Political crisis continues

TIRANA, Jan. 11 – While President Alfred Moisiu had convened a roundtable with the main political parties to resolve the electoral deadlock, in a surprise movement Prime Minister Sali Berisha for the governing Democratic Party-led coalition met with former leader of the opposition Socialists Fatos Nano in an effort to give an end to the political deadlock threatening holding of the local elections in the country.
Both experienced politicians made an appeal to all political forces to try to find consensus on administrative and technical issues, as they called them, on the local elections and not prevent the country’s further integration efforts into NATO and the European Union.
Berisha did not prefer either to go to the president’s roundtable or negotiations or meet personally with Socialist leader Edi Rama but chose Nano to meet.
Nano has been staying in the sidelines since he resigned from the government post and the political leadership in September 2005. He has rarely either gone to the parliament holding a lecturing speech or has briefly met reporters for a short statement.
Their meeting was however a clear personal blow against Socialist leader Edi Rama. Berisha said clearly that he was ready but Rama had not agreed to meet with him. Nano said that self-isolation would damage only Rama.
Rama insisted that Berisha “should have been at the president’s roundtable,” adding that “the hijacker of the elections in Albania is named Sali Berisha,” whom he accused of preparing a machinery to manipulate voting with the certificates.
On Nano Rama was more impartial only saying that it would be of no concern if Nano managed to convince Berisha to abandon his idea of manipulation with the certificates.
Meanwhile the hours-long meeting of the two opposing political groups at President Alfred Moisiu’s office resulted null. A sleepless night for the top politicians, though many common Albanians would hardly consider that fact highly taking into consideration the power cuts day and night all around the country. It was held under the strong pressure from the international community, which has made it clear that holding free and fair elections was a key test for the country’s integration efforts into the NATO and the European Union. Pavel Vacek of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Tirana was seen entering Moisiu’s office, apparently to give his push to the talks. Moisiu himself met separately with all top politicians and also ambassadors of the western powers. As expected or not, both sides came out sticking to their position. The main topic of dispute remains the birth certificates. Opposition wants them be double confirmed with another documents that should be confirmed by the notary public. The governing majority considers that fact not normal, saying that puts in doubt all the main documents Albanians use. On Thursday talks stopped without having any result.
Rama said that participants at Moisiu’s roundtable were expecting Berisha’s presence and he called its lack “unacceptable.” After the stop of the talks in the morning there were no developments in the political arena. Both sides continued to stick to their positions and have accused each other of not accepting to reach the required international standards for the local elections. As usual politicians from both sides came in front of the media outlets accusing each other, supporting their position but offering no solution. On the other side, both sides did nto forget to spoil the itnernational community for its assistance, though it was very clear to them and everyone listening to them that what they were doing was quite contrary of what the world was asking them to do.
It is now expected to be seen whether Nano will influence through his supporters in the Socialsits’ ranks to manage to pass in a parliamentary voting the required electoral amendments. Following that it is still doubtful whether the opposition will accept to enter the local polls which it has declared it will not take part unless the required standards are fulfilled.
Where shall the crisis proceed to? That’s hard to suggest, other than the fact that holding local polls in Feb. 18 as the two opposing groups had agreed before is very much in doubt. That means the two ever-squabbling groups will very likely continue the long sleepless negotiations to achieve amendments of the constitution. Or the Democrats and their allies may decide to go into the Jan. 20 local polls by themselves, without the opposition’s participation. And then it would not be unlikely the opposition would try to urge protests.