By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Part one
Memorie.al / When not even a week had passed since July 2, 1990, when thousands of Albanian citizens climbed over 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 held its proceedings on July 6 and 7. Although the agenda was predetermined with three main points, where 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, 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., participated, 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), several 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 Shkodra in January for the removal of Stalin’s bust; the events in the city of Kavaja where the people of that city clashed with police forces; the massive escapes from the state borders with Yugoslavia and Greece; the massive gatherings in holy religious sites, such as the Church of Shën-Ndou 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 reestablishment 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 several 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 extras in all districts of the country; the giving of land and livestock to the cooperative 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 officials of that time, several other high figures who continued their political careers even after the 1990s also discussed or were mentioned at that meeting, 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 belonging 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 belonging to the last session of that meeting with point no. 4 of the agenda “Miscellaneous,” which constitutes the hottest point of the entire plenum, where the release from duties and retirement of three members of the Political Bureau (Rita Marko, Manush Myftiu and Prokop Murra) was discussed, even with harsh debates, as well as the release from ministerial duties or other high functions that several 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., we are made known by the documents in question extracted from the Central State Archive (Fund of the former Central Committee of the PPSh), which are published for the first time and with the relevant facsimiles by Memorie.al
REPORT-INFORMATION OF THE PARTY COMMITTEE OF THE DURRËS DISTRICT, SENT TO THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PPSh IN TIRANA, FOR THE DISCUSSION OF THE LETTER OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
PARTY OF LABOR OF ALBANIA — SECRET
PARTY COMMITTEE OF THE DISTRICT — Copy no. 1
No. 1325 Prot. — Durrës, 15.9.1990
SUBJECT: The remarks made during the discussion of the Letter of the Central Committee of the Party for the activity of the central organs and the ministries are sent.
TO THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PPSh
Information Group
TIRANA
For the Central Committee of the Party and the propaganda organs:
– More care should be taken and control exercised in the publication of some articles in the central organs that are not understood correctly by the broad masses and create concerns.
– From time to time, writings should be published or through RTV to confront the life also of our people who have left through embassies from various capitalist countries. For example, a group of journalists and operators should go from RTSH to interview and film in the countries where our people who entered embassies went, just as the foreigners did in our country.
– Propaganda should be made fast, real and with concrete facts for many problems that time has raised.
– Some of the directions of the class struggle should be clarified in the framework of the processes of further democratization of life, because there is ambiguity and softening.
– The quality of RTV programs and their variety should be improved.
– Remarks have been made and opinions given those comrades Muho Asllani, Simon Stefani and Lenka Çuko, for the weaknesses they have had in work, should no longer be members of the Political Bureau.
– There are remarks that children of the leadership are sent unnecessarily for treatment abroad and the children of workers do not go.
– The opinion is expressed that the Letter of the Central Committee should have been issued earlier.
– For the events of July 2, among others, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Party is also responsible.
– The opinion should have been notified about the measures taken for some propaganda workers.
– It is requested that the responsibility of Harilla Papajorgji and Hasan Banja etc., for the hoarding of livestock, be brought out.
– In two party base organizations the opinion has been expressed that there should be an emigration office in our country as well.
– The physical work of the cadres should be removed.
– The comrades of the leadership who have retired should better move and live together with the people.
– In a collective, clarifications were requested as to why they were not informed and the stance toward the American publicist Sulzberger changed.
– More complete information is requested on the agreements concluded with foreign delegations.
– The personal example of communists and cadres should be looked at from the center to the base.
– There are remarks that in propaganda recently the expressions: Marxist-Leninist Ideology, the name and work of comrade Enver, the class struggle, are little used.
– Remarks have been made as to why the sambists and tanks were brought into Kavaja.
– There are opinions that the information of the base organizations of the Party should continue through bulletins.
– Opinions have been given that from the leadership only the First Secretary of the C.C. of the Party and the Prime Minister should have privileges.
– There are remarks as to why comrade Lenka Çuko was allowed to have a swimming pool, greenhouse, sports ground, etc.
– There are parallel movements of cadres and not all who have reached the age retire.
– There are remarks about the lack of information on the events that occur in Tirana.
– Just as measures were taken in the Party line, they should also have been extended to the Branch of Internal Affairs.
– Remarks have been made that comrade Qirjako Mihali held a big wedding and that the couple after the wedding went abroad to Switzerland, say two base organizations of the “Jeta e Re” Neighborhood and the Industrial Supplies Enterprise (base org. Light Industry)
– The re-election twice of comrades Qirjako Mihali and Muho Asllani is not considered right, at a time when they were moved for weaknesses.
– The cadres of the center should come down more to the base.
– There is a revival of religious rites. It is thought to better counter this atheist propaganda.
– There are opinions that the open meetings of the base organizations of the Party have created concerns, because anyone participates in them.
– In some articles of the central organs direct criticism has been made for the misuse and damage of goods for export and foreign currency, but the broad masses have not been informed of what was done for their solution.
