Clinton: Free elections, war against corruption

She considered the upcoming months as very
critical, and suggested the Albanian political class to work for
achieving free and honest elections, as a vital objective for the
long-term progress of the country.

“First, it’s the guarantee
that you must give that the next elections will be free and honest. This
is very important, especially so that the Albanians can trust the
elections’ result and their political leaders. This is important for
sending a strong signal to the EU that the Albanian politics is working
without obstacles and without problems. In this key moment, I ask the
Albanian political leaders and citizens to commit and turn the next
elections into a success, so that they can reflect Albania’s great
engagement to democracy”, Clinton declared.

But democracy,
besides free and honest elections also demands the rule of law, the US
State Secretary continued. She underlined another indispensable need for
the country: having strong and impartian institutions. The second
message of Mrs. Clinton for the Albanian politics was about the
corruption.

“Albania is not the first democracy that is facing
corruption. Not at all. But this is a battle that needs to be won,
because corruption is a cancer that eats the society throughout the
world. It dries out the resources, blocks the economic growth and
becomes a shield for incompetent and immoral leaders. And the word of it
might be the impunity culture, which could stop the people from
improving their lives”, Clinton underlined.

The last message that
the US State Secretary gave from the Parliament was the creation of the
cooperation culture between the political forces, rising above the
political differences. In this point she brought her cooperation example
with President Obama, two former rivals in the presidential race. But
she said that the love for the country is the basis of this cooperation.

Trusting
that the Albanian leaders will also understand that for being like the
west, the national interests come before those of the party. Clinton
guaranteed the support of her country for Albania even in the next
anniversaries of independence.

“The USA were with you in the
first 100 years of independence, and we will be with you in the next 100
years and 100 years after that”, Clinton declared.

 Clinton receives “Order of Flag”

On the first day of November,
the Month of the Albanian 100th anniversary of independence, the US
State Secretary, Hillary Clinton, turned her visit into the starting day
of the official celebrations.

When she went off her airplane at
the Mother Teresa Airport, Clinton knew very well that the Albanian were
welcoming her with a lot of gratitude.

The first meeting was
with the President Bujar Nishani, at the Palace of Brigades. Before a
honoring ceremony, Mrs. Clinton asked President Nishani to make good use
of his Constitutional authority to support the acceleration of the
reform process.

The US State Secretary received the highest
Albanian decoration, the  Golden Order of the National Flag, with the
motivation: “For the contribution and merits in support of the Albanian
Republic and the Albanian nation, in all efforts for progress and
prosperity, for consolidating the rule of law and a free and open
society. For the extraordinary help in Albania’s NATO membership and for
the precious support in the declaration of Kosovo’s Independence on 17
February 2008, which fulfilled the region’s aspirations for freedom and
dignity.

“I thank you for this extraordinary honor and I will
continue giving my best to fully deserving it. You deserve this now and
in the future”, Clinton declared.

President Nishani declared that
through this decoration, the Albanian people express their gratitude
for Secretary Clinton, the US government and the US people, who not only
have supported Albania in the most difficultchallenges, but have always
been near us in every step on the path of progress”.

Right after this, the US State Secretary met the Albanian Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, in a moment when there was rain, in which no umbrellas where held, because Mrs. Clinton declared that the rain was blessed.

The meeting  was held under high security measures at the government’s meeting room. Before the doors were closed, Berisha and the US State Secretary made a public evaluation of the relations between the two countries in this 100th year of independence.

Berisha declared that every visit of a US State Secretary is historical, but he considered Mrs. Clinton’s the most historical of all, since it coincides with the anniversary of independence.

The Prime Minister declared that for every Albanian, the presence of Mrs. Clinton in Tirana is another precious stone in the crown of this anniversary, and that the Albanians are very grateful to the US, who helped them triumph over the difficulties and making of it a free nation.

On her behalf, Mrs. Clinton noted that it was a honour for her to be  in Tirana on the first day of the month that celebrates the 100th anniversary of independence.

“The United States of America are proud to be your partner and friend while you have continued to progress in consolidating the democracy, open the economy and create the opportunities for your people. You have our sincere congratulations about the first 100 years of independence and we expect to progress with our close cooperation in the next 100 years”, Clinton declared in the beginning of the meeting with Prime Minister Berisha.

She added that the US wishes a happy 100th anniversary of independence o the Albanians, and wish that they will push the excellent cooperation even further for the next 100 years.

After the doors were closed, in the meeting that lasted more than the schedule, the discussion was focused on the regional matters, the mutual cooperation and partnerity in Afghanistan and Albania’s domestic political situation.

On this aspect, the Council of Minister’s press release quotes only Prime Minister Sali Berisha, who “guaranteed Mrs. Clinton for the full commitment of the government in approving the three remaining laws, as the last remaining part for pushing the EU integration forward. I trust that the national interest will prevail and the opposition will vote these laws”.

The press release also states that “the Prime Minister guaranteed Secretary Clinton for the determination of the Albanian government to fulfill all standards for democratic elections in 2013

He invited Secretary Clinton to send a number of observers as large as possible.

Rama: Clinton, guarantee for the election

Hillary Clinton’s emphasize at the Albanian Parliament that the next elections of 2013 should be free and honest, for the Albanian opposition leader, Edi Rama, is a guarantee for the electoral race.

After the special meeting held with the US State Secretary, the opposition leader gave details about their conversation, which focused on the next elections.

“The Albanians need to trust their vote and the opportunity to choose freely, through their vote, who will be their next leadership. We will make everything possible that this can be realized, and it is clear, and the help of the USA is clear. The message of the US State Secretary for the need to have free and honest elections, for me and the opposition it is a source of trust that Albania will make it on the next June and will detach from the ugly past of difficult elections”, Rama declared.

The opposition leader considered the visit of the US State Secretary as excellent, and underlined the privilege that he had in meeting her and sharing  the opposition’s concerns.

Rama said that he underlined to Mrs. Clinton the need of Albania to rise to the level of the democratic principles and values that the USA represents, such as free elections, independent constitutional institutions, and a free market economy based on honest competition.

The opposition leader declared that he had communicated to Mrs. Clinton his gratitude for supporting the Albanians, especially for the case of Kosovo and the NATO membership.

“I guaranteed the US State Secretary  that we will keep playing our role in the government,  by supporting the USA wherever that the Alliance will need us in the world”, Rama declared.

The opposition leader also mentioned the comments of the protocol for Clinton’s visit in Tirana, organized by the US Embassy, underlining that the good organization of this visit was another indicator of the functionality of an organized state. “Giving to everyone an impressive lesson and showing that the US is a state organized to the perfection”, the SP leader added.

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