Presidential election key to Albania’s progress, says western community

TIRANA, Jan. 9 – The presidential election seems to be a fundamental issue that will be closely monitored by the international community present in Albania. The election process has already started together with its controversy over the appointment of the president. The governing Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha, that has a simple majority in parliament, has said they will elect it by themselves. That was stressed by Berisha even during his first public appearance in 2012. They have still not made public any nomination, though that of Parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli has been often mentioned off-the-record. The opposition has had harsh reaction and they add they would like to follow the same process as with the appointment of the People’s Advocate, that is, through an open and accountable election process where everyone is free to run, based on the constitutional criteria. A consensual president is also supported by the international community. Its representatives in Albania have often stressed they would like the president to be elected with a large majority and that they hope it to be an apolitical president. OSCE’s Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth said following a meeting with the new People’s Advocate Igli Totozani that a consensus is the key to further European progress for the country. “What is very important to pave the way towards European integration is consensus, talking to each other,” he said, adding that electing ombudsman by consensus shows that “consensus is not only possible, but that with consensus Albania makes headway.” “I hope that a similar consensus – maybe not that spectacularly high – but a similar consensus will be found, once a candidate or a couple of candidates are being found for president,” he said. Danish Ambassador Karsten Ankj粠Jensen also made it clear in a long interview to the newly-published magazine Java last week that electing the new president based on international democratic standards will be key to Albania’s progress toward EU membership. It remains to be seen what they will do. On the other side, current-President Bamir Topi has made it clear that he will not run again for the post as he does not have the support of the Democrats anymore. His supporters, including many of the governing Democratic lawmakers or ex-lawmakers have openly said they will found a new center-right party, on Feb. 20 to commemorate the fall of the monument of the late communist dictator Enver Hoxha, and Topi will be the leader after he ends his mandate in July. Berisha and the Democrats should also take care of their small leftist ally, the Socialist Movement for Integration of Ilir Meta, who is expecting to be sentenced for corruption. Without them they cannot elect the new president. But normally the election of the president in this country should be consensual. The opposition Socialists agreed for that when former president Alfred Moisiu, a Democratic candidate, was elected in 2002 when they were in power. That is not the case this time, though, with the Democrats insisting they will elect the new president on their own and likely among their ranks.