Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al/publishes the archival document from the fund of the former Central Committee of the ALP, with the letter of Sejfulla Malëshova, sent to Enver Hoxha in 1961 from the city of Fier where he was interned and worked as a storekeeper, where he asked him to he was known for his seniority for the time he had worked in the former Soviet Union and in France in the secretariat of the Communist International, and on the basis of these the possibility of granting an old-age pension was considered, which the Party Committee and the Executive Committee of Fier they did not approve of him saying that “he had changed his political position” ?!
From the city of Fier, where he had been fired as a worker and storekeeper since 1950, after disagreements he had with Enver Hoxha, Sejfulla Mëlshova is forced to write again to his former “friend of arms”.
Having touched the sixth decade of his life, but full of ups and downs, since by character he was said to be a rebellious and incorrigible idealist, proving both political emigration for years abroad, and the peaks of power, as an MP, Minister and President of the League of Writers and Artists of Albania, in the barracks where he lived, completely alone (the circumstances of life did not allow him to start a family), has begun to complete the documents for old age pension.
After writing several letters to the local authorities of the district of Fier and receiving a negative response, he was forced to write to Enver Hoxha himself, but without asking for any alms or favors?! Simply to give him the right he deserved under the laws in force. In his letter, he did not fail to write: “I have never betrayed my party and my homeland”, which Malëshova most likely seems to have taken out of his heart, as he really was, an “incorrigible idealist” …?!
While traitors, were the others… and time showed that he was not wrong?! Given these and many other things that shared the big gap with his former comrades-in-arms, it is not known exactly how much Sejfullai himself believed in solving the problem about which he was writing directly to his former boss. , but surprisingly he has received a positive response and his pension problem has been solved. It seems that Enver Hoxha this time had put his hand on his heart and as rarely ever was responding positively to his former friends of the ideal and weapons, with whom he had already parted ways once and for all.
This is also made known by these archival documents, where the author of the well-known poem “Why I love Albania”, signed with the literary nickname, Lame Kodra, was granted the pension he was entitled to according to the laws in force.
But he could not enjoy that pension for more than ten years, because in 1971, in still unclear circumstances, there in “Barraka Nr. 1” of the city of Fier, closed his eyes forever, parting from this life that he, whether as a fan, anti-Zogist, communist or democrat-liberal, had dedicated to all of Albania.
Sejfulla Malëshova’s letter to Enver
SECRETARIAT OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE ALP
TIRANA
(Comrade Enver Hoxha)
I, the undersigned Sejfulla Malëshova, warehouseman in Fier, have the honor to ask you the following:
I am 61 years old, and by law, I have the right to retire.
If I work, with a full pension, I get 2000 lek above the salary. I am able to work and only a small salary pushes me to seek a pension and so I prayed and asked to know the time when I worked outside Albania, as provided by the law on pensions, the Executive Committee of K.P. of the district of Fier, using his right, did not recognize me this time as seniority, saying that “political attitude has changed.” This means that my political stance has changed in principle: I have lived and worked for this republic and for this party for a while, but now I am not with this government and this party.
This is not true. I have made many mistakes, but for one thing I have not done and will never do, betray my country and my party. I have been working on this road for forty years and it is time to convince the Executive Committee of K.P. of the district of Fier. I did not claim a patriotic pension or service pension, but an old-age pension.
In the Soviet Union I worked not only as an Albanian communist, but also as an employee. I left my job in France and went, as comrade Enver Hoxha knows, to the post of Secretary of the Communist International. Our party I believe recognizes this job as a job related to it. So, I prayed to this secretariat and personally to Comrade Enver, at least to know the time when I was in France (1939-1941) and Albania before the liberation (1943-1945), giving me a certificate of my participation in the national war -çlirimtare.
That’s enough for me to get a full pension.
Hopefully this prayer of mine will be heeded
With respect
Sejfulla Malëshova
Lagjia 18 Tetori, Barraka Nr.1
Fier
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Note on the letter of Sejfulla Malëshova
By order of Comrade Enver, the first secretary of the K.P. Comrade Pirro Gusho, to call Sejfulla Malëshova and inform him that Comrade Enver received his letter, and for the issue he raises to address the Prime Minister and will be viewed favorably for him.
08/30/1961
Get your pension in order
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