First words of the Albanian politicians at the beginning of this year give no hope of any solution of the deadlock in which their fight has been focused in the last 16 months, hampering the integration into the European Union, the country’s development and also strangulating the minds of commons Albanians, only four months before the local authorities’ elections.
Tirana Times
TIRANA, Jan. 5 – The last developments in 2010 gave no hope of any way out of the political deadlock which has been asphyxiating the country’s life and its prospects.
Albanians will hold this year their local elections, May 8, and also hope their government and all institutions, including political opposition, will work to accomplish the 12 requirements the European Union set at its last progress report.
The political deadlock looks set to continue unchanged into 2011 after a marathon session of parliament that stretched in the early hours of the morning ended inconclusively, with the two main parties exchanging jibes over corruption and the failed bid to obtain EU candidate status.
Lawmakers rejected a proposal of the opposition Socialist Party to establish a parliamentary commission that would investigate the disputed 2009 general elections.
The proposal was rejected by a vote of 69-59, with one abstention.
The Socialists argued that their measure fully met the recommendations contained in an earlier resolution by the European Parliament to end the country’s political crisis.
Both the governing Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the opposition Socialists of Tirana Mayor Edi Rama agree generally on the need for a parliamentary commission, but differences over responsibilities, scope and composition have thwarted progress and prolonged the political stalemate.
The same words were seen pronounced from the main leaders of both political groupings this week.
First Prime Minister Sali Berisha of the governing Democratic party said that the opening of the ballot boxes asked from the opposition belongs to the past. At the same time he urged the opposition to offer alternatives to give an end tot he political stalemate.
Berisha repeated that opposition Socialists offered no proof of the alleged manipulation of the voting, or its count to base their request for an investigation from the parliament.
At the same time Berisha also started his attack on the opposition. That is the usual wording ahead of the local elections this May. He accused the opposition for its “policy of the bunker” referring to the pill boxes built from the former communist regime to protect the country from the world powers at the time.
Berisha also accused the opposition of their efforts to block the launch of the visa liberalization, which he considered as the country’s big win last year.
The opposition Socialists are at a crossing point now: should they continue their street protests? If yes, will they be able to collect their supporters and more?
Berisha ironically said that Socialist leader Edi Rama cannot become a prime minister with streets protests and strikes.
The opposition Socialists claim vote count manipulation in a number of areas and first asked for a partial recount. After finding strong resistance from the government, they turned to the investigation of the electoral documentation only. That was also turned down from the governing Democrats at the last parliament’s session in late December.
That leaves to the Socialists no other way out other than street protests. They have held street protests in the last 16 months, going up to a hunger strike in front of the government building. They have also boycotted the parliament, or now its voting process. They have used their contacts to push Europe and its institutions mediate a solution.
But all of these have resulted to nothing.
The Socialists responded with two lawmakers _ Olta Xhacka and Saimir Tahiri _ saying that the manipulation of the ballot boxes is not a closed issue. They insisted that the vote transparency is a sine qua non for the country’s democratic progress.
Albania has also made the official request for the EU candidate status. Last month the EU gave that status to neighboring Montenegro but not to Albania referring again to 12 points set at the progress report.
They start from the political compromise, increasing administration capacities, fighting organized crime and corruption and many top issues the country should deal with.
With the ongoing political fight it is unlikely that the deep reforms required for such topics could be held in the country. And that means further delay or postponement of the steps the country is taking toward the EU integration.
The country’s politics is in a total deadlock. EU Enlargement Commissioner Stephan Fuele had made it clear and has blamed the political wrangling for the commission’s negative response to its candidate status.
Both political groups in Albania have always agreed to resolve the political deadlock and create a parliamentary investigative commission on that. But they always fail to agree on how to create that.
That means they will start negotiations from the start, or that their talks have resulted to nothing.
It may likely be again an international mediation to resolve the issue or calm down the political wrangling int he country ahead of the local elections.
But that also means that Albania should forget about its request for a candidate status to the European Union.
Europe urges a compromise
TIRANA – European and international politicians and statesmen call on Albania to end the political deadlock which is creating serious problems in the country’s democratic process.
OSCE Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth on Wednesday urged all political parties to cooperate in holding fair and transparent local elections in May this year. He urged the participation of all political factors, likely of the opposition Socialists, in the reforms needed ahead of the polls.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele also made a call in an interview to the BBC. Fuele said that the political deadlock was the cause for Albanians refusal of the candidate status so its solution is an urgent issue for both sides of the Albanian politics.
Fuele blamed the Albanian politics for the country’s failure to get the candidate status.
“It is the non-accomplishment of one of the main political criteria, the Copenhagen criteria and that is very much linked to the political deadlock which has an impact in the work of the democratic institutions like parliament,” he said. “Please consider that as an alarm bell because the political deadlock is continuing and is becoming a concern for you and for us, for a long time.”
Europe has become it very clear, reaffirming the strong support for taking the enlargement process forward on the basis of the agreed principles and conclusions, that key challenges remain for Albania, in particular on the implementation of the twelve key priorities set out in the Commission’s Opinion on Albania which need to be addressed. These key priorities focus on the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, judicial reform, the fight against corruption and organized crime, electoral reform, public administration reform and the protection of human rights including property rights. The Council strongly encourages the political parties to overcome the current political stalemate by establishing a constructive and sustained political dialogue to ensure the proper functioning of parliament.
Europe said that the Commission will focus its 2011 progress report on Albania in particular on the implementation of these key priorities which need to be addressed and will return to this issue when the Commission has assessed that these conditions have been met.
Do the Albanian politicians read these reports? For sure, yes. The question remains if they really understand what they mean.
Corruption
TIRANA – Corruption remains a top issue which the country should deal with this year.
EU says the fight against corruption is a crucial issue for any candidate country. The fight against corruption is one of the most important benchmarks that all countries need to fulfill to enter the EU.
Europe closely follows each country in the western Balkans saying they are at a different level _ Croatia, as the country nearest joining the EU, is the best student in the class, followed by Montenegro and then Macedonia.
But the other countries _ Albania, Serbia and Bosnia _ are much further away and need to do much more in the future to bring their legal framework and their implementation into line with EU standards.
Corruption is a real and serious problem in Albania. It has engulfed, or better say, inflicted all public institutions, especially jurisdiction.
But it, unfortunately, is politically exploited every day, thus turning into a political tool that often fades away with the passing of the time.
True it is better than some years ago. We listen that some officials here and there are arrested and charged on corruption. But they are all second level or low level officials. The ‘biggest’ one has been a deputy minister.
On the other side common Albanians listen every day to exchange of accusations for alleged corruption cases on one or the other side of the political groupings.
There have been some cases when senior officials, ministers, are accused of corruption but their cases have been dropped after they enjoy parliamentary immunity.
That is why it is ironic to hear one or the other political party calling for lifting the immunity, sometimes doing it voluntarily. Time has shown they are only propaganda words, needed to abuse with the voters, usually ahead of the elections.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha turned his criticizing finger toward the p;prosecutor’s office at the government meeting last year. Berisha strongly accused Prosecutor General’s office of protecting the opposition and leaving hundreds of corruptive files uncovered.
That came after the opposition on its side also turned its finger toward the government and Berisha too. During the last days of December opposition lawmaker Erjon Brace also accused Berisha personally of threats through the Mafia links to keep his mouth close.
Whatever Albanians listen from both sides that is all they have and the last thing they would want to.
