By Elisabeta Ilnica and Dilaver Xhelili
Second part
Memorie.al / From lathe, to vice president of the People’s Assembly. Mine Guri has been among the most popular officials in the last two decades of communism, but the least known for the secrets she knows about the former leadership. The First Secretary of the Party Committee in Kuçovo and Berat, deputy from 1970-1990, the first female vice-president of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly for 8 years, but also the vice-president of its Presidency, Mine Guri, spoke in the last issue. The narrative started from the migration as a child, from Frashëri to Tirana, the work as a lathe in the “Enver Hoxha” plant, the marriage with the aviator Kadri Guri in Lushnjë, the transfer to Kučovo and Berat as the most powerful party woman, up to her opinions about the fashion and behavior of colleagues and women of the former leadership in Block.
She made a special stop at former Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu, with whom she had a debate, just a few days before she committed suicide. For our witness, Mehmet Shehu, he is neither friend nor enemy, but: “I would just tell him; May his soul rest in peace, as I have told him in the past. I got on better with Fiqrete than with Mehmet, because he was more youthful. He was inquisitive and, for the sake of truth, he knew economics very well and you couldn’t lie to him. Only sometimes it was very brutal. He used to give you cold water and only when he saw that you surrendered, he took you with good things”. This is where the story about Mehmet Shehu begins, but what comes next should not be missed…?!
follows from the previous issue
Ms. Guri, Mehmet Shehu, was it suicide or murder?
Suicide, I’m convinced.
Why?
The last two times I met my friend Mehmet, he was not mentally well. I had never seen it like that. He came to Kuçovo and Berat on November 28, 1981. It was Saturday, we met in Kuçovo. The next day, he would analyze the decisions of the VIII Congress, of the PPSh, in Berat. From the moment I saw him, going down that afternoon to the Guest House in “Stalin City” (Kučovo), I knew something was wrong. Unlike other times, he was traveling without his escort. He was alone with the driver and bodyguard Ali Çeno. When I met my friend Mehmet, he was completely out of humor and spoke to me gravely, suspiciously, without looking me in the eye.
Without greeting me, he directly asked me where the head of the Internal Affairs Department of Berat is. I told him that he had gone to Vlora, to place the bust of Hysni Kapo, but there are other “kids” in the branch office. “Boys?! What are these chunas”, he asked me nervously, and I quickly told him that they are the substitutes of the head of the branch, because he had to go to Vlora, because he was Hysni Kapo’s nephew. When I told him so, he seemed to calm down a little, but again the voice was harsh and not at all kind. I pulled away from him and, as I passed his car, I looked inside.
There were two automatics in the seat. I had never seen guns before. I left upset, thoughtful, but also a little insulted. We met again at dinner, but also during the evening, the same. He asked me to show him the program. I told him and he didn’t even speak at all. Finally, one said; “good”. Then I asked him to accompany him for the next day, but he cut me short “no”. It seemed to me that there was no point in staying any longer and I got ready to leave. At that moment, I don’t know how it occurred to him to invite me for dinner there, at the Guest House.
Contrary to what I suspected, he started eating cornbread. He was chewing hard and he said to me: “You see how I eat? Like a dog, eat.” I was surprised and asked him not to call himself that. I was really sorry that he called himself that. I spoke for a few moments with sweet words, but it seems that none of them worked. Friend Mehmet got nervous and, leaving me in the middle of my sentence, angrily called a service employee and shouted at her, cursing her.
Why was he cursing her?
According to her friend Mehmet, she had not given him the medicine to drink, as he had instructed her to. But in fact, she had given him money for dinner, at the time that his friend Mehmet had told him, even in his hand. I also confirmed this to him. Only then did he leave the employee alone and tell her to leave, though again, he didn’t seem convinced. The same tense situation continued the next day. It was Sunday afternoon. We gathered in Berat and were going to analyze and analyze the decisions of the 8th Congress of the APS. Everyone opened the notebooks to take notes, what Comrade Mehmet would say, but they almost remained blank.
The meeting ended quickly and we went to the “Turizmi” hotel for the dinner prepared for this occasion, as well as for the Independence and Liberation of the country. He was having so much fun at dinner and no one dared to bother him, but I couldn’t stand it. “Comrade Mehmet, the city is without water.” He, as if he had not been there at all, started talking about hunting: “We have climbed up to Rroshnik, we must go hunting, up to the top of Tomorr”. I blushed with shame, but I didn’t leave it at that and turned to him again: “Comrade Mehmet, I’m ashamed to come in front of them. Please, let’s do something to bring Bogova’s water here.”
