Enver Hoxha
Date: January 12, 1946
Source: First published in the newspaper "Bashkimi," N° 320; republished in Works, vol. 3.
Transciption: Ismail Badiou
HTML Markup: Mike B.
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive (2010). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.
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| Enver Hoxha |
Members of the Constitutent Assembly,
On October 22, 1944, in Berat, the Anti-fascist National Liberation Council of Albania entrusted me with the great honor of heading the first Democratic Government of Albania, which had the attributes of a provisional government.
Responsible to the people for the accomplishment of the heavy tasks assigned to it and loyal to the decisions of Albania, the Government acted in the most democratic way for the election of the Constitutent Assembly1 of the Albanian people.
Today I consider it my duty to present to this sovereign Assembly, which represents the will of our entire people, the resignation of the Government I have the honour of leading.
I am confident that the Democratic Government of Albania has carried out with honour, loyalty, and success the tasks which were laid down before it. Undr its direction, the heroic war of our people against the occupiers was continued with the utmost intensity, and our beloved country was liberated. Under its leadership the people's power was consolidated, and order and tranquility were established. The deplorable economic conditions of our country which had emerged from a devastating war were improved, part of what the enemy had destroyed was reconstructed, major social and economic reforms were implemented for the benefit of the labouring people, public education was restored and improved, and our heroic army, the invincible defender of the people's interests, and of Albania's independence and sovereignty, was strengthened, and its modernization begun.
Through its just and wise policy, the Democratic Government of Albania ensured for our people the sound and sincere friendship of the democratic peoples, their allies and friends, and consolidated the international position of Albania by gaining recognition from many powerful and progressive European states. The Democratic Government of Albania works successfully to make our small country an important factor for fraternity and peace in the Balkans and Europe.
We pledged to our people that we would carry out the duty with which you charged us at the most critical moment. It is now up to you to judge our actions and adopt the necessary decisions in the interest of the homeland.
Along with the presentation of the resignation of the Government,2 I have the great honour to thank the Anti-fascist Council of Albania, all state functionaries and the entire Albanian people for the great aid they have rendered to the Government in the exercise of its functions, and we pledge to our people that we shall remain their invincible soldiers, loyal to the death to their sacred cause.
Long live the Albanian people!
1. The December 2, 1945 elections were democratic, secret, free, equal and direct. Despite the manoeuvering of the British and US imperialists, and the efforts of internal reaction, 90 per cent of the voters went to the polls, and 93 per cent of them voted for the candidates of the Democratic Front.
2. At the proposal made by a group of deputies and after its unanimous approval by the Constituent Assembly, comrade Enver Hoxha was charged to form the 1st Government of the People's Republic of Albania.