2010 more prosperous for Albanians, says Berisha

TIRANA, Jan. 1 – Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said in his New Year’s speech that 2010 would be a more prosperous year for Albanians.
He congratulated all Albanians on the achievements made in the past year and wished them a happy and prosperous new year.
“The clock will strike twelve and usher in a new year. At the last moments of the year 2009, let’s bid farewell to the outgoing year with gratitude, respect and pride,” Berisha said in his New Year message.
Albania had great achievements in 2009 including when it joined NATO in April and held a peaceful general election in June.
The opposition is still disputing the election, claiming that the process was manipulated. The opposition is boycotting the parliament and has started a series of protests asking for the recount of a considerable number of ballot boxes.
The Socialists, who have 65 seats at the parliament, want a parliamentary investigation.
The Democrats, who have 71 seats in the 140-seat parliament, deny a recount should be made, saying that all the results were confirmed by the opposition members of the electoral commission and that move would violate the law.
The leftist Socialist Movement for Integration of Ilir Meta, with four seats in parliament, has joined the governing coalition.
Politics in Albania ended the year 2009 in a very bad way.
The two main political parties cannot tolerate each other. They cannot agree on anything and now they are also threatening the country’s future.
It seems that everybody is expecting an outside intervention or mediation by the international community to resolve the dispute.
People are now mentioning efforts by representatives of western institutions and countries to mediate a roundtable or a meeting either between the two political parties, or, ideally, between Berisha and Rama to resolve their crisis.
The small western Balkan country also applied for membership in the European Union in 2009, and it has got a nod to its application from the bloc, which has handed Albania a questionnaire to finish.
“The year we are leaving behind is great and blessed. And it brings us faith, pride, hope and confidence that next year will be more prosperous for us Albanians,” Berisha said in his speech.