Tirana Times
TIRANA, Feb. 23 – Albanian President Bamir Topi on Wednesday called on the political parties to start a dialogue to resolve their dispute riots which is negatively affecting the country’s integration efforts.
In a public letter Topi said he was ready to mediate a dialogue between the governing Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha and main opposition Socialist Party of Tirana Mayor Edi Rama to turn back Albania, one of Europe’s poorest countries and now a NATO member, to the integration steps into the European Union. The letter was directed to the Albanian political groupings and also to the international community.
The opposition Socialists are demanding that conservative Democrats hold early elections over allegations of corruption and vote rigging in the 2009 general election.
The president said that he was ready to initiate any action that would facilitate the political dialogue and cooperation among the Albanian politics.
Topi expressed his deep concern on the extension and aggravation of the political situation in the country. He said that due to the recent crisis the institutions are not fully operational and “Albania’s image is significantly affected (negatively) in the relations with the European Union and our strategic international partners.”
Topi also urged politicians that a full and overall investigation of the Jan. 21 violence is necessary under such a situation.
Topi also called on them to leave independent institutions, prosecutors this time, free of any pressure “because any problem should be resolved in a legal and institutional way.”
That is referring to the accusation made from the government and Prime Minister Sali Berisha on Prosecutor general Ina Rama.
But Berisha has also accused Topi himself and the secret police Shish head Bahri Shaqiri of being part of the opposition attempted coup of Jan. 21.
The president said that the source of such a situation is the lack of trust among the political groupings, the lack of the institutional dialogue among them and the domination of the political interests over the public and institutional ones.
“I appeal that you personally affect on your politicians, the media and supporters for self-restraint and staying away from the conflicting rhetoric, for the respect and support of the constitutional institutions, for an active participation in the parliamentary life, for the fulfillment of the legal obligation toward the May 8 electoral process and for the application of all the requests of the European Commission,” he said.
Topi said that the country should fastly surpass such a situation and turn back to the tasks on the European integration.
“Personally I am ready to take any necessary action that would urge or guarantee the political dialogue among the political parties and also welcome and support any concrete proposal to make possible such an institutional dialogue.” He concluded in his letter.
