Ramiz Alia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ramiz Alia
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Alia in 1950
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| 1st President of Albania | |
| In office 30 April 1991 – 3 April 1992 |
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| Preceded by | Himself as Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Assembly |
| Succeeded by | Sali Berisha |
| Chairman of the Presidium of the Albanian People's Assembly | |
| In office 22 November 1982 – 30 April 1991 |
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| Leader | Enver Hoxha (First Secretary) |
| Preceded by | Haxhi Lleshi |
| Succeeded by | Himself as President |
| First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania | |
| In office 13 April 1985 – 13 June 1991 |
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| Preceded by | Enver Hoxha |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 October 1925 Shkodër, Albanian Republic (now Albania) |
| Died | 7 October 2011 (aged 85) Tirana, Albania |
| Political party | Party of Labour (1961–1991) Socialist Party (1991–2011) |
| Spouse |
Semiramis Xhuvani
(before 1986) |
| Children | 3 (Zana, Besa, Arben) |
| Signature | .svg) |
Ramiz Tafë Alia (born October 18, 1925 – died October 7, 2011) was an Albanian politician. He was the second and last leader of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania from 1985 to 1991. During this time, he served as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania. He also held the position of the country's head of state from 1982 to 1992. Ramiz Alia was seen as a possible successor by the previous leader, Enver Hoxha. He took power after Hoxha passed away.
Contents
Early Life and Political Beginnings
Ramiz Alia was born on October 18, 1925, in Shkodër, a city in Albania. His parents were Muslims who had moved from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He grew up and spent his childhood years in Tirana, the capital city.
During the early part of World War II, Alia was briefly a member of a youth group called the Fascist Lictor Youth Organisation. However, in 1941, he joined the underground Albanian Communist Youth Organisation. By 1943, he became a member of the Albanian Communist Party.
Alia quickly rose through the ranks with the support of Enver Hoxha. In 1948, he was chosen to be part of the Central Committee. This group was very important in the Communist Party. By 1956, he became a candidate member of the Politburo, which was an even more powerful group. In 1961, he became a full member of the Politburo of the Party of Labour of Albania.
Alia became known as a key thinker for the Party of Labour of Albania. He focused on social and cultural ideas, especially during a time known as the Cultural and Ideological Revolution. This period aimed to change people's thoughts and beliefs to match the party's ideas.
Enver Hoxha never officially named someone to take his place. However, there were clear signs that he preferred Alia. Hoxha once introduced Alia to a doctor, saying that younger leaders like Alia would take over as he got older.
Political Career and Leadership
Leading the Albanian Labour Party
After World War II, Alia continued his work in the Communist Youth Organisation. In November 1948, he was elected to the Central Committee of the Albanian Party of Labour. He was put in charge of the department that spread the party's messages and ideas.
Even as late as 1988, Alia continued to praise Enver Hoxha. He said that Hoxha was the only leader who truly followed the ideas of Marxism-Leninism. This was a political and economic theory that guided the Communist Party. Alia made these comments at the unveiling of Hoxha's statue in Skanderbeg Square.
Albania's Shift to a Multi-Party System
Ramiz Alia tried to bring about changes slowly and carefully. However, people, especially young people, started demanding more reforms. On December 9, 1990, students from the Enver Hoxha University (now University of Tirana) marched through Tirana. They called for changes and shouted slogans. By December 11, nearly 3,000 students joined the protests.
To calm the students, Alia met with them. He agreed to take more steps towards democratization, which means moving towards a more democratic system. The students told Alia they wanted to create their own independent group for students and youth. Alia said such a group would need to be officially registered.
In his New Year's message to the Albanian people, Alia welcomed the changes happening in the country. He said that 1991 would be a very important year for the economy.
Alia played a key role in Albania's peaceful political change in the early 1990s. Many believe he helped the anti-communist groups rise to power without much violence. He managed to stay an important political figure during several difficult times.
However, Albania was facing a serious economic crisis, and Alia had many challenges he could not overcome. On December 12, 1990, he signed a law that allowed different political parties to exist. He later said this was the biggest challenge of his life.
In the 1991 Albanian parliamentary election, which were the first democratic elections in Albania, Alia ran for a seat in parliament. He lost to Franko Kroqi, a mining engineer. Kroqi was a candidate for the newly formed Democratic Party of Albania.
After this loss, and after the Democratic Party of Albania won by a large margin in the 1992 general election, Alia resigned as president on April 3, 1992. On April 9, the People's Assembly chose Sali Berisha, the leader of the Democratic Party, as Albania's new head of state.
Later Life and Challenges
After leaving office, Ramiz Alia faced legal challenges. He was placed under house arrest in August 1992, and later imprisoned in August 1993. He claimed that his trial was politically motivated.
In July 1995, Ramiz Alia was released from prison. However, he was imprisoned again in March 1996. The trial against him began in February 1997. He escaped from prison during a period of unrest in the country when guards left their posts. During this time, he appeared on State TV for an interview. In the late 2000s, he sometimes traveled to Albania from Dubai to give interviews or promote his books. In December 1997, he returned to Albania after briefly going to France to be with his family during the Albanian Civil War.
Death
Ramiz Alia passed away on October 7, 2011, in Tirana, Albania. He was 85 years old, and his 86th birthday would have been 11 days later.
See also
In Spanish: Ramiz Alia para niños
