Building on electoral reform, further cooperation urged

TIRANA, July 18 – International community representatives urged Albanian politicians last week to cooperate in a series of issues, ranging from electoral reform to lifting of immunities for state officials.
U.S. Ambassador Alexander A. Arvizu welcomed the agreement on the electoral reform. “I think the next important thing is going to be the vote on lifting immunities,” he added.
“There are good judges, there are good parliamentarians, but there are also crooks among them as well. The issue of immunities is abused in this country, and if people are serious about improving the rule of law, then there has to be an agreement about lifting immunities,” he said, adding that despite their assistance on the issue “the real action is going to rest with the parties.”
And the international community has warned many times that the important thing is not to do these things to get candidate status but to do these things because they are important for the development of the county.
Eduard Kukan, the head of the South East Europe Delegation to the European Parliament, welcomed the recent agreement between Albania’s main parties on electoral reform. Kukan said that in order to carry on the EU aspirations of Albania, further efforts are needed, especially in the areas of reform of the judiciary and fight against organized crime and corruption, which are also “major prerequisites for progress in the EU integration”.
With all these words and slow moves it is very unlikely that the tiny western Balkan country gets the EU candidate status this year. True there is still time, but not that much. And during that short period the governing majority and the opposition should show such a great good will and serious stands to pass many laws and reforms required in the Brussels 12 key recommendations needed until October.