Debate continues, but no solution yet in political conflict

TIRANA, May 26 – There has been no real development this week in the process of resolving the political conflict in the country.
The two opposing sides — governing Democrats of Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the main opposition Socialists of Tirana Mayor Edi Rama — are just sending their senior lieutenants to fuel the political exchanges in front of the media every day.
Berisha on Wednesday returned to the topic of the Strasbourg dinner at the Crocodile restaurant saying they had received no ultimatum on resolving the crisis or hampering the country’s EU prospects.
On the other side, Namik Dokle, a senior Socialist lawmaker, said that the two political groupings should definitely resolve the crisis in two weeks or the country’s integration prospects may suffer.
Dokle also reacted that the ballots of those boxes whose documentation is supposed to be checked, investigated cannot be burnt as the Democratic lawmakers have said during these days.
The politicians are waiting for the European Union experts who will mediate the compromise between the two political parties.
It has been shown during all Albania’s post-communist period since 1990 that the two leading political groupings find it hard to accept each other and in times of crisis they always say no to any offer.
Five EU experts came to Albania on Wednesday. It will be a tough job for them.
Ambassadors from the European Commission, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the United States and Germany all spoke on finding a compromise.
Bernd Borchardt repeated what Brussels has lectured Tirana during all this time of crisis: respect the transparency of the elections and the country’s constitution. He expressed the concern as well.
“Albania is in important moments. It is getting near EU. From the statement of the EC Enlargement commissioner I have understood that the political situation in the country affects its integrating processes,” said Bochardt.