By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Part Eighteen
Memorie.al/ When not even a week had passed since July 2, 1990, when thousands of Albanian citizens crossed 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 Labor of Albania), headed by General Secretary Ramiz Alia, held the 11th plenum of the Central Committee, which conducted its proceedings on July 6 and 7. Even though the agenda was predetermined in three main points, in which 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 “July 2 of the embassies,” was discussed and debated. At that plenum, in which all members and candidates of the Central Committee of the PPSh took part, 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 Working Youth of Albania, from the apparatus of the Central Committee of the PPSh, Radio-Television, ATSH, etc., 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 held the relevant report (“On the perfection of the educational system and the further qualitative strengthening of the school”), the main topic 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 internal premises of some of the main embassies in Tirana, waiting to leave Albania.
In addition to this, throughout that meeting, but mainly at point no. 4 of the agenda, (which was discussed in the last session), some 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 the month of 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 Shën-Ndout in Laç of Kurbin; the legal permission of religious beliefs and the opening of places of worship; or other problems that were 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 some 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 go out as visitors to their relatives abroad; the new economic mechanism; the housing and employment of many additions in all the districts of the country; the giving of land and livestock to the cooperativist peasantry; up to the supply of the urban population with basic food products and various industrial goods.
As we will also see from archival documents belonging to the 11th plenum of the Central Committee of the PPSh, which we emphasize are published for the first time, in addition to the leadership and some of the high functionaries of that time, at that meeting other high figures also discussed or were mentioned who continued their political careers even after the 1990s, 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 documented all the main problematics 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 also the hottest point of the entire plenum, where it was discussed, even with harsh debates, the release from duties and sending into retirement of three members of the Political Bureau (Rita Marko, Manush Myftiu and Prokop Murra), or the release from ministerial duties or other high functions that some 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) acquaint us, which are published for the first time and with the relevant facsimiles by Memorie.al
Continues from the previous issue
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE 11TH PLENUM OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PPSh, HELD ON JULY 6 AND 7, 1990
MISCELLANEOUS
Several issues of today’s situations and the political problems that derive from them.
COMRADE TAHIR MINXHOZI: I have an opinion, Comrade Ramiz, a possible candidacy could also be Comrade Muharrem Mezini.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Muharrem is the chairman of the Executive Committee of the District of Kukës.
COMRADE TAHIR MINXHOZI: He is also a candidate of the Central Committee of the Party; he is a good comrade…!
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: I did not speak about the biographies of the comrades I presented, because I thought that they are known by public opinion. The issue is that opinion should not need to ask who is one or the other, therefore comrades who are more or less known should be chosen.
COMRADE SHEFQET PEÇI: I think we should first judge the proposal for the three members of the Political Bureau.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Agreed. For members of the Political Bureau, comrades Kiço Mustaqi, Vangjel Çërava and Xhelil Gjoni were proposed to me. Do you agree with this, comrades? (They express agreement). For secretaries of the Central Committee of the Party, Xhelil Gjoni and Abdyl Backa were proposed to me. Abdyl is a candidate of the Central Committee of the Party, but according to the Statute, the secretary of the Central Committee of the Party can also be a candidate, we have had such cases.
If you want us to accept him as a member of the Central Committee of the Party, we can first vote for this. Do you agree? (They express agreement). For candidates of the Political Bureau, I first proposed Xhemal Dymylen and Niko Gjyzari. I would add some argument from which we started to propose these two comrades. Since Manush who is leaving the Political Bureau is from the district of Vlora, a comrade from Vlora was needed again, so we thought of Niko, who is a capable comrade, now he is General Secretary of the Council of Ministers. While Xhemali is from Shkodra.
In the Political Bureau we are two comrades from Shkodra, me and Besniku. If you have an objection, we leave Xhemal’s candidacy, since he is from Shkodra. We can choose Shana who is from Gjirokastra. But for Xhemal I thought that he is first secretary in the Party Committee of Shkodra, he has been first secretary in several districts, he has capabilities and has a name in the Party. (The comrades express agreement for Xhemal Dymylen). Is there any objection for Niko and Xhemal? (There is none)
COMRADE SPIRO KOLEKA: I think we should also make Niko a member of the Central Committee of the Party.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Do you agree that we also make Niko a member of the Central Committee and then a Candidate of the Political Bureau? (They express agreement). For Comrade Simon, opinions were given that we propose to the Government that he move to chairman of the State Control Commission. Do you agree? (They express agreement). While in the Political Bureau, Simoni will continue to remain as a member.
While the leading comrades of the Party Committee of Tirana, for now we are leaving them as they are. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers thinks that Comrade Hekuran be appointed Minister of the Interior and be at the same time also Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers. Comrade Simon is removed from the function as Deputy Prime Minister.
