Foto Çami (born 4 October 1925, date of death unknown) was an Albanian academic and politician of
Albanian Party of Labour
The Party of Labour of Albania ( sq, Partia e Punës e Shqipërisë, PPSh), sometimes referred to as the Albanian Workers' Party (AWP), was the ruling and sole legal party of Albania during the communist period (1945–1991). It was founded on ...
(PPSh).
Biography
Çami was born on 4 October 1925 in the village of
Labovë of
Gjirokastër District
Gjirokastër District () was one of the 36 districts of Albania, which were dissolved in July 2000 and replaced by 12 counties. It had a population of 55,991 in 2001, and an area of . It contained a large Greek ethnic minority. It is in the south ...
in
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
.
He joined the partisans of the
National Liberation Movement and served as a political commissar. After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
he studied philosophy in the
University of Tirana
The University of Tirana ( sq, Universiteti i Tiranës, abbreviated UT) is a public university located at the central borough of Tirana 10 in Tirana, Albania. It was established as the ''State University of Tirana'' in 1957 through merging of ...
. His career in this field would culminate with the honorary title "Professor" (similar to
PhD).
Çami was first elected as member of the
People's Assembly (Alb: ''Kuvendi Popullor'') in 1970. He held the position until the seventh parliamentary term ending in 1974.
[ - Republika e Shqipërisë KUVEND. Tiranë 2005] He became member of the Central Committee of the Party in 1971.
Çami served for several years as First Secretary of the Party of
Tirana District
Tirana District () was one of the 36 districts of Albania, which were dissolved in July 2000 and replaced by 12 newly created counties. It had a population of 523,150 in 2001, and an area of . Its territory is now part of Tirana County: the munic ...
. At the 8th Congress of the Party in November 1981, he was added to the candidate-member list of the
Politburo of the Party of Labour of Albania
The Politburo was the leading organ of the Party of Labour of Albania. It comprised key government ministers and Central Committee secretaries and served as the main administrative and policy-making body, convening on a weekly basis.
The following ...
. Between 1982 and 1991, he served again as representative in the National Assembly during the tenth and eleventh legislature.
In July 1985, he was elected as the successor of the First Secretary of the PPSh
Ramiz Alia
Ramiz Tafë Alia (; 18 October 1925 – 7 October 2011) was an Albanian politician serving as the second and last leader of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania from 1985 to 1991, serving as First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albani ...
, as Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party. He was succeeded as First Secretary of Tirana by
Pirro Kondi, a hardliner and brother-in-law of the late 1979 influential Central Committee Secretary
Hysni Kapo
Hysni Kapo (1915–1979) was an Albanian military commander and leading member of the Party of Labour of Albania. A member of the Communist Youth group, Kapo was first distinguished as an artillery commander in the Battle of Drashovica. In 1941 ...
, who moreover as Hoxha's confident wrote in the party's newspaper ''
Zëri i Popullit
''Zëri i Popullit'' ( en, Voice of the People) is an Albanian online newspaper. It was the official press organ of the Party of Labour and, later, of the Socialist Party of Albania, but it later ceased print publication and became an independe ...
'' articles about the 1985 deceased former First Secretary
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist politician who was the authoritarian ruler of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania from 1941 unt ...
, in which he attacked factional opponents of Hoxha as
Koçi Xoxe
Koçi Xoxe (pronounced ; 1 May 1911 – 11 June 1949) was an Albanian politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania. He was supported by Yugoslav leader Josip Broz ...
,
Beqir Balluku
Beqir Balluku (14 February 1917 – 5 November 1975) was an Albanian politician, military leader, and Minister of Defense of Albania. Balluku assisted Enver Hoxha in carrying out the 1956 purge within the Labour Party. However, in 1974, Balluku h ...
,
Mehmet Shehu
Mehmet Ismail Shehu (January 10, 1913 – December 18, 1981) was an Albanian communist politician who served as the 23rd Prime Minister of Albania from 1954 to 1981. As an acknowledged military tactician, without whose leadership the communist p ...
, and others. At the 9th Congress of the PPSh in November 1986, he was elected member of the Politburo. Çami remained within this supreme organ of the Party until his retirement in December 1990.
In 1993 a special court was brought in Tirana against Çami and nine other former high-ranking officials (
Muho Asllani
Muho Asllani (born 1937) is a former Albanian politician of the Albanian Party of Labour (PPSh). He was a member of the Politburo, a representative in the Albanian Parliament for many years, First Secretary of Party in several districts, and mem ...
,
Besnik Bekteshi
Besnik Bekteshi (born 1941) is a former Albanian politician of the Albanian Party of Labour (PPSh). He has served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry of Communist Albania.
Biography
Bekteshi was born on 11 August 1941 in Shkodër. H ...
,
Vangjel Çërrava,
Hajredin Çeliku Hajredin Çeliku (born May 4th 1927 - died June 2005) was a former Albanian politician of the Albanian Party of Labour. He was a member of the Albanian Parliament, Politburo of the Party of Labour of Albania, and served as member of the Cabinet of ...
,
Lenka Çuko
Lenka Çuko (born 8 July 1938) is an Albanian former politician of the Albanian Party of Labour (PPSh).
Biography
Çuko was born in Lushnjë to a family of partial Aromanian origins.
In 1970, she was elected first-deputy of the People's Asse ...
,
Llambi Gegprifti
Llambi Gegprifti (born 14 February 1942, in Pogradec) is a former Albanian politician and mayor of Tirana (precisely Chairman of the Executive Committee of the People's Council of Tirana District) from 1986 through 1987 and 1989 through 1990. He w ...
,
Qirjako Mihali
Qirjako Mihali (13 May 1929 - 7 April 2009) was an Albanian politician of the Albanian Party of Labour. He was a candidate-member of the Politburo of the Party of Labour of Albania, Minister of Finance, and member of the Albanian Parliament.
Bi ...
,
Pali Miska
Pali Miska (19 May 1931 – September 2009) was an Albanian politician of the Communist Era. He served as Chairman of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania from 22 November 1982 to 19 February 1987.
Miska was first as a party functionary in ...
, and
Prokop Murra
Prokop Murra (24 November 1921 – 9 September 2005) was an Albanian politician of the Albanian Party of Labour (PPSh).
Early life
Murra was born on 24 November 1921 in Tirana, and studied economics. He joined the Albanian Communist Party in 194 ...
) being charged for "abuse of public funds". The following sentences were given: Mihali and Gegprifti eight years each, Miska and Çuko seven years each, Çami, Çeliku, and Bekteshi six years each, and Çërrava, Murra and Asllani five years each. In June 1996 he was against sentenced. This time he got a life-sentence for "crimes against humanity", considering his position as local First Secretary of the Party.
Çami was a member of the
Academy of Sciences of Albania
The Academy of Sciences of Albania ( sq, Akademia e Shkencave e Shqipërisë), founded in 1972, is the most important scientific institution in Albania. In the 1980s, several research institutes began at the University of Tirana were transferred ...
during the period 1973–1991, in the philosophy field.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cami, Foto
1925 births
Year of death missing
People from Gjirokastër
Labour Party of Albania politicians
Members of the Politburo of the Labour Party of Albania
Candidate members of the Politburo of the Labour Party of Albania
Members of the Parliament of Albania
Communism in Albania
University of Tirana alumni
Albanian anti-fascists
Albanian resistance members