Failure to elect a consensual presidential candidate in early rounds sheds light on the ills of Albania’s political elite
TIRANA TIMES EDITORIAL
Tirana, Jun 7 – The failure of the first two rounds of the presidential election and the negotiations outside parliament show the low degree of political maturity and the functioning of democracy in Albania. They show a complete lack of ability to build consensus and compromise on a series of important issues — such as the election of a new head of state.
This is, of course, not a new development in Albania. It is part of the zero-sum game and political conflict that has been dominating Albanian politics in recent years.
This development is very worrisome, however, because it shows the Albanian political elite is trying to control, neutralize or dominate one of the most important institutions in Albania’s political system – that of the presidency.
In addition, through its failure to compromise domestically, Albania’s political elite is once again perpetuating the political culture of dependence on the international community.
EU Enlargement General Director Stefano Sannino had to make the trip to Tirana on the eve of the third round of voting to further urge the two sides to budge. International pressure like this has worked in the past and is having some effect now. The main political parties withdrew from their more extreme positions on the candidates — largely because of pressure from the international community
At the same time, the main talking point of the opposition, but other parties too, has been the need to choose a president by consensus as a measure that would help Albania get EU candidate status. That logic is flawed, because it should be the other way around — an EU candidate country has the maturity to elect a president that represents the entire nation. In a properly-run country, the election of a head of state is based on having a person with the appropriate skills, ability to do the job, smarts in helping govern the country — leadership and wide public support. The election should not solely be based on the need for a country to join an exclusive club of other nations. But it should reflect the country is ready for the club.
Furthermore, talking points aside, once a candidate is imposed on one side, he or she is no longer consensual. Throwing names in the race that don’t enjoy wide popular support does not help matters.
Judge Xhezair Zaganjori is a candidate of the ruling coalition, for example, but since the opposition has made it clear that he does not heave its support, the candidate should have withdrawn from competition.
The other, self-declared candidate, former Socialist Prime Minister Fatos Nano is using passive-aggressive methods of one day begging for support and the other threatening to get it – making the entire candidacy ludicrous. The latest move, an open letter by a couple dozen intellectuals calling for Nano’s election, was even more ridiculous, and a reminder of communist Albania tactics.
At the end of the day, it appears there are incentives for the political class to hold the country transfixed on the presidential election soap opera. It takes attention away from other important matters such as the weakening economy and the rising social tensions that come with it. And it keeps the focus on the politicians, which is where they like it. Yet, simply paying lip service to a consensual candidate while planing to push a candidate that does not have wide public and political support is setting up the important institution of the presidency for failure. Albania deserves better.
