President preparing next year’s elections

TIRANA, Oct. 24 – President Bujar Nishani on Wednesday called on the political parties to negotiate on the election date next year.
Albania is to hold parliamentary elections in June next year and normally it is in the last two Sundays of the month. Nevertheless the president has made the call on the political parties to convene and decide on which is the best date. The meeting is to be held in Nov. 5.
Convening the political parties is a good move on the part of the president, who was elected only with the votes of the governing Democratic Party and the opposition Socialists boycotted it considering him, a former interior minister, as not a consensual one.
For the moment there is not so much talk on the country’s politics simply because there is no pressing issue in hand. But in November it is expected they will start again the usual squabbling on the passing of the three laws that require at least three-fifth, or 84 votes of the 140-seat parliament. That can be reached only with the votes of the opposition’s support.
For the moment the two parties are again accusing each other of prohibiting the country to get the candidate status.
Earlier this month the European Commission proposed to the EU’s Council of Ministers to give the candidate status to Albania, but it also said Tirana needs to pass three laws on the parliamentary reform, the Supreme Court and the administration. They have time until Nov. 20 to do that and the EU’s Council of Ministers convene likely Dec. 10.
The governing Democrats of Prime Minister Sali Berisha accuse the opposition Socialists of trying to block the country’s access into the European bloc.
The Socialists, on their side, say that Europe does not ask for laws to remain on paper and the application of the laws remains one of its shortcomings. They complain for the case of the Fieri district council that, despite many verdicts from the courts, the governing Democrats still hamper its normal functioning.
The Socialist leader Edi Rama has also gone to Brussels to promote his country’s candidacy. But at home he says they will not pass or participate in passing any laws until the governing Democrats apply the court verdicts.
That is a usual political fight in the country that always expects for the international pressure, to the last minute, before doing the thing.
“The annual monitoring process ensures that aspiring countries are admitted only when they have met all requirements, which have been spelled out in detail,” says EU in a report issued recently on the membership applications.
Albania should be granted candidate status when the country completes key reforms.
EU governments will consider the recommendations at their meeting in December 2012 and make decision about Albania’s candidacy.