Political squabbling heats up

TIRANA, Nov 24 – What was expected by everyone in this tiny Balkan country happened – raising the level of political squabbling among foes.
Opposition Socialists held a three-day protest in front of Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s office asking for a recount of a number of ballot boxes which they claim was manipulated.
At the second day Berisha, from behind a window, hailed his opponents with his V-sign fingers, raising tempers of the opposition militants.
At the end Socialist leader Edi Rama made an ultimatum – either the government opens the ballot boxes in the next 10 days (by Dec. 5), or Berisha should ‘go’ together with them.
Albanians usually do not welcome such ‘threats’. That was seen from Berisha’s reaction. On Monday Berisha, after turning down the opposition’s request, announced that Democrats and “the whole people” would celebrate Dec. 8 and the fall of communism 19 years ago.
There were immediate reactions and comments from the local media calling it an -anti-rally.
The Socialists say they want the recount not to claim any new post in the parliament but only to give an end to the false elections held in post-communist Albania. They always refer to the fact that the report of the OSCE/ODIHR said that vote count was bad or very bad in one-third of the counting offices.
None would really accept the idea that if the ballots were recounted giving some more seats to the opposition, the latter would keep quiet and not ask for fresh voting. They have already done that, or said, that they will ask for snap elections unless the government accepts their request on recounting.
The Democrats, for their part, have always denied that, saying that elections are over, the international community has accepted them as the fairest ever held in Albania, that they could not go against the verdicts of the Electoral College as they would break the law, the constitution.
Berisha is also assisted this time by his coalition partner, Ilir Meta of the Socialist Movement for Integration, saying politics cannot be based on ultimatums. But many think Meta cannot speak differently after he abandoned the opposition’s camp to join Berisha.
At this moment there have been suggestions from the journalists, on the role of President Bamir Topi as a mediator in this political fight.
That would be normal taking into consideration he stands above the political parties. But many also think that is still not possible in this much politicized country as Topi has come from the governing Democrats. Others say he would not be accepted by the Democrats themselves following a kind of displeasure existing between him and Berisha.
So what?
Per usual, the international community has to get involved in resolving this crisis.
Albania needs to make many reforms along its path of integration into the European Union. The parliament cannot do that without the presence of the opposition, which has boycotted it from the start.
Albania is now also a NATO member country.
That calms the mind of Albanians fearing another return of the clash twelve years ago, though that was based on a different domestic problem, the fall of the failed pyramid investment schemes.
So the international community this time should really ‘invent’ a solution to please both sides, or impose itself on the government to make the recount and on the opposition to declare legally it will not request fresh elections.
Is that possible? Time will tell.
But the beginning of December will be a difficult, tense political atmosphere in the country, especially in the capital Tirana. The opposition holds a rally Dec 5 to be followed three days later, Dec. 8 from that of the governing Democrats
Besides their political intentions they will very likely also try to show who is the biggest in participation.
Under such circumstances Albanians should really wake up and decide who is right, or how much each of them is right and wrong.