It was like talking to air again. He was talking to himself and in the end he spoke harshly to me: “My friend, you will leave me alone, won’t you”. In those moments, I don’t know how my courage increased every minute and I strongly opposed him: “Not only will I not leave you alone, but I will also come to your office tomorrow. The people have no water. Plants are drying up, people are also drying up. Let’s get water from Bogova. You are also Berati’s son-in-law…”! We continued like this for a few moments. He told me that the money is missing, I insisted that the people’s money is there.
I didn’t part with him for a quarter of an hour, and after he warned me three times that if I didn’t leave this conversation, he would run away, he really ran away. I went behind him and begged him to come back, but he refused. I asked him to pass it on, he still refused. I told him the same thing about tomorrow, only he cut me short; “no”. However, whatever I did, I took the water for Berat.
I mean, did you agree?
We met again, a week later, on December 13, 1981. I think it was five days before the suicide. Only a few minutes, I thanked him for the water supply, but his mental state was the same. He entered the Reception House in “Stalin City” (Kučovo) and closed the windows there with dark curtains. I didn’t bother him anymore, since I had gotten what I wanted, for the people of Berat. The day after the fight in Berat Tourism, Adil Çarçani called me. He was deputy prime minister at the time. First he told me that; Why did I complain and upset my friend Mehmet?!
Feeling guilty, I told him that we ran out of water, but at no point did I want to upset my friend Mehmet. On the contrary, I had tried to make him feel better. “I will come to fix this myself tomorrow. At 5 o’clock, I’ll be there with the designers. We will bring the project and the water will be taken from Bogova. The money will be taken from the oil sector. We also solved this matter, my friend, don’t bother your friends for nothing”, that’s what my friend Çarçani told me, and that’s how it happened. On Tuesday, at 5 pm, he was in Berat, together with the water supply project. Berat still has that water today. That thanksgiving was my last meeting with my friend Mehmet.
Were you aware of the attacks that were being prepared against him?
I don’t know what to swear to you, that I didn’t know anything. Even, when Adil Çarçani told me that, I was scared at first. I was indeed a member of parliament and deputy chairman of the Presidium, but don’t forget that, all my life I was a simple worker. In the Assembly, my hands were calloused and I went with reports from work in the field and not with rumors and intrigues. I just remember an episode with my friend Ramiz Alia and that’s when I realized that something was wrong.
What episode?
At the beginning of November, the district of Berat received a “Flag”. It was the symbol for the work of the citizens and on this occasion a ceremony was organized, where many friends of the leadership were present. Mehmet Shehu, would hand over the “Flag” to me, which I went up and took to the podium, amid applause and solemn music. Quite happily, a few days in between, we had a meeting in the Assembly. As the vice president of the Presidium, I was sitting close to the chairman of the Presidium, comrade Ramiz Alia. I extended my hand with joy, but he refused me, saying: “I will not give my hand, because he (Mehmet Shehu) gave it to me.”
What about Enver Hoxha, have you ever had an argument or had any incident happen to you, like this one with Ramiz Alia?
No never. Even what happened to me with my friend Ramiz, I don’t call it an incident, but his reaction, to let me understand something. Although I still didn’t understand until the day he killed himself. As for Comrade Enver, I had only positive conversations, but he was also provocative. I would point out, provocateur very kindly, to me.
For example, tell us any of these benevolent provocations of Enver Hoxha towards you.
I remember once, that my friend Enver had invited me and my party friends from Berat and Kuçova, Gaqo Nesho and Dhimitër Brisku, for lunch. We were going to have lunch at the Guest House in Kuçovo, because then my friend Enver would leave for Skrapar. While we were eating, my friend Enver said to me: “Give me that hand.” As if in shame I held out my hand. He opened it on his palm and provoked me with a question: “You had a calloused hand and it looks like you worked a lot.
I also saw fields full of wheat. Well, my friend Mine, if it rains and spoils your wheat, what will you do? What will the people of Berat be fed with?! The answer quickly came to my mind: “We will plant corn, Comrade Enver. And from 30 quintals of wheat per dynym, we will get 60 quintals of corn”. My friend Enver praised me for the answer and then invited me to eat.
What did Enver Hoxha order you to eat and what did he eat himself?
