By Jerina Zaloshnja
This week the center-right government of Prime Minister Berisha underwent a partial re-shuffle. The Minister of Health, Nard Ndoka, and the Minister of Education, Genc Pollo, were both replaced by Anila Godo and Fatos Beja respectively. The new Minister of Health, a Professor of Medicine and lecturer at the University of Tirana, Anila Godo was proposed by the Republican Party. Anila Godo’s appointment to the Head of the Ministry of Health re-introduces the Republican Party back into the Cabinet following Fatmir Mediu’s resignation from the post of Defense Minister in March after the blast of the Gerdec ammunition disposal factory. Mediu is currently under investigation for abuse of post and arms trafficking. Whilst the appointment of Fatos Beja, a well-known figure of the Democratic Party, to the post of Minister of Education and Science indicates that the DP is trying to take back the management of the main ministries that provide fundamental services to the citizens and all of this is taking place in the last year of this government’s four-year term in office. The partial shuffle of the government was nothing but an accident. The resignation of the Defense Minister following the tragic Gerdec blast, in which 26 lives were lost and another 300 people were injured in mid-March, left the Republican Party out of the Cabinet. The pressure of the Republicans to get back into the government with a ministerial post triggered off the changes to the Cabinet. If the tragic event of the 15th of March had not happened, which in itself is more and more emerging as the result of a mega-corruption racket, then probably the Government would have the same members today. In other words, the Government shuffle was an accident and was not prompted by the state of affairs in the sectors where the changes are being made. However it so happens that accidents also generate good things. And if there is one positive aspect in the latest changes to the government cabinet, that just has to be the removal of Nard Ndoka as Minister of Health and together with him the ousting of the Christian Democratic Party at that level from the government. Mr. Ndoka is a lawmaker of the New Democratic Party, a break away faction of the Democratic Party, headed by Genc Pollo. Ndoka managed to create a parliamentary group with seven lawmakers from other parties under the name of the Christian Democratic Party. With this artificial inflation of seats belonging to this party in parliament Ndoka managed to exert sufficient pressure on the Prime Minister forcing him to give this phantom party the Ministry of Health. Although a lathe-worker by profession, Mr. Ndoka grabbed the post of Minister for himself. And if that was not enough, yet another faction arose from the Christian Democratic Party which was taken over by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Anton Gurakuqi, for whom there were a thousand and one reasons, and maybe more why he should never have been assigned that post.
The conflict raging within the Christian Democratic Party was reflected in the health care system itself as all the other levels of directorship and management were dominated by individuals from the same party – the Christian Democratic Party. The split of this party into two factions paralyzed operational business at hospitals and other healthcare centers because of the political conflicts between top managerial officials of this Ministry, (all members of the CDP) who politically “remained loyal” to the particular faction that gave them their positions. Finally this truly ugly story is drawing to an end, but not due to its special “brand” of ugliness but because the Republicans, another party are being reinstated in the government at ministerial level. It remains to be seen whether or not the new Minister of Health, a well-known doctor, will be able to bring some sort of order to the Christian Democratic chaos rendered to the healthcare system. On the other hand, the ousting of Genc Pollo from the post of Minister of Education, irrespective of the fact that he has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister, may also mark the gradual phasing-out of the government of the party that he heads. Mr. Pollo is another leader of a very minor party so it appears that the time has come for the Democratic Party to take back the management of the very important sectors, including education.
And, last but not least, in terms of its importance, the partial changes in the government bring to light the frightening extent of the substantial deformity of democratic processes in Albania. The Minister of Health who has just lost this post says he will go over to the Opposition, taking his remaining MPs with him and he will refuse to vote the changes in the cabinet. It is obvious though that the Majority in office is not afraid of the threats of the Christian Democrats, newly evicted from top level government posts. This is due to the fact that a parliamentary group has been created made up chiefly of MPs from the Opposition (Nano’s supporters) who are ready to vote in favor of the government and save it from collapse. Two simple questions could be posed: What would the Opposition MPs want in exchange for their votes in favor of the government? And second: What meaning do elections, election results and seats in parliament have when the Ruling Majority may rely on votes of factions of the Opposition to remain in office?
