First Published: The Call, Vol. 5, No. 30, November 29, 1976.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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The whole country of Albania is rejoicing over the successful completion of the Seventh Congress of the Party of Labor of Albania. The Congress, which ended on the eve of the party’s 35th anniversary, marked a great step forward in strengthening the dictatorship of the proletariat and socialism in this small, but mighty fortress of Marxism-Leninism.
The Congress unanimously adopted the two major reports, given by Enver Hoxha and Mehmet Shehu, leading members of the central committee, and unanimously re-elected Hoxha, the party’s founder and great leader, as the First Secretary of the new Central Committee.
Among the things emphasized most strongly in the Congress proceedings were the everlasting friendship and solidarity between Albania and the People’s Republic of China and Albania’s continuing firm opposition to the two super-powers.
The Congress, which was attended by dozens of fraternal Marxist-Leninist parties and organizations from around the world, was greeted in a personal message from the newly-chosen Chairman of the Communist Party of China, Hua Kuo-feng, as well as from the Central Committee of the Chinese Party.
The Chinese party’s message read in part: “The two parties of China and Albania are long-tested revolutionary comrades-in-arms. We are linked closely together by Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism.
“Under the leadership of the party Central Committee headed by Chairman Hua -Kuo-feng, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people will, as always, render mutual support, fight shoulder to, shoulder a’ advance hand in hand with you in the great cause of socialist revolution and construction and in the common struggle against imperialism, social-imperialism and modern revisionism.”
The Seventh Congress summed up the great new victories that have been won in socialist construction and in consolidation of the dictatorship of the proletariat. At the Grand Rally in the capital city of Tirana following the Congress, Mehmet Shehu, said: “The party came to its Seventh Congress with the tasks of the sixth five-year plan realized in general. For the first time in the history of our people, this year we succeeded in producing all the grain we need for the people’s bread.”
Shehu called the report delivered at the Congress by Enver Hoxha “a majestic revolutionary program of great tasks for the future of the country.”
Hoxha’s report, which will be carried in future issues of The Call, dealt with the new Albanian constitution; the economic development of the country and tasks of the party; strengthening the party’s leading role, the struggle on the ideological front; the international situation and Albania’s foreign policy; and the international communist movement and the struggle against modem revisionism.
Hoxha also gave the closing speech at the Congress in which he described the meeting as “ a new brilliant manifestation of the unity of the ranks of the party.” He said: “The unity emerges from this Congress stronger, and this is another guarantee that the enemies will never find gaps in our party.”
Paying tribute to the genuine Marxist-Leninist parties throughout the world, Enver Hoxha said: “We assure our comrades-in-arms; the Marxist - Leninists everywhere in the world, that their sister Partyof Labor, the Albanian communists and people will always advance onward on their road of the revolution and socialism, that they will never be subdued by whatever threat however furious it may be.”
He concluded: “Our party will never give up the struggle against the aggressive plots and plans of the two superpowers, against the bourgeoisie and revisionists, its determined struggle in defense ofMarxism-Leninism, for the triumph of communism.”
The Seventh Congress of the PLA also marked a consolidation in the ideological struggle against certain capitalist-roaders in the party, such as Beqir Balluku, Abdyl Kellezi, Petrit Dume, Hito Cako, Koco Theodhosi, Fadil Pacrami, Todi Lubonja and others who wanted to liquidate the party and the dictatorship of the proletariat and restore capitalism in Albania.
In defining the tasks of the sixth five-year plan, the Congress laid the greatest stress on the need for self-reliance in the face of the imperialist-revisionist blockade of Albania. It called for a strengthening of the combat readiness of the people in case of an invasion from the Soviet Union or any of its satellite countries or from the U.S. and the NATO forces.
The Congress ended in a-grand display of unity as the fraternal Marxist-Leninist parties and organizations gave solidarity speeches at a rally in the capital. The fraternal parties attending the Congress included the Workers’ Party of Korea, the Workers’ Party of Vietnam and the People’s Revolutionary Party of Laos.
Prolonged applause greeted the speeches at the 35th anniversary rally by Swedish Communist Party Chairman Roland Peterson, representing the delegations of Marxist-Leninist parties of Europe; Gabriel Vlades from the Communist Party (M-L) of Argentina, speaking on behalf of the delegations from Latin America; N. Sanmugathasan, Secretary General of the Communist Party of Ceylon, speaking for the delegations from the Marxist-Leninist parties of Indonesia, Japan, Philippines and Ceylon, and E.F. Hill, Chairman of the Communist Party of Australia.
The Seventh Congress of the PLA marks a great step forward not only for the communists and working people of Albania but for the revolutionary forces throughout the whole world.