The Democrats will only be successful if they ditch the old guard and stale tactics and let their new leader truly be in charge
TIRANA TIMES EDITORIAL
Just as Albanians were hoping for a new normal in the way politics are done in Albania, they are receiving contradictory messages from the new opposition. On one hand, the Democratic Party’s new leader, Lulzim Basha, a promising and popular young politician, has said the party will offer a tough opposition in parliament under European norms, on the other, the party’s former leader, Sali Berisha, appears to still be in charge.
In the first session of parliament, as new Prime Minister Edi Rama was making his first address to the legislative body, members of the Democratic Party’s old guard, led by Berisha, didn’t like what they were hearing. They heckled Rama and then they walked out of parliament, bringing back the type of attitude they themselves had despised for years, when the Socialists, now in power, continuously boycotted parliament.
The Democratic Party is an important institution in Albania, and it needs to stay strong in order to serve as the type of European-style opposition the country’s democracy needs. But the Democrats will only be successful if they do not ditch the old guard and stale tactics and let the new leadership truly lead.
The show in parliament, the heckling and the walking out, were unbecoming for a party that had just set the standard for a generation to come on how to accept a political loss and transition power to the rivals. Albanian audiences have come to expect bad behavior from their politicians, including some of the off-color remarks made by some old-guard Democrats during the opening session of parliament (words that an international audience would find deeply distasteful for high level politicians). But Albanians can do better. They want to do better.
The Albanian people voted. They overwhelmingly voted against the Democratic Party and its leader at the time, Berisha. He did the right thing and resigned from all party posts. He now needs to fully withdraw from the leadership of the party – in reality – not just on paper.
The Democrats need a new way, one that Lulzim Basha can provide if he is allowed to actually do his job. Basha has the potential to be a great leader for his party, but he can only do so if he is free and independent – if he is his allowed to be his own man. If the former prime minister and the domineering leader of the Democratic Party for two decades, Berisha, continues to be on the scene and run things from behind the curtains, it will hurt the Democratic Party for years the come. Which would be unfortunate for the country as a whole, as we want to see the party grow strong in the opposition in order to pose a strong alternative in the next elections.
The Albanian electorate spoke clearly: It did not want Berisha to lead the country. It did not like the type of arrogance many of the elected leaders of Democratic Party showed after eight years in power. This is how democracy work. It is time for Berisha to accept reality. It’s time for him to go and let the newly-elected leader of the Democratic Party to do his job.
