By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Memorie.al – Throughout the entire 45-year period of Enver Hoxha’s dictatorial communist regime and his successor, Ramiz Alia, neither the official historiography nor its propaganda tools ever spoke about the creation of any other political party (in illegality), apart from the Communist Party of Albania, which was founded on November 8, 1941. Likewise, even after the fall of the communist regime and up to the present day—that is, for 35 consecutive years—there is no record of a single archival document being published that mentions the creation of any other political party during the 45-year period of the communist regime, i.e., from December 1945 until December 1990, when the Democratic Party of Albania was formed.
Similarly, during this nearly 45-year period, there has been no public testimony in the media where anyone has made known that during the period of communist rule in Albania; another political party was created in illegality! So, from the above, during the communist regime in Albania, apart from the Communist Party led by Enver Hoxha and his successor Ramiz Alia, there is no record of any other party being created in illegality. But does this fact hold true?! From the secret archival documents recently uncovered by Memorie.al, in the Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it turns out that; not only was another party formed, moreover an anti-communist one, but it had regular structures spread from the South to the North, with a leadership, a chairman, a general secretary and its own program, it had the party seal with which they stamped the tracts and various appeals that this party issued from time to time.
Likewise, some of the main leaders or members of that organization, such as Andrea Diamanti, Jorgji Bulgareci, etc., along with their family members, went out to the villages of the Korçë district, such as in Gor, Opar, Bulgarec and Çiflik, agitating against the communist regime in power. Not only that, but this party illegally sent several of its “delegates” to Greece and other Western states, to participate in meetings and conferences held by the “sister parties” of these countries, as well as to seek aid, funding, weapons, etc., etc.
Moreover, several tracts of this party, signed by two of its main leaders, Andrea Diamanti and Ahmet Shkëmbim, which denounced or directly accused the “Commander” (Enver Hoxha), even with insulting words directed at him, were sent by post to the Prime Minister of Italy Alcide De Gasperi, the head of Yugoslavia, Marshal Josip Broz Tito, the President of Turkey İsmet İnönü, to England, etc.
All of these etc., are made known from several archival documents recently uncovered by Memorie.al, where it is revealed that in 1950, in Korçë, the People’s Party of Albania (anti-communist) was founded, led by the general secretary Andrea Diamanti, chairman Ahmet Shkëmbi, etc. This party had extended its activity to almost all districts of the country, from the South to the North, even having activity within the ranks of the People’s Army. For more about this, etc., we are informed by several archival documents which are published for the first time and in full (along with the respective facsimiles) by Memorie.al.
ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS WITH THE OPERATIVE COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS DATED MARCH 4, 1950, INFORMING ABOUT THE ACTIVITY OF THE PEOPLE’S PARTY FORMED IN KORÇË AND ITS EXTENSION TO OTHER DISTRICTS OF THE COUNTRY
DAILY BULLETIN FOR THE II DIRECTORATE DATED 4. III. 1950
From the notifications we have from the Burrel side, it results that the “People’s Party” being worked on by the Korçë Branch, has also spread into the Army. The released soldier, Isuf Bajram Gjepi from the Burrel district, had come into contact with elements of this organization while he was a soldier in Korçë, from where he had taken tracts and letters to distribute in his district, which called for joining the ranks of this organization, as was the case of Sulejman Likursi from the Burrel district, who, through a letter, was called to participate by maintaining contact with Jashar Grasha from the Peshkopi district and Ismail Vogli from Kruja. Inside the letter was also placed a communiqué of the “People’s Party”. The letter was discovered to have been dropped in the Klos post office by Isuf Bajram Gjepi.
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA V.F.- L.P.
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Tirana, 4.3.1950
TIRANA
Prot. COMMUNIQUÉ No. 41
DIRECTORATE OF STATE SECURITY
B) From notifications from Burrel it results that the “People’s Party” being worked on by the Korçë Branch, has also spread into the Army. The released soldier, Isuf Bajram Gjepi from the Burrel district, had come into contact with elements of this organization while he was a soldier in Korçë, from where he had taken tracts and letters to distribute in his district, which called for joining the ranks of this organization, as was the case of Sulejman Likursi from the Burrel district, who, through a letter, was called to participate by maintaining contact with Jashar Grasha from the Peshkopi district and Ismail Vogli from Kruja. Inside the letter was also placed a communiqué of the “People’s Party”. The letter was discovered to have been dropped in the Klos post office by Isuf Bajram Gjepi.
During the processing of this organization (Korça), a radio transmitter was discovered, and it was found that it received tracts from those of the Greek diversionists from Sotir Monaka (now arrested) and distributed them. On the other hand, there is talk of the passage to Greece of Dhorkë Shesi with her sister, as a delegate for this “Party”, who will participate in conferences abroad, where they will seek aid, such as weapons, ammunition, etc. It is established that members of this organization, such as Andrea Diamanti, Jorgji Bulgareci, etc., and the sister of the latter, have gone out to villages for opposition activity, such as in Gor, Opar, Bulgarec and in the village of Çiflik in Korçë.
E). One person from Korça sends to Canada three typewritten letters with content against the Government, the Party and the Commander, sending one to Attlee in London, another to De Gasperi in Rome and the third to İsmet İnönü in Turkey, signed by the general secretary of the anti-communist People’s Party, Ahmet Shkëmbi, also bearing the seal of that Committee. – In two letters that leave Korça for Canada, they are addressed to all the fascist-imperialist governments and one to Tito, in which our power, the leadership, the Party are insulted, and aid is sought, under the pretext that forces have gone into the mountains and are seeking the overthrow of our government.
ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT WITH THE DAILY BULLETIN OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS DATED MARCH 11, 1950, INFORMING ABOUT THE ACTIVITY OF THE PEOPLE’S PARTY FORMED IN KORÇË AND THE ARREST OF SEVERAL OF ITS MEMBERS BY STATE SECURITY
DAILY BULLETIN OF THE II DIRECTORATE
KORÇË
On 11.3.1950, elements of the “People’s Party” organization, in an organized manner, took the typewriter from the “Fuat Babani” school in Korçë, to print tracts; in recent days the activity of this Organization has expanded considerably, with a number of new elements emerging, the majority being women. They have made a seal with the name: Central Committee of the Anti-Communist People’s Party of Albania, with which they have stamped several tracts. The leader of this work is Andrea Diamanti. Likewise, on 11.3.1950, Filloreta Karanxha was arrested in flagrante, along with her two small sons, after attempting to escape to Greece; she had been instigated by Andrea Diamanti, a key element of the “People’s Party” organization. /Memorie.al
13.11.1950
DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE II DIRECTORATE
Major Gaqo Peristeri
