Centennial celebrations fail to escape political controversy

TIRANA, Oct. 31 – The government of Prime Minister Sali Berisha prepared and made public a plan of how it would celebrate the country’s 100 years of independence. Mr. Berisha said that Albanians all around the region, and not only in Albania will celebrate it.
The celebrations will start Nov. 25thin Skopje, Macedonia to follow with those of Prishtina, Kosovo a day later and then back to Albania. Berisha said the celebrations would start in Vlora, the city where the flag was raised on Nov. 28, 1912.
Berisha also said that on the 28thPresident Bujar Nishani would go and raise the flag for the official ceremony, something which is likely a change of the protocol after some voices from the opposition and other personalities not to exclude or avoid Vlora for the day. Berisha will not be there.
But Berisha added that the main ceremonies would be held in the capital, Tirana.
It seems that the government will hold a big lunch after it is learnt it has ordered that some 1,000 sheep will be cut for the day.
The opposition, on the other side, continued to note that the government cannot avoid Vlora for the ceremonies and they hinted Berisha is trying to make that as a ‘revenge’ for what the city has done to him 15 years ago when they led the anti-government protests following the fall of the failed pyramid investment companies.
The opposition says they will celebrate the anniversary in Vlora, where they also govern the local authorities.
Whatever the purpose or the moves, one thing is sure: Albania is hardly expecting to celebrate its 100thanniversary of the state foundation. Now it is a NATO member and is looking forward to get the formal invitation for the EU’s candidate status in early December.
At a time when more candles for peace are required, they refer more to matches set on fire, according to some words from the well-known Albanian writer Dritero Agolli, once among the leadership of the now-opposition Socialist Party, though now supporters but they also add he is deteriorating the history and pressing historians.
Not much is talked about now about the integration process.
Albania has to pass three main laws and reforms until Nov. 20, ahead of the EU’s Council of Ministers meeting in Dec. 10.
Albania has been recognized as a potential candidate country for EU accession after the Thessaloniki European Council of June 2003. The country applied for a candidate status in 2009. The European Commission has recommended Albania to be granted a candidate status with the reminder that additional efforts in the judiciary and administrative reforms, as well as reforms in the parliamentary rules and procedures, were needed.
“Overall, Albania has made good progress towards fulfilling the political criteria for membership of the EU and delivering a number of reforms against the key priorities of the Commission’s 2010 Opinion”, this year’sreport notes.
The report puts a special focus on Albania’s role as a “constructive factor, contributing for the stability in the region through maintaining positive relations with its neighbors and regional partners.”