ALBANIAN PRESS REVIEW - Thursday, 18 May 2006

POLITICAL AFFAIRS

Rama calls for signing of SAA in Strasbourg (Shekulli p. 7, Gazeta Shqiptare p. 9)

Chair of the Socialist Party (SP) Edi Rama was praised by the left-wing European parliamentarians yesterday for his policies at the head of the opposition and the Municipality of Tirana. Rama told the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg, France, that the Albanian opposition supports the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU. The head of the SP parliamentary group in the EP commended Rama’s position and said that he is the man that Albania needs. “Rama is the spirit of co-operation with the EU, which is expressed in his appeal for the SAA to be signed, although my rival is governing now,” the leader of the SP group in the EP said.

Shaban Memia appointed head of Legalization Agency (Korrieri p. 3, Standard p. 6, Shekulli p. 5)

The Government approved yesterday establishment of the National Agency of Legalization, Urbanization and Integration of Informal Areas/Constructions (ALUIIAC), which will be responsible for legalization of all the informal areas in the country. Shaban Memia, who is former Member of Parliament (MP) of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), was appointed the head of the agency. The agency’s objective is to complete the process of legalization of informal areas within two years as earlier promised.

SP propose Ruçi, Blushi and Islami for electoral reform committee (Korrieri p. 9)

The Socialist Party (SP) nominated yesterday three candidates for members of the ad hoc Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reform and appealed to the governing majority to nominate theirs. The SP Secretary General Pandeli Majko said that the SP’s nominations definitely mean that the party is not the one that has blocked the electoral reform so far. Majko said that the SP candidates are Gramoz Ruçi, Ben Blushi and Kastriot Islami. “We have agreed to reduce the number of our representatives on the Committee from six to three,” Majko pointed out. Talking about the candidates for the vacancies on the Central Election Commission (CEC), Majko said that the SP has not deposited yet a candidate to the High Council of Justice (HJC).

Electoral reform committee to be established today (Korrieri, 9, Tema p. 3)

Sources from the Assembly said that the Speaker Jozefina Topalli will convene today the Conference of Chairpersons of Parliamentary Groups to take a decision on establishment of the ad hoc Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reform. The Speaker’s decision comes after the Socialist Party (SP) nominated three candidates for members of the Committee. The governing majority has reportedly supported the proposal by the SP for the Committee to comprise of 18 members.

Sollaku: These are my assets (Korrieri p. 7, Ballkan p. 4)

In his declaration of assets for 2005, the General Prosecutor Theodhori Sollaku has said that he is the owner of ALL 3 million and two apartments in Tirana. The declaration shows his wife’ and his current accounts with the Reiffeisen Bank, together totalling approximately ALL 3 million. Sollaku also said in the declaration that he managed last year to buy an apartment of a surface 135 meters square worth ALL 5.5 million. Sollaku is the owner of another apartment in Tirana as well. The second apartment of a surface of 60 meters square and worth some ALL 2.7 million is used by his parents.

Gazidede: I warned of danger of pyramid schemes (Standard p. 9, Shekulli p. 5)

In his first public appearance after many years, the newly-appointed deputy head of the Property Mortgage Office Bashkim Gazidede said that the pyramid schemes of ‘90s in Albania was the reason why he was persecuted and dismissed from the chairmanship of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) in 1997. Gazidede said that he had notified at the time all the state institutions on the dangerous consequences of the pyramid schemes. “Unlike what is being rumoured, I was the only one to warn the state institutions of the danger of the pyramid schemes,” Gazidede said. He added that he would now dedicate himself to the work in the state administration, “which he has always been very fond of”. Gazidede said that he would appear at a press conference soon to give details about his position in 1997, when he kept the SIS post. Gazidede was a very controversial figure during the 1997 riots, when he was widely seen as the cause of the pyramid schemes.

When Berisha allows himself “the sin” (Standard p. 24)

Editor-in-chief of Standard Patrik Sadikaj comments that Bashkim Gazidede, one of the most mysterious people in Albania, appeared yesterday before the media for the first time after eight years. Gazidede, who was the head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) during 1992-1997, was seen at the time as the most loyal person to the then President of the Republic, now Prime Minister, Sali Berisha. This is a double return as his image is shown on television after many years and that he returns to work in the state administration.

For many people, especially the opposition, Gazidede’s return is seen as a bad sign. As a matter of fact, there is nothing fearful as he is a former official who returns to take up a post in the state administration. However, Gazidede’s return to such a post, apart from the political polemics that might cause, is a clear message for the militants of the ruling Democratic Party (DP). The former SIS head was one of the closest people to Berisha and supported him in his most difficult times. Now, he is rewarded for this loyalty. The Gazidede case is a good sign for the most potential militants of the DP, who might have been felt neglected after 3 July 2005. These militants should now be confident that their investment to the current political leaders will be soon rewarded.

Bush: Government and opposition should find a consensus (Standard p. 5, Shekulli p. 4)

On the occasion of appointment of Albanian Ambassador to the United States Aleksander Sallabanda, the US President George W. Bush said in a message that crime and corruption are the two biggest challenges on the country’s path to European integration. Bush’s message, which was read out to the Albanian media by Prime Minister Sali Berisha, called on the country’s political forces to co-operate for the next local government elections. In his meeting with Sallabanda, Bush said that Albania managed to cut off the chains of the communist tyranny and join the community of democratic nations.

MEDIA AFFAIRS

Brussels supports Albanian government for media reforms (Korrieri p. 8, Standard p. 4, Shekulli p. 8)

A bilateral session with the Albanian Delegation was held yesterday in Brussels, Belgium, as part of the seminar Future of European Audio-visual Policy and Regional Co-operation in the Western Balkans. The seminar was organized by the European Commission (EC) and the Council of Europe (CoE). Maria Luisa Fernandez Esteban of the EC General Directorate on Media and Ivan Nicolcev of the CoE General Directorate on Media expressed their support for the Albanian authorities in their efforts to reform the media institutions. They called for strengthening of capacities of the National Council of Radio and Television (NCRT) and positively assessed participation of civil society in this Council. The EC and CoE officials also called for extension of the reforms in the future.

Gjinishi asks Moisiu not to decree NCRT bill (Panorama p. 5, Albania p. 5)

In a response to the appeal by the President of the Republic Alfred Moisiu for launching of the electoral reform, the chair of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Skender Gjinushi said that the SDP will not participate in the electoral reform roundtable if the head of the state decrees the government-proposed amendments to the electronic media law. The amendments on the composition of the National Council of Radio and Television (NCRT) and the Steering Council of Albanian Public Radio and Television (SCAPRT) were passed by the Assembly with the votes of the governing majority earlier this month.

SECURITY ISSUES

Diplomats involved in paedophile scandal (Korrieri p. 13, Standard p. 8, Shekulli p. 2, Panorama p. 11)

Citizens from Ireland, Great Britain, Italy and Scotland are suspected to have sexually abused minors who were under the care of the My Children Foundation in Albania. Apart from Johan Brannon, a British citizen, who works at this Foundation and has been already arrested, the Albanian authorities have also got information on other foreigners including diplomats who are suspected of having had paid sexual and homosexual intercourse with minors. Two more British citizens and one Italian are still wanted by the police.

Compiled and written by Suela Shala