Functioning institutions vital to Albania’s next steps, officials say
TIRANA TIMES – TIRANA, April 23
TIRANA, April 19 – When Albania made a very important step toward integration into the European Union with handing over its candidate status questionnaire, in addition to the detailed answers to their questions, EU officials were looking with increasing worry at Albania’s political deadlock.
Tirana hopes to get a positive answer from Brussels on the candidate status within this year, but both the government of the Democratic Party and the main opposition Socialist party are being called by EU officials to take into consideration that their long post-election fight may set the tone for Albania’s next EU steps.
During his last week’s trip to Brussels, Prime Minister Sali Berisha also faced criticism over the country’s deadlocked political situation from the EU enlargement commissioner.
“I used the opportunity of our meeting to reiterate the concern over the lack of progress in normalizing the political situation in Albania,” EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said.
“Parliamentary work does not comply with EU standards and democratic institutions,” he added.
Albania’s right-wing government, headed by Berisha, and the opposition have been locked in a dispute over the results of the June 28 parliamentary elections, which were narrowly won by Berisha’s party. The opposition has been partially boycotting the parliament and has called for massive protests against the government. They only take part at the first hour of talks at the parliament’s session insisting on vote recount and they leave the hall afterward.
The Socialists of Edi Rama claim manipulation of the vote count and want reopening of a number of ballot boxes for recount. The Democrats oppose that saying that would violate the constitution as there was an electoral college that legally decided on all the claims.
First the Socialists boycotted the parliament until February when pressed from the Council of Europe they returned there.
Then the fight continued at the parliament where both sides could not reach a compromise on the investigation of the June 28 parliamentary elections. An investigative commission was created but only supported and voted from the majority Democrats. The Socialists left the hall as the new commission did not include the partial recount which is the basis of their transparency request.
Now the opposition Socialists have launched a series of street protests held all around the country asking for the vote transparency and also the government toppling as it is ruining the economy and increasing the Albanians; poverty, they say.
That means that the parliament will vote any legislation only with the seats of the governing coalition. That means that important draft laws asking for a three-fifth, or 84 seats, vote cannot pass. That means that the work of the parliament may be considered as seriously downgraded or affected.
That means that the country may not pass a number of reforms required for the European integration process.
The proper functioning of state institutions is among the key conditions for countries aiming to join the EU. While the present political situation will be reflected in the European Commission’s evaluation of Albania’s responses to the EU questionnaire, Fuele noted that he hoped that this element would be included “in the past tense.”
“A lot is indeed at stake, and I pointed out that there is a certain window of opportunity for all those involved who have a share of responsibility to find a solution in such a way that the opinion refers to this issue in the past tense,” Fuele said.
According to Fuele, the date when the Commission might publish its opinion on Albania’s responses will depend on the “quality and completeness of the information.”
Tirana hopes to get a positive answer this year.
The enlargement commissioner promised that the opinion will be fair and objective but warned that Brussels will give particular attention to Copenhagen Criteria and obligations from the Stabilization and Association Agreement.
Albania still has not managed to solve the political crisis it faces and establish a properly functioning parliament.
The Socialist led opposition claims that the election was marred by fraud and seeks a recount, arguing that complete transparency in the electoral process is necessary in order to avoid irregularities in the future. Post-communist Albania has never held elections that are not contested from the losing side.
Albania, whose Socialist opposition has been boycotting parliament for a year now, is pressing ahead with efforts to eventually secure EU membership. Fuele told Berisha that “the timing of the opinion will largely depend on the quality and completeness of the information”. He told journalists that before the next local elections in Albania, due next spring, the Commission would deliver a “balanced and fair assessment”of the situation, paying particular attention to the country’s fulfillment of the political criteria for admission.
International observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have concluded that general elections in June 2009 “did not fully realize Albania’s potential to adhere to the highest standards for democratic elections”.
In an interview with WAZ Fuele made it clear that the country needs to improve the functioning of its political system. He suggested that the commission might have additional questions once it studies the current answers.
“There are issues- and one particular – that makes the whole process more difficult and it is the stability of political institutions in Albania,” Fuele said.”I visited recently Albania and expressed deep concerns about the parliament still not being able to play fully its role.”
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy tried to reassure Berisha calling his government’s answers to the commission questionnaire a “historical document”. But he warned that the EU is following domestic political developments with “interest and attention.”
