ANALYSIS: Britain ‘learning’ from Albania?!

TIRANA, May 12 – Britain held elections last week which gave the victory to the Conservative Party of David Cameron.
But it wasn’t a clear victory. They won more seats than the Labor Party of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown but still not 326 required to create the government alone.
They have to turn to the smaller winners of seats, the Liberal Democrats of Nick Clegg.
Or in other words they have a hung parliament, which cannot lead to a clear governing mandate.
Now the Tories have concluded talks with the Lib Dems trying to achieve creating a government.
Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha sent a telegram of congratulations to the winning Conservative Party.
“By their free vote, the citizens of your great country, a friend of Albania and the Albanians, have chosen you and the political platform of the Tories as the best alternative for addressing the challenges your country faces at a time of rather important developments for the EU following the Lisbon Treaty’s entering into force and revitalization of the global economy after the recent financial crisis,” he wrote.
Berisha continues to say that Albanian Democrats “have found in the British Conservative Party an ally and powerful support to its efforts for democracy and Euro-Atlantic integration of Albania. We remain determined to extend and develop this friendship further and cooperate to the mutual benefit of the two countries and peoples.”
Among other things he also wrote that, “I stick to my conviction that the coalition you will form will justify the aspirations of the British citizens for their better future.”
That’s a nice advice coming from someone dealt with the same situation a year ago, forming a coalition with the smaller leftist party.
Great Britain, a giant in many aspects, democracy and development being two of them, may have ended up learning an Albanian lesson from Albania’s Democrats who reached a coalition with the smaller Socialist Movement for Integration of Ilir Meta.
There are so parallel development in the two countries (which stand far from each other, more in democratic rules than geographically).
The Tories-Democrats won the elections but not enough to create a government.
The Labor-Socialists have a good number of seats but still second to the winners.
The Lib Dems-LSI have a small number of seats that turns into a big play, decisive for the country’s prospects.
One could write a comic essay paraphrasing that Albania’s third winning group was decisive in the government creation, one which the country desperately needed along its integration efforts into the European Union, same as the Lib Dems are promising to do for Britain that is now trying to overcome the global financial crisis.
True, many parallel ideas, developments and similarities (just in paper). Still an impartial mind could make other rhetorical questions: did everybody see how the three top leaders followed a ceremony along side each other in the United Kingdom. Could that be done in Albania?
One listens to the talks between the Tories and the Lib Dems but also the reaction from the Labor. No harsh words, just a political game trying to achieve the governing post with the best offer. Could that have been done in Albania?
Yes, one could say. That was done. The Democrats joined forces with the LSI.
But there was political fighting with the opposition following that alliance. The three leaders hardly shake hands with each other not to mention the words they use against each other.
And Albania does not have a functioning parliament.
For the moment, Britain has not one too. But that could be in days the moment a government is created.
Albanians better look attentively and learn how democracy functions.