The Albanian Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, held is meeting with
journalists today, a tradition established a few weeks ago. Berisha
discussed a series of issues with the media, starting from the
accusations for abuses with the Defence Ministry arms trade, the EU
candidate status, the budget for the next year and the coalitions for
the next June.
As for the strike of the politically persecuted people, Berisha mentioned the laws passed by the Democratic Party in favour of the compensation of this category until 1997, and blamed the Socialist Party of forgetting this category for eight years.
Berisha added that as nowhere else, the Albanian government has decided to make a complete compensation f the politically persecuted people. As regards the hunger strike, the PM considered it a political protest, insinuating that the Socialist Party and his opponent Edi Rama are the ones who really hide behind the strike.
“I never negotiate with political hunger strikes and you know this, there are precedents (referring to the hunger strike of the Socialist MPs on 2009). This is a radical form of political protest with which there are no negotiations. I respect any kind of opposition against me, but these gentlemen are using the cameras to tell the Albanians that they have received no payment, and this is not true. Each of them has received the first instalment of this payment. The law says that the second instalment will be given to those who are more than 65 years old and those who haven’t brought their files before 2010 will not receive it”, Berisha declared.
As for the declarations of the Socialist MP, Erjon Brace, who accused the Defence Ministry of selling military weapons illegally, Berisha declared that Brace’s are only fabrications.
“This is a campaign organized with fabrications that only aim to discredit. He has been lying for two months that the opposition and the embassies were illegally spied by the government, and he didn’t bring a single fact. He declared that there have been affairs with Montenegro and given them two missiles for each family, but Montenegro is a friend country and those think to discredit the military and put obstacles to the regional cooperation. But we have an excellent relation with them. The independence of Montenegro was received with great pain from Belgrade and some small groups that still see it as an enemy country, same as in the communism era. They are partners and we are fully supporting them in the NATO membership”, Berisha declared.
As for the accusations about the unfair distribution of the state owned advertisements, the Prime Minister reiterated the majority’s position by saying that there is no discrimination. He even accused Rama about this for the time when he was Mayor of Tirana.
“There are two realities, the reality of the Council of Ministers that has distributed the advertisements equally among the three national televisions, Klan, Top Channel and TVSH. In some cases, Top Channel has asked for our understanding that they cannot broadcast our advertisements at any hour that we want. But they have been paid honestly for all broadcasts, and there is no discrimination about this. And if they are ready to broadcast the advertisements on the time chosen by the Mediaplan, there will be no discrimination. The second reality is that from 2006 to 2011, the Municipality has paid millions of Euros only to Top Channel, VizionPlus and News24. Nothing for the others”, Berisha declared.
The European Commission’s progress report for Albania’s EU candidate status will be published on October 10th. The decision is expected to be positive, but with conditions. Even in this press conference, Berisha attacked the opposition leader, Edi Rama. The Prime Minister declared that Rama is putting obstacles to the further reforms of the country, by asking bargains for the Fier District, which, according to the Prime Minister, is still under trial.
Berisha mentioned the election of the General Prosecutor, since Ina Rama is almost in the end of her five year mandate. Berisha declared that the President will be the one to appoint the next General Prosecution, and the Parliament will vote it. Berisha declared that Nishani will exert his duty in full accordance with the Constitution.
As regards the next elections, Berisha declared his conviction that the DP will win. He added that the DP is a party of coalitions and he is ready to build an electoral coalition with the Socialist Movement for Integration.
As for the next budget, Berisha declared that it will be the biggest budget that our country has ever had and that the economic growth will continue, together with an increase of wages and pensions. He declared that the International Monetary Institution is wrong for predicting a slower economic growth.
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