Critics say that employment in the civil service, regardless of the government in power, is often done through political ties
TIRANA, Dec. 14 – Prime Minister Edi Rama and several cabinet ministers held a meeting with administration representatives in an effort to urge them to be apolitical in their daily duties.
Rama said that building the state was the main duty and necessity in Albania along its integration road with the European Union and other international institutions.
He urged civil service employees to be an administration serving the citizens and in respect of the country’s constitution and the laws.
Such an administration, he said, will be “the foundation of the European Albania, of Albania as an EU member.”
The administration should get apart from the politics; not meaning that no one in the administration should have political affiliation or not be socially involved in the political life, Rama said. But he added politics should not usurp the administration, but the civil service employees should serve common people despite their political affiliation.
Rama also said that no one of the public administration should feel or be obliged to take part in political activities of the government in power and, at the same time, should not avoid taking part in the activities of the opposition they may be part with.
“Of course, all these out of the working environment and after the working hours,” he said.
Politics intervention in the public administration has long been a main issue of political debate in the country, with usually the party in power obliging public administration staff to take part in its activities.
Critics also say that employment in the civil service is often done through political ties.
The opposition has accused the three-month-old Socialist-led government of firing hundreds of civil service employees in order to fill the civil service rank with Socialist activists.
The Socialists accuse the opposition Democrats of having filled the ranks of the civil service for years with incompetent party activists of their own.
