Rama asks for European politicians’ support

TIRANA, March 7 – Main opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama asked for assistance and for an immediate solution to the crisis in the country at a speech he held with the European Socialist International leaders meeting in Athens last weekend.
Rama said that the crisis in Albania is comprehensive and requires an immediate intervention.
According to him cases of corruption are growing and independence of institutions is constantly violated.
Referring to the local elections of 8 May, head of the SP stressed the need for their guarantee.
European Socialist Party leaders gathered in Athens to discuss joint plans in the economy.
They called on the Albanian government to play the democratic rules and expressed their distrust on the governing Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
There have been some optimistic noises coming out of Albania these past few days, after a late-February visit to Tirana by James Steinberg, a U.S. deputy secretary of state. Steinberg apparently urged Tirana, that is Prime Minister Sali Berisha, to let the general prosecutor investigate the killings of four protesters on 21 January while urging the opposition not to threaten the country’s stability. Both sides have a chance to put their case before the public in a less-dangerous way in the 8 May local elections. They are to begin negotiations on the conduct of those elections, and Tirana has requested the presence of international observers during the electoral process.
The Albanian opposition still complaints that despite such calls Berisha has defied them continuously accusing Prosecutor General Ina Rama. It is normal that both political groupings exploit such personalities as if they are their supporters.
It is clear that all US, European or other international personalities always try to tell Albanian politicians they should play in line with democratic rules.
Albania’s dream on joining the European Union is in big trouble, according to the estimation of Miroslav Lajcak, EU negotiator for the Albanian political crisis.
The Economist wrote last weekend that Lajcak is trying to get Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the opposition leader Edi Rama to reach an agreement, warning that they will be held responsible for the mess, “regardless to what they say” unless they agree before the local election in early May.
Political relations have not been normal in Albania ever since the elections in June 2009, when Rama accused Berisha for cheating in the elections. The opposition boycotted Parliament sessions, and hunger strikers camped in front of Berisha’s headquarters.
That was an indecent behaviour for a country that just joined NATO and submitted a request to join the EU, so both sides were exposed to pressure from abroad.
Now they have started again. Due to a newly created situation, Jim Steinberg Deputy U.S. Secretary of State, visited Tirana on February 25, and in regards to that, the Economist magazine estimates that Lajcak’s ton indicates that friends of Albania from abroad are losing their patience.