= Party of Labor of Albania = The '''Party of Labor of Albania''' ('''PLA''') was a [[Albania/PoliticalParties|political party]] in [[Albania/Democratization#People.27s_Socialist_Republic_of_Albania|Albania]]. <> ---- == History == [[WorldHistory/Yugoslavia/JosipBrozTito|Tito]] dispatched [[WorldHistory/Comintern|Comintern]] agents to Albania in 1941, to unite the local communist and socialist political movements. The party was established that year as the '''Communist Party of Albania''' ('''PKSh''') (''Partia Komuniste e Shqipërisë''). The first leader was [[Albania/EnverHoxha|Hoxha]], who was a hardline [[Russia/JosephStalin|Stalinist]]. Through the political front '''National Liberation Movement''', of which the party was dominant, the [[Italy/BenitoMussolini|Italian]] [[WorldHistory/WorldWar2#Albania|occupation]] was repelled and [[Albania/Democratization#Zog_Era|Zog]] was barred from returning. The party adopted the name '''Party of Labour''' in 1948. During the [[Russia/NikitaKhrushchev|Khrushchev]] era of reforms, Hoxha led the party to break from Moscow. Albania left the [[WorldHistory/WarsawPact|Warsaw Pact]] in 1968, and relations were instead pursued with [[China/MaoZedong|China]]. After Hoxha died in 1985, '''Ramiz Alia''' led Albania into a reform era. He legalized opposition [[Albania/PoliticalParties|parties]]. He organized elections for March 1991, in which the party won a majority. The [[Albania/Kuvendi|Parliament]] produced a new constitution creating the [[Albania/Democratization#Republic_of_Albania|Republic of Albania]], and also electing Alia to the presidency. The party reformed into the [[Albania/SocialistParty|SP]] for the 1992 elections. ---- == Policies == The [[Albania/Democratization#People.27s_Socialist_Republic_of_Albania|Communist regime]] was a single-party system. The PLA dominated political life in Albania for close to 5 decades. The actual politics of the party were determined entirely by the chair. [[Albania/EnverHoxha|Hoxha]] was a hardline [[Russia/JosephStalin|Stalinist]] but left the [[WorldHistory/WarsawPact|Warsaw Pact]] in 1968, objecting to the premiership of [[Russia/NikitaKhrushchev|Khrushchev]]. He was a brutal dictator and Albania saw frequent purges of dissidents. '''Ramiz Alia''' in contrast was a reformist, and effectively allowed a peaceful transition of regimes. He nonetheless defended, and claimed, Hoxha's legacy. ---- == Leadership == ||'''Chairs''' ||'''Term''' || ||[[Albania/EnverHoxha|Hoxha]]||1941 - 1985|| ||Ramiz Alia ||1985 - 1991|| ---- CategoryRicottone