Political ‘silent’ fight continues

TIRANA, Nov. 9 – That could be a general description of the political developments in Albania during the last days.
Albania’s ruling Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the opposition Socialist Party of Edi Rama are working hard to reach a secret deal to reform the electoral code, which is considered to be as the main priority for the country at this time.
European Union senior official on enlargement Stefano Sannino visited Tirana and met with all top official leaders in an effort to give a push to the negotiations in the tiny western Balkan country, which needs to pass a series of important reforms alongside its attempts to get integrated into the bloc.
The political parties may reach a deal on the electoral reform and also some changes to the parliament’s rules.
The opposition has made it clear that it wishes to discuss all the reforms requiring a three-fifth majority, or 84 votes, which are basically needed for the European integration legislation. No such draft law has been passed in the last two years during which the opposition Socialists boycotted the parliament.
It is clear that without a political compromise in which both political sides give-and-take something, there could be achieved no progress, especially in the country’s European integration.
The opposition offered a package to discuss such laws.
Reforms are fundamental to approximate the country’s legislation, administration and all its services, governing, justice, rule of law and all spheres of life to the European standards.
Last month the EU refused to give Albania the candidate status citing the political stalemate as the main obstacle to the country’s progress. That means that politically the country fell further behind its neighbors in the region on the long journey towards Brussels; while economically, some say Albania lost millions of Euros in financial assistance from the EU.
For the moment the EU plans to offer Albania 96.8 million Euros in financing in 2013: 10.9 million Euros for cross-border co-operation and 85.9 million Euros for transition assistance and institution building.
Due to its ongoing ever-squabbling politics Albania continues to lose credibility in the eyes of major EU institutions and member states.
It will be a very hard lesson that Albanian politicians should learn and publicly acknowledge: that the absence of progress in the European integration process is because of the political stalemate, which means blame to both parties.
The opposition Socialist Party held its national convention to elect its leadership and also to make public its programme needed for the 2013 parliamentary elections. There was no call for early elections or the government’s toppling as they had requested up until earlier this summer.
The opposition Socialists convened last Saturday in a congress with 1500 delegates to vote the new political program and the changes to its statute. Delegates voted to elect the members of the National Assembly and members of Statutory Guarantees Committee.
Economic recovery, revival of society, restoration of democracy, and reunion with Europe were the four main pillars of the programme.
“It’s time to keep Albania from spiraling into the abyss and the only way out is what SP presents in its new programme ‘Albanian Revival,'” said leader Rama.
They put special focus on the country’s economyأlaiming to offer jobs for 75,000 persons per year and an economy that will favor 95 percent of the population and not the five percent of the wealthy people.
OSCE Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth hailed the opposition Socialists’ programme, considering it “major progress.” He said that it is very encouraging to see this process develop, adding that “the viability test has to come, once it is finalized, starting with budget questions, and how some of the elements might be financed.” But he also made it clear that Albania should be very clear on what they are being offered by the politics.
Wollfarth urged more work on the electoral code reform, hailing the “very constructive steps Šundertaken so far from both major parties, DP and SP alike.” He said they hoped to see developments soon in parliament and repeated that the OSCE/ODIHR, including the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, are ready to provide further assistance.