Politics in bad mood

TIRANA, Oct. 11 – Politics in this country cannot change the way, the format or method it uses to introduce itself to the Albanians and to the international community. That is an ever-squabbling presence that can be hardly overcome by any of the sides.
That was noted Thursday in parliament.
While the governing Democratic party and its prime Minister Sali Berisha tried to boast themselves of achieving the European Union’s candidate status (though on conditions), the opposition Socialist party of Edi Rama opposed saying there is no time for firecrackers, as it was done Wednesday evening in capital Tirana after the announcement of the partial victory of the EU’s status.
There is a clear road to everyone telling both sides they should work together until November so that the EU’s Council of Ministers gives the formal ‘yes’ for the candidate status in Dec. 13.
They need to work on the draft laws on the Supreme Court, the administration status and the parliamentary reform.
Sure that is clear to them too. But prospects show it will be so so hard to achieve that stage.
On one side, the governing Democrats say the draft laws are there. And there is no problem for them to change any detail just at the end.
On the other side, the opposition Socialists are afraid, and often show they are not capable enough, to cope with such a way of working together. They insist that the country needs so much not the laws but their implementation. And they always say that they fear the implementation lacks because of the Democrats.
There it starts, a very useless, futile, and comical but still so engulfing debate that takes the politics, the Albanians and the country to nowhere.
Is the right with the governing Democrats, or the opposition Socialists?
That is a question that common Albanians may give easily if they are supporters of one of them. But ask any Albanian who is apolitical and the answer would be they are useless because they say, speak and confront each other so much, and do nothing.
The country needs to show to the Europeans that they can fulfill the required duties to get ahead with the candidate status and the accession in the near future. It doesn’t matter who is right, or wrong. What matters is what are the country’s prospects and both sides should show how they can give-and-take and compromise on major things and take the country ahead.
Political developments do not support such an idea, if that is correct by international standards, or required from the EU.
It is not important for a European official, or an EU member country to understand why Berisha thinks of a draft law this way and why Rama opposes him this way. Europe tells Albania that with thisjudiciary, with this administration you can achieve nothing and Tirana may remain again in the back stage of integration. Albanian authorities and politicians should understand and work, together if possible, to fight corruption and organized crime, raise the level of administration and show they can be European. And not with words but in practice.
The opposition said Thursday at the parliament that the government should better work to fight corruption and crime and also respect the laws. They said that the case of the Fieri city hall is a clear example how the governing Democrats do not respect the laws.
That was opposed by Berisha and the Democrats saying the opposition does not accept the good results they have already achieved during their two last terms of governing.
The case of Fieri, the city some 100 kilometers from capital Tirana, has attracted the attention and has turned into a political stalemate. It was won by the opposition Socialists at last year’s local elections but the town hall has yet to start working as the governing Democrats say they have won. The case has gone to the courts. The socialists say the court verdicts have shown clearly why they should run this city. But the democrats say the contrary. But the district council is not operating, functioning, the elected representatives of the citizens are unable to perform their functions.
That likely urged the U.S. Ambassador to Tirana Alexander Arvizu to make a visit to Fier this week and meet with all top local officials and politicians there. The ambassador said that such a climate “is obviously going to have an impact on how the national elections are approached in the summer of next year. ” Arvizu tried to ‘teach’ Albanians on what theyare asked to be doing at this time of their integration process intothe European Union. They should do a critical mass of work and that is not only at the central level with the legislation, reforms and the like.
“It means the political will to execute, carry out decisions for the courts to operate independently, free of political influence so that the decisions that come out are transparent and open and objective and genuinely reflect the will of the people,” he said.
There should be continued progress here, for strengthening of the rule of law, the strengthening of independent institutions because doing so is not a partisan effort. It does not support one party more than the other. Most importantly, it is in the interest of the Albanian citizens, he said.
Besides the opposition continues its campaign of publicly showing the corruption of the government institutions and top officials. Opposition Socialist party lawmaker Taulant Balla showed in two cases how the Defense Ministry, and specifically Minister Arben Imami had abused with the post and the public properties selling them for little money to individuals considered as their supporters, or linked to the close family of the prime minister.
The ministry came out immediately to say that was not true.
And the tit-for-tat continues and the common Albanians listen to them. Why so early? The parliamentary elections are next year.
If there is any proof of abuse it would be good for the opposition to take all them to the prosecutor’s office and prosecute the minister. On the other side, not only the prosecutor’s office but also the prime minister should immediately reflect, react on such public accusation and either investigate, or tell the people they are not true.
It seems that such a fight will continue for the next two months and we may hear again both main groupings accusing each other of the country’s failure.
Let’s hope they will behave differently and find ways of compromise to achieve what is required of this country.