ALBANIAN PRESS REVIEW - Thursday, 11 May 2006

POLITICAL AFFAIRS

Blushi: Edi Rama’s mistakes (Korrieri pp. 2, 3)

The Socialist Party (SP) Political Secretary Ben Blushi said in an interview with Korrieri yesterday that Edi Rama is denaturalising the post of the SP leader. “There is a growing defeating spirit within the SP and this is also encouraged by the SP leader. We are having a relative opposition, from which the reactions come only following the governing majority’s actions,” Blushi said. He added that Rama’s move run counter to the spirit that made him the party’s leader. Blushi said that Rama is against internal debates in the party. Commenting on the platform for co-operation of left-wing parties, Blushi said that the timing of the move was not right and that the initiative did not produce the desirable results. He called on the former SP leader Fatos Nano to clarify his position in the face of the new developments both inside and outside the party. “Nano should still take his responsibilities for what is happening in the SP after the 3 July 2005 parliamentary elections,” the SP Secretary said.

Rama to hold meetings in Brussels and Strasbourg next week (Shekulli p. 4, Panorama p. 5)

Chairman of the Socialist Party (SP) Edi Rama is expected to hold a number of meetings in the European institutions in Strasbourg and Brussels next week to express the opposition’s viewpoints on the latest political developments in the country. Sources from the SP said that, during his visit due to start on 17 May, Ramas will express the opposition’s readiness to co-operate with the government in carrying out the reforms that are necessary for the European Union (EU) integration process.

ELECTORAL ISSUES

Beja: We are not against two-round elections (Korrieri p. 4)

The Democratic Party (DP) did not rule out yesterday the possibility of holding two-round elections following a proposal by the chair of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Skender Gjinushi. The Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs, Public Administration and Human Rights Fatos Beja told the Korrieri newspaper that consensus is very much needed to amend the Electoral Code. “The Code is subject to discussion among the political sides and it is approved by the Assembly by a majority of votes. It should have the widest consensus possible,” Beja stressed. The newspaper comments that acceptance of such a proposal by the DP has brought closer viewpoints on the electoral reform by the two main political forces.

SP to support SDP candidate for CEC member (Panorama p. 6)

The Socialist Party (SP) will support the proposal of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for one of the three members of the Central Election Commission (CEC) whose mandates expired earlier this year. Sources from the SP said that the SDP candidate, Pandeli Varfi, whose mandate just expired, is the candidacy that the main opposition party is going to support.

MEDIA ISSUES

Opposition offers consensus to governing majority for NCRT composition (Korrieri p. 5, Shqip p. 5, Gazeta Shqiptare p. 10, Standard p. 5)

Four opposition parties offered yesterday consensus to the governing majority for the composition formula of the National Council of Radio and Television (NCRT). According to the Socialist Party (SP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Social Democracy Party (SDY), two members of the NCRT should be nominated by the governing majority, two by the opposition and one by the President of the Republic. The opposition parties also proposed that the reshuffling of the NCRT proceed as soon as the mandates of the current members expire. Shqip reports that the four parties’ proposal came following the Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s earlier appeal to the opposition for co-operation in reforming the state institutions.

RULE OF LAW/HUMAN RIGHTS

Moisiu: Judiciary needs reforms (Korrieri p. 10, Shqip p. 6, Shekulli p. 3)

On the occasion of the International Day of Justice, President Alfred Moisiu acknowledged the achievements of the judiciary, but added that the negative phenomena like corruption and lack of professionalism still prevail. “As a President of the Republic, I have fought against these phenomena. With the authority that the Constitution gives me, I have been very careful in decreeing appointments of those judges who have the necessary qualities for these positions,” Moisiu said at a ceremony organized at the President’s Office. He stressed that the Albanian judiciary needs reforms so that it can meet the parameters required by the integration process. “I have always believed that there is no corrupt and incapable judiciary; there are only certain individuals who harm the image of this judiciary,” President Moisiu said.

Inquiry Committee: General Prosecution Office spent some 4,000 euros in 2005 (Shqip p. 7)

The General Prosecution Office told Shqip yesterday that the head of this institution Theodhori Sollaku spent only some 4,000 euros during 2005. This figure contradicts the allegations recently made by the governing majority that Sollaku has spent enormous amounts of money on business trips outside the country.

Spahiu: 15 Mafia families still at large (Gazeta Shqiptare p. 8, Tema p. 7, Panorama p. 15)

Director of the Citizen Advocacy Office (CAO) Kreshnik Spahiu said in an interview with News 24 television yesterday that 15 Albanian Mafia-tied families are still at large. Spahiu further said that two of the 15 families have been partially cracked down, but none of them have been given the final blow. He said that the criminal gangs of Aldo Bare and Lul Berisha are still functioning. According to him, the two notorious gangs have been cracked down by Interpol, but have not been brought before court yet. According to Panorama, the Minister of Justice Aldo Bumçi said during the ceremony on the occasion of the International Day of Justice that Aldo Bare and Lul Berisha will be extradited soon to the country.

Two deputy Ministers and a diplomat fined over declaration of assets (Gazeta Shqiptare p. 9, Shekulli p. 7, Tema p. 5)

Two deputy Ministers and a diplomat were fined yesterday by the Inspectorate of Verification and Disclosure of Assets for failure to submit their declaration of assets in time. Nduke Preka, deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Consumers’ Protection, Stavri Ristani, deputy Minister of Transport, Telecommunication and Public Works, and Vladimir Prela, Albanian Ambassador to Skopje, were three of the 74 high officials fined by the Inspectorate. They were fined ALL 30, 000 each. They had to submit their declarations of assets to the Inspectorate by 31 March 2006.

Government passes draft law on production of narcotics (Gazeta Shqiptare p. 10, Shekulli p. 2)

The government proposed yesterday a draft law whereby mayors can face up to seven years’ imprisonment if they do not take adequate measures to prevent in time production of narcotic plants in their respective areas of responsibility. The government’s draft law is as amendment to the law on narcotic medicines and psychotropic substances. The newspaper comments that the amendment is expected to spark political controversies as the draft law gives the locally-elected people a policing role.

REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

China cuts off diplomatic ties with Albania (Korrieri p. 4, Shqip p. 4, Gazeta Shqiptare p. 6, Shekulli p. 5)

Non-extradition of five Chinese citizens who are now given shelter in Albania caused the first embargo in the two countries’ diplomatic ties, Korrieri comments. Some sources said that the Chinese authorities cancelled yesterday all the official visits to Albania. The same sources said that a Chinese deputy Minister, who was supposed to meet today with high-level authorities in Tirana, was ordered to cancel the visit following Albania’s decision to take in the five Muslim Chinese. The latter were lately released from the prison in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Also, Beijing has advised the Chinese authorities against meeting any of the Albanian officials in the Asian country.

Greek Minister cancels his visit to Albania (Shqip p. 5, Gazeta Shqiptare p. 7)

Greek Minister of Defence Evangelos Meimarakis cancelled his visit to Albania that was scheduled for today. The cancellation came after the negative reply of the Albanian authorities about signing a bilateral agreement on identification of the graves of the Greek soldiers who were killed during the Second World War.

Compiled and written by Suela Shala
OSCE Presence in Albania

Public Affairs and Media Office
Zyra e Marrëdhënieve me Publikun dhe e Medias

Disclaimer note: The OSCE Presence in Albania Press Review reflects the selection of topics of informative value to the Presence, as reported by the Albanian press. The Presence is not responsible for the content and for any inaccuracies, misinterpretations or fabrications possibly contained in the press articles.