– There are questions and opinions as to what the role of the Party will be with the creation of joint enterprises.
– There are remarks for comrade Fatbardh Harizi that after his dismissal he was not accepted as a leader by three working collectives, why he is kept elected, when the plenum and the Bureau of the Party of the district dismissed him on 13.9.1990!
– There are remarks and opinions that the children of the leadership should also work in the North-Eastern zones.
For the Council of Ministers:
– It is proposed to produce articles of wide consumption with quality and different prices.
– There are remarks as to why some directors in the ministries do not rotate.
– To strengthen discipline at work, the Labor Code should also be changed.
– There are remarks about the organic of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of 900 people, it is inflated.
For the Ministry of Internal Affairs:
– It is requested that the internal enemies who organized the recent events be denounced and a harsh stance be maintained toward them.
– The responsibility of those who gave orders for the opening of the embassies should be brought out.
– Goods and dollars should not be allowed to come from persons who have fled and who are known as enemies of the people’s power, as well as from those who left through the embassies.
– Passports should not be given to persons and families with bad moral-political composition and stance, as well as to family members of those who left through the embassies.
– The organs of the dictatorship in many cases maintain a withdrawn stance and do not act against persons who violate the rules and public order.
– The arrival of fugitives as visitors to our country should be differentiated.
– There are remarks that the price of passports should not have been increased.
– For the events of Kavaja, measures should also have been taken for the cadres of the Branch of Internal Affairs.
– In giving orders, they should be more balanced.
– Measures should be taken for the completion of police services with the necessary means to cope with special situations. Needs should be filled with cadres based on positions, especially in the Kavaja region.
– The order of the Minister for the promotion to responsibility of the operative worker Foto Liti should be annulled.
– There are opinions that not all refugees should be pardoned by law, especially those who have done hostile politics against our country.
– There are remarks for Frederik Ymeri, that he did not get involved with Durrës’ problems, he is haughty and arrogant.
For the Ministry of Justice:
– There are opinions that the changes made in the Labor Code for the crime of agitation and propaganda have been softened too much.
For the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
– There are opinions that visits abroad should be made by collectives of workers.
– Confusion in front of embassies to get visas should not be allowed.
For the Ministry of Internal and Foreign Trade:
– The currency shops are creating concerns for various problems. The good intention has had deformation, smugglers and elements of bad composition are speculating, while the dollar goes from 30-45 lekë for 1 dollar, some persons who have connections with fugitives are speculating, it has created concerns in families of good composition and among the youth. The opinion is to close them or exchange the currency for lekë and the goods to come out on the market.
– The opinion is expressed that the profits and consequences we have from the transport of tobacco through transactions should be looked at better.
– The Ministry of Foreign Trade should look at the regulation of foreign relations.
– There are remarks that Makina-import creates delay in the supply of materials to the NPV.
– For some industrial and agricultural articles there are price increases such as for cantinas, blankets, etc. Articles of different qualities should be produced and traded, especially for wide consumption, since there are quite a few deficiencies.
– Chewing gums for children should be brought and traded, because they often ask foreigners for them.
– The new economic mechanism should be explained for the administration and workers of Art-import-export.
For the Ministry of Light and Food Industry:
– Some articles are missing on the market such as knitwear, blankets, kitchen utensils, etc.
– The knitwear department of NRSH-Durrës has machines that are out of use.
– The washing machines produced in Shkodra have no yield and are of poor quality. The comrades of the ministry do not come to discuss the problems with the workers.
– The rhythmic supply with essence for the Wine Factory should be made by the Food Ministry.
– There are delays in softening the demand of the workers of the Cigarette Factory for the change of the salary tariff according to the difficulties of the workplace.
– There are remarks from the Rubber Factory and the NPV for not securing in time the raw material of import.
For the Ministry of Agriculture:
– The SMTs have three years that they are not supplied with tires, reducers, flanges and chains.
– The price of machinery and spare parts should be looked at now that you will enter the new economic mechanism.
For the Ministry of Communications and the General Directorate of PTs:
– The opinion has been given that the right of international telephone conversations should be limited for some enterprises and institutions that do not need it.
– There are concerns about the delays that are made in the circulation of navigator officers from internal transport to external maritime transport.
– There are opinions that the new economic mechanism does not suit the division of the Fleet (of the Foreign Fleet with the internal one).
– The mechanical base of the railway has remarks for the lack of some import materials.
For the Ministry of Health:
– For the lack of some necessary medicines.
– It is said that in Tirana for an operation the doctors want 1,000 lekë.
For the Ministry of Finance:
– Customs should not make differences in control, especially for cadres and members of their families, because in practice it has turned into two doors.
For the General Mechanical Directorate:
– The material supply with domestic and import materials should be ensured in time at the URT and the mechanical workshop. / Memorie.al
SECRETARY OF THE PARTY COMMITTEE OF THE DURRËS DISTRICT
Kristaq Prifti
Continues in the next issue
