We remember the Congress of Permet, 80 years ago

The Përmet Congress was one of the most important and decisive events of the anti-fascist war of the Albanian people and a great national assembly, which reformed and cemented the preliminary decisions and ideas that had been made at the Peza Conference in September 1942. Moreover, relying on the momentum and initiative that had already been won by the war of partisan parties in particular and the anti-fascist movement in Albania, the Përmet Congress specified the directives for the transition to the final stage of this war, the complete liberation of the homeland. The vision of the Congress went beyond the liberation of the country, laying the foundations for the way of government and determining who would be the force that would take power in free Albania, after the expulsion of the German invaders.

It is quite interesting to mention that, although the ANÇ Movement operated in a war situation, the ideas and decisions for the realization of the elections were advanced and quite democratic ideas. In the resolution of the Presidency of the National Liberation General Council, for the election of delegates, it was stated: "In the congress, free areas, areas occupied by the enemy, partisan and volunteer brigades and battalions, the Anti-Fascist Youth Union with 10 delegates and the Women's Union should be represented. with 5 delegates". In the liberated areas and army formations, the delegates would be elected democratically, with open voting, while in the unliberated areas they would be appointed by the district or city councils.

Haxhi Lleshi, who was one of the main leaders of LANÇ, naturally describes in his memoirs an episode that shows how the people's representatives were democratically elected, in an open meeting, in the municipality of Plashnik (Berat County). , where he was sent at that time (April 1944) to follow the elections: "The meeting that was organized in Plashnik, where about 500 people participated, including nearly 100 women, left a special impression on me. I was excited when I saw this wide participation, I thought how high the patriotic, anti-fascist and democratic consciousness of the whole people had been raised, who were participating not only for the victory of the war against the conqueror and traitors but also for the formation of the new government, in which had supported the hopes of tomorrow....Activists, men and women, young men and women also spoke there. In their discussions, full support was expressed for LANÇ and the call of the 1st Anti-Fascist Congress. In the end, the participants democratically chose the delegates for the national liberation conference of the district".

Finally, although in the difficult conditions of the war with the invaders, 200 delegates of the 1st Anti-Fascist Congress were elected, representing all layers of the Albanian population and covering the entire Albanian territory. There were delegates from the Albanian Communist Party (PKSH), representatives from the nationalist strata, from the partisan army, from the Union of Anti-Fascist Youth and the Union of Women of Albania.

About the venue of the Congress

The province of Përmet had a favorable strategic position, which could be better defended by partisan and popular forces. The city of Përmet was liberated, and with this it was necessary to show the internal and external opinion that the war of the Albanian people had passed from the phase of the partisan war, to a regular war, with broad and coordinated actions, had passed to the stage of the liberation of the cities. Tribute to the memory of the great leaders of the National Renaissance, who were born in the land of Përmet, the great poet Naim Frashër, the philosopher and the outstanding scholar Sami Frashër and the great revolutionary Abdyl Frashër.

Decisions of the Congress of Përmet

The Antifascist Congress of Permet, taking into account the comprehensive composition of its delegates, was a nationwide assembly or a constitutional assembly, which had the mission of electing the Legislative and Executive Bodies, which would govern the country until the end of the war and then in Albania liberated, until the new elections. As is known from historical documents, the congress chose:

- The General National Liberation Council (KPNÇ), as the highest state body; the main legislative forum, the only representative of the Albanian people.

- KPNÇ elected the Presidency of the General Council which consisted of 25 members and its president was elected Omer Nishani.

- The National Liberation Anti-Fascist Committee was elected at the congress, which had the attributes of a Provisional Government. This committee, or provisional government, consisted of 11 members. The general secretary of the PKSH, Enver Hoxha, was named the Chairman of the Provisional Government, while the well-known nationalist, Myslim Peza, was named the vice-chairman of the provisional government.

KPNÇ, as a legislative body, since its formation, during the days of the Congress, issued the first important acts or decisions, which were of great importance for the further development of the liberation war and the independence of Albania in the following years.

Vlen të përmenden tre vendimet e mëposhtme, të cilat lanë gjurmë të pashlyshme në jetën politiko-ekonomike të Shqipërisë dhe përcaktuan drejtimin që do merte shteti i ardhshem shqipetar: të ndërtohet Shqipëria e re demokratike e popullore sipas vullnetit të popullit; t’i ndalohet ish-mbretit Zog kthimi në Shqipëri dhe, të mos njihet asnjë qeveri që mund të formohej brenda ose jashtë vendit kundër vullnetit të popullit dhe të vazhdohet më me ashpërsi lufta kundër pushtuesve gjermanë dhe tradhtarëve shqiptarë, deri në shkatërrimin e tyre të plotë dhe vendosjen e pushtetit demokratik-popullor në të gjithë vendin.

Këshilli i Përgjithshëm vendosi:

Rishikimin dhe prishjen e gjithë marrëveshjeve politike dhe ekonomike që binin në kundërshtim me interesat e popullit dhe të kombit shqiptar dhe shëndrimin e njësive të ushtrisë ANÇ në ushtri të rregullt, me një udhëheqje të njësuar dhe me një komandë të përgjithshme.

Vendimet e Kongresit të Përmetit treguan se Lëvizja ANÇ dhe PKSH, si forca kryesore kësaj lëvizje, kishin krijuar bindjen dhe besimin në popull, se ato do të ishin fituesit e luftës dhe do të qeverisnin vendin pas fitores. Megjithëse ca vëzhgues të huaj e quanin si vete-besim të tepëruar optimizmin e drejtueseve të LANÇ në atë kohë, ngjarjet e mëvonëshme vërtetuan se analiza e situatës që bëri PKSH ishte racionale dhe realiste.

Kongresi i Përmetit, duke shpallur person non-grata ish-mbretin Zog, i vuri atij legalisht damkën e tradhetarit, sepse ai e ktheu Shqipërinë në shtet vasal të Italisë dhe e braktisi popullin e vendin, duke vjedhur dhe thyesarin e vendit, në ditët e vështira të pushtimit fashist.

Gjithashtu, vendimet e këtij kongresi u dhanë nje mesazh të qartë kuislingëve dhe kolaboracionistëve ballisto-zogiste, se nuk do kishte pushtet në tavolinë për ata që bashkpunonin me armikun dhe as për ata që prisnin të ikte pushtuesi e pastaj “të luftonin”.

Pushteti u takonte atyre që luftonin kundër pushtusit për çlirimin e Shqipërisë dhe do të mbronin lirinë, të drejtat, interesat dhe aspiratat demokratike të popullit shqiptar.
U zgjodh edhe një Komision për zbulimin dhe vërtetimin e krimeve të pushtuesve dhe bashkëpunëtorëve të tij, si dhe për zbulimin dhe vërtetimin e emrave të kriminelëve të luftës.

Kongresi u drejtoi përshëndetje:

Popujve dhe ushtrisë Sovjetike dhe udhëheqësit ytë tyre Stalin, Presidentit Rosvelt, Kryeministrit anglez Wilson Churchill, Marshallit Tito, EAMIT grek, Fan Nolit për shqiptarët e SHBA,të burgosurve dhe të internuarve brenda dhe jashtë vendit.

Finally, even today after 80 years, based on the time it was held and its important decisions, the Përmet Congress again occupies a high point in Albanian history. There were defined the most important directions to realize the final goal of the Anti-Fascist War of the Albanian people, the complete liberation of the homeland from the Nazi-fascist invaders and traitors of the country, the guarantee of a free and sovereign Albania at the end of the Second World War and establishment of popular power.