COMRADE ADIL ÇARÇANI: Niko is also a minister, General Secretary in the Council of Ministers.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Are there remarks? (there are none). Now as regards the replacement of Comrade Vito, as Minister of Light Industry, of Comrade Jovan Bardhi, as Minister of Food Industry, etc., Comrade Adil should present the proposals to the Presidium of the People’s Assembly and after they are approved, they can be announced. Comrade Vito has also agreed to retire.
Since the concern was raised that the foreign press and agencies might give a not good echo to these changes, I wanted to tell you in a completely social, not official manner, Comrade Manush, that we should not give any importance at all to these things. These agencies have also said many “black” things about us before. They will say more also in the future, because the enemy has worked and works for this purpose. One should not think only that the sources of these slanders are among our people. Often they have also been suppositions, intrigues and diversions that the enemy has done all its life.
We two have 40-some years that we are in the leadership of the Party and we know what has not been said by the enemies during these years! They have wanted to set us against one another and the same thing they are trying to do even today. I spoke about this issue also in the last meeting, the goal of the enemies is clear; they want to divide the Party by saying that there are conservative and liberal forces in its leadership.
As long as they say this, certainly they will give someone the nickname of liberal, someone they will give the nickname of conservative. You were impressed that this time they apparently called you conservative, while in other cases, also in the foreign press, I and you have seen that they call you liberal. The enemies do their calculations differently and choose the language that suits their plans.
They will again continue to speak badly and to fabricate; therefore we should not worry about such issues. Wait and see what they will concoct now, after these changes! Certainly they will say that Ramiz Alia “cleaned up the opponents.” Such formulations will be the titles of their articles.
COMRADE MANUSH MYFTIU: Forgive me to explain a little the idea I had, because, it seems to me, I have been misunderstood. I do not worry at all about what the foreign press says about me, because I have 50 years that I have heard its slanders and I have not been worried about this.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Well then, what was your concern today?
COMRADE MANUSH MYFTIU: I expressed this concern today, because there are people here among us, who spread these words. Such conversations have come out in the circles of journalists.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: For this, the concern is right, but if it is a matter of some people who may speak with this language, we should not think that these words have come out from sources of the Party. We hear, for example, that Doctor Gramoz Pashko, “advisor of Ramiz Alia,” “the organizer of the state’s laws Aleks Luarasi,” “the reformer Fatos Nano, the closest man of Ramiz Alia,” gives an interview to “Voice of America.”
In the interviews that Gramoz Pashko gives there are also plenty of nonsense, as there is nonsense also in other interviews. I believe that even these people may say different viewpoints and I do not exclude that care should be taken in these issues. But more I wanted to clarify that no misunderstanding should be created among our comrades. Is there any other opinion from the comrades? (There is none).
COMRADE HALIL LEJLI: We made a proposal for the dismissal from duty of Marash Hajati, Comrade Ramiz.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: What opinion do you have, should we dismiss Marash Hajati from duty as editor-in-chief of “Zëri i Popullit”?
COMRADE FOTO ÇAMI: But Marashi is not present at this meeting…!
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Here there was no opinion that his being in the Central Committee should be looked at, but only whether he should be dismissed from the duty of editor-in-chief. Since Marashi himself is not present today, can you leave it to us to look at this issue in the Political Bureau? Also in the Bureau we have the opinion to look at the need for strengthening the work in the Party Committee of Tirana.
COMRADE HALIL LEJLI: Good, agreed.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Do the comrades agree with this opinion? (They express agreement). Before we close this meeting, let us return once again to the issue that I emphasized at the beginning. We must be very careful especially these days, both today, and tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, because there is talk of unrest. Special care in all fields is needed from Shkodra to Durrës and Tirana, but also in Gjirokastër and Sarandë. You, Comrade Syrja, in Sarandë must show yourself more prudent, because these issues are not resolved with arrogance, with pistols and with shouting. In this situation any such stance is exploited by the enemy and used against us. Therefore one should talk with people calmly, with quietness and cold-bloodedness.
You, the comrades of Tirana, who are here as guests, but also the comrades of the Plenum of the Central Committee of the Party, I think should immediately make contact with Comrade Pirro Kondi, place yourselves at the disposal of the Party Committee for any work need that is felt in this situation. Comrade Hekuran and Comrade Simon should immediately begin to take over the works and duties that were assigned to them. We must at all costs avoid all this pressure that is being exerted by at all costs avoiding the gathering of people. When I said “at all costs,” I want to emphasize the need for organization and not violence. Let us all leap into action for this issue that requires healthy nerves and cold-bloodedness, but also determination.
COMRADE ADIL ÇARÇANI: The comrades of the executive committee and some departments that follow the fulfillment of living conditions and the needs of market supply, which are completely possible, should also leap into action.
COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Then we close the meeting. Goodbye and good work! (Applause). / Memorie.al
HEAD OF THE GENERAL SECTOR
Fatmir Zaloshnja
