been at the head of the situation that existed there beforehand, you have not known it and, consequently, you have taken no measure. Such events, though in smaller dimensions, have occurred there also in 1979, and two weeks earlier, but you have not evaluated the situation, despite the warnings we have given you. If party measures had been taken, nothing would have happened. You left this matter to spontaneity and the situation developed for the worse.
Secondly, from this event that occurred in the City of “Stalin,” it emerges that the Party’s work has great weaknesses, especially in the Party Committee of the Region of the City of “Stalin.” The indifferentism of the communists in this situation speaks clearly about the weaknesses of the work of the communists with the masses. The communists remain indifferent, when some people rise against the organs of the Party and of the power! And where does this happen?! In an important center of the Albanian working class with whose traditions and patriotism we are proud. Where did the political judgment of the communists go?!
Even this event alone shows that the weaknesses of the Party’s work in the City of Stalin are very deep. It is understandable that even attitudes completely foreign to our people, such as stone-throwing, thefts, gambling etc., have their source precisely in these weaknesses. You have not worked well, comrade Sofie. You too, as party committee of the district, comrade Abdyl, have responsibility for the situation that has been created in the region and that has not been sufficiently under the influence and control of your work. Moreover your responsibility is great, since the City of “Stalin” is an important workers’ center with 20-some thousand inhabitants.
Therefore, in this center of workers with traditions, your work must be more attentive. You have left the entire burden of educational work for the elimination of foreign manifestations and phenomena to the Party Committee of the Region. Your comrades, of the apparatus of the Party Committee of the District, must also go to the meetings of the Party organizations of the City of “Stalin,” so that the communists and the masses there do not think that they are not being paid attention to. The event that occurred in the City of “Stalin” created a great political concern. In this event it is not excluded that the enemy also has a finger.
For these defects and weaknesses, the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Party thinks that comrade Sofie be dismissed from duty as first secretary of the Party Committee of the Region of the City of “Stalin,” while you, comrade Abdyl, be given the measure “remark with a note in the registration card.” We, here in the apparatus of the Central Committee of the Party, dismissed from duty our instructor who covered these problems. Other people who had greater responsibility and were implicated in this event were put in prison.
COMRADE SOFIE ÇUEDARI: I agree with the measure and I feel full responsibility for the weaknesses and defects of my work.
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: The meeting of the bureau of the Party Committee of the District, comrade Abdyl, you can hold on Monday, at 9:00, since I will also come there. The Party will stop at this matter and will give each one the responsibility that belongs to him. Even the organs of internal affairs will stop to find their responsibility.
COMRADE SIMON STEFANI: From what I have been informed, the police of the City of “Stalin” were not touched by anyone, while those of Fier and the other districts were hit by the fans. I spoke with Ilir, deputy minister of Internal Affairs, that they too take the respective measures. I will also summon the commissar of the aviation unit of the City of “Stalin,” since the officers of this unit have been among the most indifferent. What kind of officers are those who do not hold the Party’s stance and do not defend the organs of people’s power?!
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: Have the comrades of the army in the City of “Stalin” made the analysis of this event?
COMRADE SOFIE ÇUEDARI: They too were instructed by the Party Committee of the Region to analyze this matter.
COMRADE SIMON STEFANI: For this event all must answer, from the comrades of the army, of the police organs, the cadres of the Branch of Internal Affairs etc.
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: They bear responsibility, since they gave no information about the situation and the development of the event.
COMRADE SIMON STEFANI: I agree with the conclusions that you gave, comrade Foto. In the City of “Stalin” you have 1600 communists. Let there remain fewer, but those you have, let them be in the militant role of vanguard.
COMRADE HAJREDIN ÇELIKU: Communists only with a party card in their pocket are of no use to the Party.
COMRADE SOFIE ÇUEDARI: I fully agree with the measure. I am a soldier of the Party and I will work wherever the homeland has need.
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: Abdyl, prepare for the meeting of the bureau of the party committee of the district. Follow carefully also the day’s affairs.
HEAD OF THE GENERAL SECTOR
Fatmir Zaloshnja
DECISION OF THE SECRETARIAT OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PPSh, SIGNED BY FOTO ÇAMI, FOR THE DISMISSAL FROM DUTY OF THE FIRST SECRETARY OF THE PARTY COMMITTEE OF THE “CITY OF STALIN” SOFIE ÇUEDARI AND WITH A SEVERE REMARK FOR ABDYL PILAFI
PARTY OF LABOUR OF ALBANIA — Secret
SECRETARIAT OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
“Proletarians of all countries, unite”
DECISION
No. 65, Dt. 11.6.1988
ON THE EVENT IN THE STADIUM OF THE CITY OF “STALIN”
The Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Party, in the meeting of 11 June 1988, heard and held to responsibility the first secretary of the Party Committee of the City of “Stalin,” Sofie Çuedari, and the first secretary of the Party Committee of the district of Berat, Abdyl Pilafi, for the ugly event in the stadium of the City of “Stalin.”
As was confirmed also during this analysis, in the Party organization of the City of “Stalin” there are serious weaknesses in the education of the communists, of the cadres and of the employees, which was manifested also with the emphasized indifferentism of many of them in this event. It is among other things also a consequence of the previous tolerant and unjustifiable attitudes toward some foreign manifestations that exist in these cities, such as thefts, gambling, other acts of hooliganism, and up to manifestations of localism.
The Party Committee of the region and that of the district have not known the situation. Even those data that they had from previous cases and for this match, have been undervalued, despite the warnings that the Central Committee of the Party had given them. Therefore they did not immediately put themselves at the head of the situation, did not take measures to prevent the event, showed themselves very sluggish and without sense and political vigilance even in taking measures during the development of the event and after it.
Besides the above, the Party Committee of the district of Berat has generally lowered the care for the Party’s work in the City of “Stalin,” unjustly disclaiming responsibility with the fact that here we have a party committee of a region. This is a completely unjust stance, taking into consideration that the City of “Stalin” is the most important and most populated center in the district and that the Party organization of this region is directed by the Party Committee of the district. For the grave responsibility they bear for this event, the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Party
DECIDED:
To recommend to the Party Committee of the City of “Stalin” that Sofie Çuedari be dismissed from duty as first secretary of this committee.
Abdyl Pilafi, first secretary of the Party Committee of the district of Berat, be punished with the measure “remark with a note in the registration card.”
The Bureau of the Party Committee of the district of Berat immediately make the complete analysis of the event, draw out the causes, responsibilities and tasks to improve the entire Party’s work in this region and in the district. /Memorie.al
SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PPSh
FOTO ÇAMI
Continued in the next issue
