TIRANA, Sept. 27 – The leader of Albania’s Democratic Party, Lulzim Basha, met Tuesday with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Rule of Law and International Drug Traffic Alexander Arvizu and U.S. Ambassador to Tirana Donald Lu.
According to a press release issued by the opposition, Basha voiced the Democratic Party’s concern about the upcoming parliamentary elections which “are threatened by criminal acts.”
According to Basha, the latest mayoral elections in Dibra are a clear example of how drugs, crime ties and corruption can hinder the performance of any elections.
“Civil servants with a criminal record are still promoted in the administration by [Prime Minister] Edi Rama. These people are being engaged in electoral processes and have the Prime Minister’s protection who wants them around in the upcoming parliamentary elections,” Basha said, underlining the importance of the implementation of the decriminalization bill approved earlier this year.
Although experts have deemed that the country is not ready for e-voting and that technology may threaten the process, the Democratic Party leader insisted on the application of electronic voting.
“Electoral reform has been purposely delayed, to make e-voting impossible. Albania is in a dangerous crossroad for democracy and rule of law, and the time is now for a stronger public reaction against this clear, major risk to the country’s democracy,” Basha told interlocutors.
During the meeting, Basha also informed Arvizu and Lu about the opposition’s concerns of the increase in drug cultivation and trafficking, a phenomenon that has “kneeled the nation” whilst neighbor countries have seized huge amounts of narcotics from Albania.
According to Basha, the transport of drugs is being made through the land, by air and by sea, pointing out cases of drug smuggling with motorboats and airplanes.
He also mentioned the construction of a small airfield in the middle of Albania, serving to the international drug traffic which is massively cultivated this year in Albania.
“Drugs are being transported from land, air and sea,” Basha said, mentioning the latest case of an air strip built in the outskirts to allow traffickers easy access to massive amounts of marijuana ready for export.
“All of this traffic would be impossible without the collaboration and protection offered by State Police and its political leadership,” Basha said.
The Democratic Party has been under pressure not to hamper efforts to approve and implement remaining elements of the justice reform.
U.S. Ambassador Lu warned earlier this week that the center-right party is pushing people to believe that it defends judges and prosecutors that are corrupt. Last week, the opposition appealed the Vetting Bill, part of the Justice Reform, to the Constitutional Court which prompted a critical reaction from the U.S. Embassy.
“We have informed the Democratic Party leadership that they risk becoming the party which the people of Albania perceive as against this reform and protecting corrupt judges and prosecutors, or judges and prosecutors with whom they have political influence,” said the embassy in a statement.
Ambassador Lu called on all political parties to demand a complete implementation of the justice reform.
