Sunday’s general elections offer a great opportunity to break with the problematic electoral processes of the past, and political leaders must offer Albanians the type of outcome a modern democracy deserves.
TIRANA TIMES EDITORIAL
Albanians go to the polls on Sunday, hoping that these elections can accelerate the speed of development and improve the country’s European aspirations.
Albanian voters care about what’s important to people everywhere: The well-being of themselves and their families, jobs as well as quality and honest government services. They will choose the party they believe can best deliver those things.
Beyond being a contest of governance alternatives, these elections are extremely important because they provide the opportunity to mark a departure from problematic previous electoral processes that have been almost always been accompanied with irregularities, allegations of rigging, protests, boycotts and political deadlock.
If these elections need to accomplish one thing, it is breaking that viscous cycle. They must meet the highest standards to restore the voters’ trust in the system. Losers and winners should accept their roles work with each-other for the betterment of the country.
The elections should not be seen as a zero-sum game, which has so often been the case in Albania. It is not the end of the world to lose an election. And no matter the results, preliminary polls show the opposition that comes out of the elections will be strong. It needs to accept its position and exercise its role within the confines of institutions such as the parliament.
Parties in the contest, the Socialist-led coalition in particular, are entering the elections with very high expectations. If the Socialist-led opposition wins, as many are expecting, it will still face many difficult years ahead as Albania faces an economic crisis that cannot be cured with promises but with hard work.
Albania has a history of electoral pledges simply melting away when a party comes to or retains power, particularly when such promises are highly unrealistic, like the promises of 250,000 to 300,000 new jobs the two main coalitions are sporting these days. Any government should be held accountable by the society for its promises. One cannot come to power pledging to fight corruption and then get involved in one corruption scandal after another, for example.
Furthermore, these elections will also serve to give a clearer picture of the state of modernization in Albanian society. A series of questions will be given answers. Has the society advanced enough to hold normal elections in which candidates are held responsible for their records on things like corruption? Is there freedom on the voters’ minds or will they vote blindly out of basic fears, including fear of losing their public sector jobs?
Last, but not least, these elections are very strategic for the country’s well-being in the short, medium and long terms.
Albania has come a long way. With time, hard work and help of its international partners, the country is virtually a different place from what emerged from communism two decades ago.
Yet when it comes to its internal political disagreements, it still relies too much on the international community to play arbiter. That dependence needs to end, and Albanians can start on Sunday by organizing elections that meet the best international standards.
We often hear the elections will be a test for its EU bid. It would be better put that EU integration for Albania will be byproduct of the country building itself into a modern liberal democracy and a developed economy.
On Sunday, Albanians take the next step in that journey.
