TIRANA TIMES EDITORIAL
The police action in Lazarat is a welcome move that should have happened sooner. It is a first step in the right direction for something Albania direly needs — zero tolerance on those that challenge the rule of law in this country.
The challenge comes in all shapes and forms in Albania, but it is clearly visible with marijuana growers, corrupt officials and those allowed to carry on social phenomena like blood feuds.
Lazarat had become a symbol of the state tolerating lawlessness. It was a black mark on Albania’s image. And it had to be dealt with. The police are to be commended for the work they have done so far, and they must persist in uprooting criminal activity from the area make sure it never returns there.
The important things so far is that every precaution appears to have been taken by police to avoid casualties. The law enforcement operation continues in Lazarat as of press time, and we hope that this will continue to be the case — that there is no loss of life among police and civilians. Once caught, perpetrators of criminal activities in Lazarat should to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and punished for their crimes, especially those perpetrated against police in the past few days.
We also condemn attacks on journalists reporting on the police raid in Lazarat. Journalists serve in the public interest and violence against them as safety is a basic pre-condition for their work.
Lazarat was a symbol and it has been targeted as such, and now the state needs to make sure Lazarat does not stand as a lone example. It should start a momentum to target all obvious ills that have scarred Albania’s image. That starts with punishing those involved in corruption and making sure the state acts with an iron fist eradicate phenomena like blood feuds.
There has been a lot of talk this week about concrete action from the justice system to end punishments that are light or that never take place when it comes to punishing corruption at high levels. The change in government has brought forward countless charges for many former officials, all of which are still under process, and the weeks and months to come will show whether the process is completed with trials and sentences or whether charges will evaporate as they have done in the past when high officials have simply been cleared regardless of the large public perception that the trials were fixed in favour of the politically powerful and connected. In addition, prosecutors should also closely watch current officials to make sure they are not immune to corruption charges.
On another topic, this week a march on foot from northern tip of the country to Tirana will take place to call for the end of blood feuds. The march is to be supported and commended. Blood feuds destroy innocent lives. They are a twisted view of medieval customs that have no place in modern society. This tragic phenomenon has also become a magnet for movies and articles about Albania painting a picture of a country caught in a time warp — above all, it shows a picture of backwardness and lack of a modern view on the world and rule of law. Having visible action against the phenomena will help improve how Albanians see themselves and how the world views Albania. Most importantly, it will give a normal life back to the families and children currently caught in the blood feud nightmare.
