The Head of the Parliamentary Delegation for Balkan, Eduard Kukan,
declared that the incomplete Central Election Commission is a great
concern for the international community. He wishes that the parties with
find a solution, as they did with the three integration laws, but time
is running out.
In an interview for Top Channel he underlines that for the status, besides the June 23rd elections, Albania needs to deliver results in the fight against crime and corruption, and needs to provide evidence that the institutions are functioning properly. Therefore, the Commission’s report will underline what has been achieved and what not.
Top Channel: Mr.Kukan, now that the Albanian Parliament voted the two laws and changed the Parliamentary Regulation, what has Albania to fulfill for the EU candidate status?
“No doubt that the adoption of the three laws was an important step. Everybody appreciates it. It is a proof that the Albanian politicians can work and reach compromise decisions. Whether it will be enough for the candidate status, it remains to be seen. I think that the most exact question is to study the conclusions of the December European Council. There you can very clearly find what is needed for Albania: the adoption of the three laws; progress in the fight against corruption and organized crimes, with some results in this area; and the functioning of the democratic institutions, which has to do with the elections, their preparation and everything else. It is very important that the three laws were adopted, but there are other things that I think will be reflected in the report of the Commission”, Kukan declared.
Top Channel: “As you mentioned, the Commission must report to the member countries about the war against crime and corruption. Do you expect concrete results, with all the energy and time that is being consumed in the electoral campaign?
Kukan: “I think that the Commission will write its report in a very objective way. Which will be an assessment about what really was achieved and what you didn’t achieve in that sense. If I may say, in this moment of course we are all concerned about the issue of the Central Electoral Commission, which is part of the functioning of the democratic institutions. If it stays like that, I see it as a problem”, Kukan declared.
Top Channel: Why do you see a problem there?
“Because it is possible to argue that it is legal, that the Central Election Commission can perform its duties as it is now, without the three members who are not there. It is legal, but it is not alright. It should be an independent institution which should take objective decisions. And that is in question now, if this CEC can do that in this composition. For this we are concerned and even the Commission has expressed their concerns that something should be done also with the composition of the CEC”, Kukan declared.
Top Channel: Do you think that there is enough time for this?
Kukan: “It is up to the Albanian politicians. The adoption of the three laws was dragging for such a long time, and the Parliament suddenly adopted it. There is still time but I know that certain political discussions or preparations for taking such decision is needed, and time is running out”, Kukan added.
Top Channel: The European Parliament might visit Albania on the Election Day. What will be your role this time?
Kukan: “Most probably there will be an ad-hoc delegation, not a regular delegation for the observation of the elections, but ad-hoc, consisting of maybe a couple of European Parliament members. I am supporting this idea and there is no formal decision as yet. I expect it will be really taken in two days time and I expect it to be positive. Behind it I think that it is the most important thing that the European Parliament should show up, the European Parliament members should be represented, the flat of the European Union should be present during the election campaign, as confirmation of the fact that we do care about Albania and that’s why it is necessary to have some physical presence during the elections. Of course, they cannot cover all the voting stations, but as I said, the presence I think will be symbolic and symbols in politics are very important. And this would be a positive symbolic sign towards Albania”, Kukan declared.
Top Channel: Since you are mentioning symbols, how would you explain or summarize in the end of this legislature the relations between the Albanian and European Parliament, not only for the missed meetings, but also for the late invitation that you received for the elections.
Kukan: “I would say that the relations between the European and Albanian Parliament were always too intensive. I have to admit that in the last couple of months this relation stagnated, or because of the election situation, because of the other internal reasons that I don’t know, there are no practical concrete interactions between the two Parliaments. Of course we are having different information sources. But due to the election campaign in Albania, those relations are somehow put on the back. I expect it is temporary, it is not the intention and out of directions, and hopefully in the autumn, after the elections, we will maintain the relations in a full swing as before”, Kukan declared.
Top Channel: About the fight against corruption, do you expect the Commission to report real results to the member states?
Kukan: “The report of the Commission on fight against corruption and organized crime will not be very positive about Albania.”
Top Channel: Why?
Kukan: “Because the expectations were much higher. With all the energy that was put there by the European institutions, I think that they expected more and more concrete results, and I am skeptic that the Commission will be satisfied”, Kukan explains.
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