You may not believe it, but he only ate a green salad with parsley, 2 small pieces of boiled potatoes and half a serving of poultry. And, while eating, he explained to us the nutritional value of the salad and the plants in general. While we were served a vegetable soup, steak with chips and fruit at the end. But I couldn’t even eat. I was very ashamed. Comrade Enver begged me to put something in my mouth, but I was emotional. Finally, he split an apple and insisted that I eat at least half.
And in general, how was the food in the houses of former leaders, where you were invited to eat?
It was very simply eaten. I know that the false myth has been spread, that it was done by slaughtering lambs in the houses of former leaders. I have been to many of them and almost the same food, soup or stew, some small appetizer and fruit at the end. Even, many of them served traditional Albanian dishes, especially pie. I also cooked the same. Even my cabbage with nettles took its name all the way to Tirana.
Who came up with this “thing”?
Ramiz Alia. Once he came to my house to visit and found me cooking cabbage. I begged him to stop for lunch and he agreed, on the condition that he try my lakrori. It was difficult for me at first, because it was with nettles, but he insisted. While he was eating it, he praised it all the time and, when he had gone to Tirana, he had told everyone. Then, whoever came to my house, asked me for cabbage with nettles.
Do you still keep company with the former leaders of communism?
Those who died during these years, I went to their funerals. With those who are alive, we try to make mutual visits, but age does not leave us much room now, for the desire to travel. In general, my best friends from communism live in Tirana and I rarely go there. However, for reasons I do as I do, I come.
Your recent visits to them, specifically…
To Vito Kapo, Naunka Bozo, Themie Thomai.
What about Nexhmie Hoxha?
I haven’t been there for a while, but I get interested by phone and mostly I ask her son, Ilir Hoxha. I have maintained respect and friendship with him, since the time when he worked in Poliçan.
What did he do then?
Simple mechanic at Police Plant. And guess what, in Tirana it was said that he was privileged…!
Was it actually privileged?
I’m just showing you a short episode. They had made a bet at the factory where Iliri worked, that he would take with him only bread with meat, fish, or other good things. Some of his colleagues secretly check his bread 3 days in a row. They find it one day, only with marmalade. A day with only cheese, olives and onions. And on the third day, only with eggs…! If you call this a privilege, what would we say about the sons of today’s rulers?
Tell me one of them that does a simple job…! Privileges in the communist period, maybe there were, I don’t know, but personally, I didn’t know them. From this, I believe that, if these privileges existed, they were isolated cases. The real privileges were born with the advent of what is called democracy, but which is not like that…!
Why is this not a democracy?
I am specifically taking myself as an example. I was a member of parliament in 5 legislatures and there are many more of these today, which were only one legislature. Same political post, different pensions. I get a ridiculous pension, while these “democracy” pensioners get a luxurious pension. This is democracy, with two standards?!
What do you think is positive and negative about today’s women in Parliament?
I’m starting with the negative, to leave you a sweet word, for the end. Swearing between women in the Assembly “enrages” me. I hear them and blush. I worked with 12,000 women at the “Mao Ce Dun” Textile Factory in Berat and I have never heard such dirty language…! But what I like is just their appearance. But, I believe that it comes because they have the right tools and plenty of time to take care of themselves. And then, because they are so busy with themselves, they don’t have time for the voters…!
And after the 90s, what party line did you follow?
Communist and only communist. Even when it was denied by law as a party, I was a communist, one of the real ones.
Why are there even fake communists?!
Oh, yes, no. I think there were 3-4 communist parties after the prohibition law was lifted. Even the Socialist Party is a communist party. But the real communist party is the one that Enver Hoxha bequeathed.
Did you experience the death of Enver Hoxha badly?
Extremely bad. I was crying and pulling out my hair. But the worst situation I experienced was when I communicated the news of the death to the girls and women of the Textile Factory.
Why?
I told you, there were 12,000 women working at the Combine. When I told them about death, some of them fainted. The ambulance drove several roads to us and took dozens of girls and boys to take them to the hospital. Others wept endlessly.
And you think they were real tears?
Maybe they weren’t real tears, for all 12 thousand women, but at least, for 10 thousand of them, definitely yes. I doubt they pretended that much. The women of Berat have never been known as professional actresses.
What are they known for?
For political loyalty to the Party and Comrade Enver. Berat has been, is and will be communist, despite the names of the winning parties here. Memorie.al
