Berisha’s offer turned down from the opposition

TIRANA, Oct. 19 – Prime Minister Sali Berisha on Monday made the last offer for the electoral reform in the country.
Berisha invited all political parties for a round table Friday to discuss ways and amendments of the electoral code. He said that the round table would be held even without the opposition’s presence.
The country is to hold local elections in May next year but the code is to be principally prepared for the parliamentary elections three years later.
But it remains to be considered if the offer was appropriate at this time, when the opposition Socialists have made it clear they do nothing but only work on the transparency of last year’s parliamentary elections.
Consequently the Socialists immediately reacted turning down the offer and saying that without the transparency of last year’s vote nothing could be further done.
They also said that the country is not suffering due to the lack of laws but from the lack of the will to apply them.
The Socialists are boycotting any vote at the parliament and taking part only at the beginning of its sessions. That is their last strategy after first boycotting the parliament, taking to the streets for protests and even holding a hunger strike.
They claim vote count manipulation and want a partial recount, something that is turned down from the governing majority saying that would violate the laws.
At this moment the country is hoping to get the visa liberalization okay from the European Union Interior Minister in November.
At the same time the European ministers will also make public the annual progress report for the country that has applied for the candidate status.
That request and progress are closely linked with the political maturity, development and situation in the country.
That means that the political deadlock is making that opportunity not possible at the moment.
The government and the opposition continue to accuse each other of failing to co-operate on EU integration.
Foreign Minister Edmond Haxhinasto noted on Sunday that Brussels is forming an opinion on the country’s EU candidate status and urged the opposition to co-operate in the political process.
“There are expectations [about] the opposition, to be engaged in adopting legislation on main issues in the parliament, especially on electoral reforms,” Haxhinasto said as he returned from Brussels.
A senior U.S. State Department official, Tom Countryman called on Monday to the Albanian politics to take the situation back to normal He said that the country had yet to achieve its political maturity “the capability of having a stable political system in which the political parties cooperate for the best of the population.”
At the same time President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, who is on a tour in the western Balkan countries, said before his trip that, “I come to Albania with a message of encouragement. Encouragement to continue the reforms and the positive role that your country is playing in the region. The stability and the European integration of the country remain important to the European Union.”
“I believe that there is a place for the Western Balkans in the European house,” said Van Rompuy in a video message before his visit to the country.
The new Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth, also stressed that the local elections will be a key marker on the country’s ongoing reform process.
“With Election Day now less then seven months away, the urgency for early administrative preparations to take place in line with the latest OSCE/ODIHR recommendations is now greater than ever. All political sides realize their duties to act in the national interest by using all the institutional mechanisms available, especially the Assembly, to discuss, approve and implement electoral reform,” Wollfarth said after the meeting with Ilir Meta.
All the calls are coming from Europe, in which Albanians want to be part with. But no one is expecting any solution of the political fight to be in the near sight.