Riza Sapunxhiu (15 March 1925 – 6 September 2008) was a Kosovar communist politician and economist.
[1] In 1981, he headed the Kosovar delegation in a historical visit to Albania.
This visit paved the way for closer relations between Albania and the Albanian community in Kosovo and the rest of Yugoslavia.
[2] As a successful economist, in 1982, Sapunxhiu became an official at the World Bank.
Nevertheless, the state of emergency was not declared due to opposition by other members of the presidency.