Former U.S. ambassador says Albania’s democracy eroded

TIRANA, April 10 – Former U.S. Ambassador to Tirana John Withers continued his participation in the country’s democratic life with an open letter made public at a local private TV channel.
This time Withers, the predecessor of the now-U.S. Ambassador Alexander Arvizu, said openly that recent developments in the country were degrading its democracy.
Withers fully supported the statement from the U.S. State Department also commenting on them in detail.
Withers said the power in Albania was being focused, concentrated in a few hands, elections were not free and the independent institutions found it hard due to public pressure.
Withers made this letter also to clarify some misunderstanding on his viewpoints on Albania, reiterating that he was speaking now as a retired individual and did not represent those of the U.S. government.
Withers remembered that the moment Albania became a NATO member was the most miraculous moment during his stay there.
The former ambassador repeated that Albania’s place was in the European Union and he was disillusioned by the lack of progress from Tirana.
Despite all these Withers said that the statement from the State Department did not treat his main item of concern: Albania’s eroding democracy.
“I fear that too much power is being focused in a few hands. Under the unstoppable pressure of the government, the independent institutions that are key for guarding the democratic practices, the rule of raw and the honest elections, have been seriously weakened; the war for guarding power has eclipsed the governing as a government’s priority, and if the current tendencies will continue, Albania risks falling under the regime of the strongest, which has been the tragedy of Balkan during the entire history,” he wrote.
“Do you believe that your government is really democratic? Do you believe that it is acting on your behalf? Do you believe that it is saying the truth? Do you believe that the courts give justice for everyone? Do you believe that the government is taking transparent commercial and economic decisions? Do you believe that they are seriously fighting corruption and nepotism? Do you believe that the politics is approving and bringing new jobs that will create options for your children? Do you see a future full of hope, or full of pessimism and despair?”
These are only some of the questions to which only you can respond, he said to the Albanian people.