The Corruption of the Small

By Jerina Zaloshnja
Nine high officials including one deputy minister were arrested at the beginning of the week, accused of corruption. Official sources stated that they had clear evidence of the involvement of these officials in corrupt dealing. This is the first case of arrest of high officials since the centre right came to power led by the Democratic Party of Prime Minister Berisha. The restoration of the rule of law and the fight against corruption was one of the stated priorities of the Democrats who returned to power after spending eight years in opposition. The fight against corruption of the Berisha government had until now focused on improving the law and in implementing structural changes; measures that would go towards reducing the levels of corruption in the country which are perceived as high. While not ignoring the firings and the accusations leveled at a number of officials of secondary importance, this week’s arrests included high officials and even a deputy minister.
The second element that deserves attention is the fact that all the arrested officials belong to the same political party, the Christian Democrats, which is part of the government in coalition with the Democratic Party.
The Christian Democrats, who never managed to enter parliament based on their own electoral support, thanks to some maneuvering in the Parliament managed to broaden their parliamentary group to the extent needed for it to demand a post in the government.
The leader of the party, Nard Ndoka who is currently a member of government as Minister of Health, stated that he would await the legal proceedings against those arrested, but he assured the public that the Christian Democrats would not come in defense of it corrupt officials if that is proven in court.
This reaction was commendable but in the meanwhile Ndoka himself as well as MPs from the party have started raising important questions on the arrest of the high officials. In fact the leaders of the Christian Democrats have gone as far as leveling accusations at the government of Prime Minister Berisha and especially at the speaker of parliament. According to them, important sections of the government and the parliament aim to politically destroy the Christian Democrats, by crucifying them as corrupt.
Furthermore the Christian Democrats have accused the government, state institutions and the police of eavesdropping on Christian Democrat officials and MPs.
On the other hand leaders of this party put in doubt the neutrality of the prosecutions and the courts by announcing that at least on the political level they would not accept the decision of the court against those arrested.
In other words we are witnessing what we have always witnessed in Albania during these 17 years. Every official under accusation and even those indicted for corruption are protected politically. This has usually been done by the two main parties that have been in power. Now the same is also happening with a party in power, a member of the governing coalition. And it is happening with a small party. But the corruption of the small is corruption all the same and it must face the law.
In the meanwhile we must wait and see whether anti-corruption, not as political rhetoric, but as punishment handed by the courts and based on law, will be restricted to the small. Furthermore the accusation of the Christian Democrats of illegal eavesdropping and the surveillance of its MPs are still to be confirmed or withdrawn. The real anti-corruption fight has just started.