Tirana Times
The violence at the opposition protest that ended with the tragic deaths of three protesters is a fatal step backward for Albania.
The Jan. 21 events are the culmination of a bitter political conflict between the government and the opposition following the last parliamentary elections.
But they are also the results of the unfortunate fact that Albania has a history of short-term interests of political parties, and individuals in particular, undermining this country’s future.
Looking back, Albania was the only country in the Communist East in which the one-party system was quickly transformed into the personal dictatorship of Enver Hoxha, who was the only communist leader never replaced, despite the changes that happened on a regular basis in other former communist countries of Eastern Europe. Hoxha was removed from as head of the party and from power only in death.
The leaders of Albania today, although 20 years have passed since the end of the dictatorship, still have not come to the realization that one cannot be in power indefinitely.
The events last week showed how weak and non-functioning democracy is in Albania. The Socialist Party called people to join its protest without managing such protest, and so it was transformed in its first minutes into anarchy and a violent attack against state institutions.
The killing of the three protesters was fatal, tragic and criminal and should undergo a complete and immediate investigation. A country that aspires to be a member of the European Union cannot allow protesters to be shot dead. But the country has also made a huge step backward when it comes to the violence against institutions that led to the killing of the protesters.
In addition, the subsequent management of the situation clearly shows independent institutions do not function in Albania.
The failure to detain the personnel of the Guard of the Republic by the state police after warrants were issued by prosecutors is simply frightening for those who believe in the rule of law.
In 2011, even though Albania is a NATO member and has applied for EU membership, it suddenly finds itself in another crisis for which Brussels and Washington need to be directly involved.
Instead of the Albanian head of state, the president, urgently calling on the prime minister and the head of the opposition to stop the situation from getting worse, he called a meeting with western ambassadors, showing the most obscene incompetence not only of the president himself, but the entire array of independent institutions in Albania, which are apparently unable to solve any problems internally and have to rely on international interventions. It is unacceptable for a NATO member country expect international mediation to resolve its crisis.
There is no doubt, this is a fatal step backward. The country’s interests and its future are now in question.
But the deaths and injuries, and the political hate speech being spewed by the two main political leaders have left a very bitter taste in the mouths of most Albanians who do not want to return to the anarchy and lawlessness of the late 1990s.
The solution at this junction, beyond the immediate fix of an international mediation of overcoming the immediate crisis – is a structural change that would make this deadlock from ever happening again.
The situation in Albania is one in that clearly there is a silent majority of people that do not care for the political leadership of either party. This silent majority might be unhappy with political and economic conditions that stem from a variety of reasons – from the global economic crisis to corruption and Albania’s small markets, but they want first and foremost a stable country with working institutions.
So when we say structural change – it means things like direct voting for a party leader for everyone who chooses to be a member, but also limiting the mandate of a party to leader to two turns so that we avoid a situation in which Albania is ruled by one man for the past 20 years, and possibly by another man for the next 20 years.
It’s time for a step forward.
