Xhafer Spahiu

Xhafer Spahiu (June 5, 1923 – May 19, 1999) was a former Albanian politician of the Albanian Party of Labour (PPSh). He was the only Kosovar Albanian of the higher ranks of the Communist Albania leadership after 1948.

Spahiu was born in Gjakova, Kosova, at that time part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He was one of the many communist Kosovo Albanians who came from the same town, such as Emin Duraku, Fadil Hoxha, Sadik Stavaleci, Elham Nimani, etc. During World War II he was part of the guerrilla movement in Albania in charge of the information and communications to the public. As such in 1944 he was arrested and sent to the Nazi concentration camp in Prishtina, Kosova. After his release, he went to Tirana, Albania.

In 1945, one of his brothers, the great patriot Halim Spahiu was arrested, jailed and killed by the Yugoslav Communist authorities because of his political views against Yugoslav regime and especially for being in favor of uniting Kosova with Albania.

Spahiu was initially a civil servant and among others, from 1957 to 1959, he served as Director of the State Geological Service (Alb: Shërbimi Gjeologjik Shqiptar). While a candidate-member of the Central Committee (CC) of the Party, in April 1957 he was next to Enver Hoxha, Mehmet Shehu, Gogo Nushi, Rita Marko, Ramiz Alia, Spiro Koleka, and Behar Shtylla within a delegation visiting the Soviet Union as part of the Albanian-Soviet relationship.

In 1958, he was elected for the first time as representative at the People's Assembly (Alb: Kuvendi Popullor), representing the Durres District. He remained such from the fourth to the end of the eleventh legislative period in 1991. At the 4th Congress of the Party in February 1961, Spahiu was elected a member of the Central Committee.

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