TIRANA TIMES – TIRANA, April 22
Returning home from the long trip to Brussels, Prime Minister Sali Berisha brushed off the opposition’s scheduled protests aiming to topple the government. In a democracy, he said, there is freedom to protest.
Opposition Socialist Party of Tirana Mayor Edi Rama has launched a series of protests all around the country against the government for what the opposition says is the ruining of the economy and also for the transparency of the June 28 election.
The protests are scheduled to culminate with one held in Tirana on April 30.
Berisha repeated that they were open to any compromise with the opposition but not to the vote recount, or opening of the ballot boxes required from the opposition, as that would violate the constitution.
Berisha told the opposition to go to the prosecution offices for their claims of manipulation.
“It is important that the opposition have all the space to protest but in a state under the rule of law, civil disobedience has legal response,” said Berisha.
Rama has said that the opposition will use all the democratic forms of protests, including the civil disobedience.
Berisha also said the authorities would secure that the opposition held a calm protest, especially since the governing Democratic Party has planned its own rally on May 1, when Rama has said their protest would be prolonged as well.
Berisha also considered the visit to Brussels a “historic one” where he met with all top EU leaders.
He also pledged that his cabinet would make the utmost to fulfill all the required values and reforms needed for the European integration.
But that is not possible without the opposition as for the mostly important reforms fo which a three-fifth vote, or 84 votes in the 140-seat parliament, are needed. Berisha’s coalition controls only 75 seats.
Berisha also said that in his meetings with the EU top officials he was assured that Albania would be given the visa-free regime this summer.
Bringing Nano in the picture
Berisha also played another hard card, that of the former Socialist leader Fatos Nano, whom he met in Vienna, Austria during the return trip to Tirana.
Berisha considered Nano as the Socialists’ “historic leader.” Nano resigned in 2005 after his party lost in the elections. He resigned from the post of the premier and also of the party leader to be replaced by Edi Rama. Berisha made it clear that Nano had expressed his opposition to the boycott of his former party.
The Socialist ended their boycott in February following intensive mediation from the Council of Europe and the European Union. Now they only take part at the first hour of the sessions insisting on the vote recount.
After resigning Nano has been in contradiction with Rama and the party leadership and has kept a low profile.
But Berisha turned down any idea of suggesting Nano for the post of the president in two years time saying that was a long time to think it over.
Skanderbeg Square, the battleground
Skanderbeg Square also seems another issue of political contest these days. After starting earlier this month, the fight over how to reconstruct the square will be kept alive for long from both political groupings.
Berisha mentioned when he was in Brussels he had met with the architectural studio that had made the plan.
Meanwhile Rama in Tirana met with the Kuwaiti officials who have funded the rehabilitation of the square. Both say the square rehabilitation needs the cooperation of all the administrative structures, both central and local ones.
But it is not unlikely that the political fight will practically involve the square works. There have often been threats from both sides during these days.
For the moment common Albanians are not suffering from that at fight but from the heavy traffic in the square which both political parties blame each other.
