Small parties’ start campaigning a year ahead of elections

TIRANA, Aug. 1 – Smaller political parties seem to have increased their presence in the local media with efforts to press the two big ones — the governing Democratic party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the main opposition Socialist party of Edi Rama — that their role in the country’s politics, and especially governing is fundamental, not to say the key one.
The recently-founded New Democratic Spirit said they will not cooperate with neither of the big ones for the parliamentary elections next year. That was a reaction to voices from both sides that the new party, a center-right one which is believed to grab some votes from the Democrats, may join forces with one or the other.
Gazmend Oketa, the existing leader of the party (till former President Bamir Topi decides to enter politics and likely become chairman of the party) said that the coalition will be only with that of the Albanian citizens and there would be no coalition neither with Berisha nor with Rama. He accused both parties of creating a “coalition” to repair the electoral code only for their profit.
Meanwhile Nard Ndoka of the Christian Democrats made it clear they were leaving the opposition coalition and moving to a coalition with the Democrats for the next elections. Last week there were also rumors that Berisha had offered to Ndoka a cabinet post, deputy minister, but that was not accepted. Nevertheless it seems that the rumor was not totally lie as Ndoka came out this week to make known the division with the Socialist-led opposition and joining forces with the Democrats, something that would be considered normal for two right-wing parties.
Paskal Milo of the Social Democracy party, a leftist one in the opposition coalition, repeated his criticisms of the changes of the electoral code made from both main parties. But he also said that their place is with the leftist coalition, Milo also repeated a call for Oketa’s party and the Red-and-Black Alliance Party of Kreshnik Spahiu of possible partners in a coalition to topple the Berisha governing. That seems to be in line with words coming out from Rama’s mouth trying to collect as many political forces as possible for next year’s polls.
Spahiu, on his side, seems to have said clearly they will not join any of the two big parties next year, but he has not excluded a coalition with Oketa’s party. Spahiu is trying to refer more to the patriotic feelings of the people and exploits every moment to attack not only Berisha but also Kosovo leaders.
Skender Gjinushi of the Social Democrats, also in coalition with the opposition, hailed words and calls from Rama for a possible coalition with Oketa’s and Spahiu’s parties in the fight against Berisha’s Democrats. Gjinushi said that the parties should create a broad coalition to turn democracy back in the country.
The opposition claims that besides them Oketa and Spahiu will create another center-right opposition against Berisha.
Rama has shown that he is determined he will be the country’s next prime minister in 2013, which means that his coalition will win elections. One has to remind himself that such words were also heard three years ago but the opposition failed. Berisha showed then he was better in creating coalitions, attracting allies, even small ones collecting some scores of ballots. And he has mentioned that again recently in a clear challenge to Rama.