Tirana Times
TIRANA, May 5 – Albania votes for the local elections Sunday which have turned into a political referendum for the two main political groupings in the country.
It is not easy for anyone, be that Albanian or a foreigner, whether these are general parliamentary or local elections.
The opposing political groupings _ governing Democratic Party-led coalition of Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the opposition Socialist Party-led coalition of Tirana Mayor Edi Rama _ have both turned the electoral campaign into a political referendum asking Albanians to cast ballots for their political projects rather than small direct one linked to their daily life at the community.
The governing Democrats always refer to their successes in building thousands of kilometers in the country, making it a NATO member and lifting the visa for its people.
The opposition Socialists retort mentioning the corruption cases of the government and ask Albanians to give an end to such a corruptive governing. Socialist leaders have often accused the ruling majority of Prime Minister Sali Berisha of using fraudulent votes of Albanian migrants living abroad to tip the electoral balance in the contested June 2009 parliamentary elections.
But what are these elections for?
Albanians will vote for their small executives running their small governance at their street, quarter, town or commune. They will vote for the small services they want every day. They vote for a place where they can directly complain if not pleased with something in their area. They need a place or some official they may shout when their street is not clean, or free of the rubbish, when it is flooded or mudded.
But what they are listening is big successes or big corruption.
Its main contest remains capital Tirana where Rama runs for the fourth time and this time against former Interior Minister Lulzim Basha. That seems a tough job, but more for Rama that considers that a personal challenge and a political one.
The two top leaders are seen every day all around the country making fantastic promises and accusing the other for failure in governing.
Unfortunately they have raised the adrenaline of their militants so much that we listen every day of any form of violence, like beatings, threats, explosions and the like.
What is at stake with these elections?
Nothing else rather than Albania’s progress towards integration into the European Union, or rather, say, the true democratic world in this part of Europe.
It has become very clear from the international community that the tiny Balkan country should ‘behave’ well, perform democratically in these polls, or it should forget for the moment its further integration into the bloc.
That means slower progress, be that economic or social, that will directly have a negative impact on the common people.
The world is all eyes open and Albanians should really show they are democratic, much much more than their leaders.
