Moisiu: Secret Service Chief replacement, concerning

He says that the Prime Minister has tried to achieve this since 2005, and was able to realize it after seven years.

In a phone conversation for Top Channel, Mojsiu declared that such actions fall against the interest of our country and our allies, and that according to the Head of the State, they promise nothing good.

“For me it was a surprise movement. The problem is that the majority leader fulfilled a choice that he had taken since 2005. I don’t know the reason, but the fact is concerning. He is insisting with all ways, even unjust ones, and this leaves room for concerns and many questions. These actions that fall against the interests of our allies promise nothing good. The Secret Service is a big asset that should be guarded carefully, because it protects the national interests”, Moisiu declared.

Topi: Berisha is returning the totalitarian regime

The former President of the Republic, Bamir Topi, commented about the replacement of the Chief of Secret Services, saying that this movement was expected a long time ago.

During a phone conversation for the VOA, Topi emphasized that this replacement is a political action that serves only to the interests of the ruling party.

“There is nothing new here. These movements were predictable. The replacement of Shaqiri raises many question marks for the Secret Service. This replacement serves only to politics”, Topi declared.

The former Head of the Albanian State declared that during Shaqiri’s leadership, the Secret Service was consolidated and very well valued by the international factor.

Topi declared that when he was President, Berisha had never proposed to discharge Shaqiri.

“There was only a debate for the draft law of the Secret Service, after it was planned without the cooperation of the US when Albania had become a NATO member”, Topi declared.

The former vice leader of the Democratic Party expressed his concern for the return of the constitutional institutions in the same format as the communist era, serving only to one single party.

The Socialist Party reacted harshly against the President’s decision to accept Prime Minister Berisha’s request to fire the Head of the Secretr Services, Bahri Shaqiri, and appoint Visho Lika, former director of the counterintelligence at the National Intelligence Service during 1993 and 1997.

“Berisha has been silent for the last two days, while yesterday, his servant Bujar Nishani proved the opposition’s suspicions. The Albanian President stopped being such yesterday, after fulfilling the old dream of Sali Berisha, to take the Secret Service under his control, same as in 1997. All Albanians recall the atrocities of Gazidede’s Secret Service, who violated, wounded and killed hundreds of innocent Albanians just for keeping Berisha in power”, declared the Socialist MP, Ermonela Felaj.

The Socialist Party rasied the concern about the lack of cooperation with the United States of America.

“How can you justify that after a two-year debate about the significance of the independence at the Intelligence Service, Berisha and his Servant, Bujar Nishani, don’t even take the advises of our bigest ally, the United States of America. This is intolerable. Today, more than ever, every Albanian must join with the opposition to give our country a real Albanian rebirth, so that the government can work for the citizens, and not for the Prime Minister’s family, where justice is kneeled down in front of the government”, Felaj declared.

Klosi: Shaqiri’s replacement, concerning

The former Chief of the Secret Service, Fatos Klosi, declared that the replacement of the Secret Service Chief by the President is very concerning.

In an interview for the VOA, Klosi commented the man that will replace him, whch according to him is based on Visho Ajaz Lika’s past.

“I consider as hasty the Prime Minister’s decision for removing the head of the Secret Service, and now he removed him. This is something to be very concerned about”, Klosi declared.

“The experience of today’s Director with the Secret Service led by Gazidede is one of the parameters that served to chose him for the post, that’s why I say that it is concerning. He and Berisha can do very frightening things”, he continued.

The former Chief of Secret Services declared that the fact that Lika has worked with the Secret Service that was symbolized with the elections of 1996 complicates the situation even further.

“I don’t judge, but I see his experience. The Secret Service of tat time was branded with the failed elections of 1996. It is an experience that we must never forget”, Klosi underlined.

Then he considered as very concerning the fact that Prime Minister Berisha is disregarding the appeals of the international factor for independence of the Secret Services. According to him, today more than ever Albania needs to cooperate with the international partners.

“Today we are NATO members and the consolidation with our partners is very necessary. I think that this hasty decision shows that they can never be able to interfere”, Klosi emphasized.

“This is not good, because today we are in other positions and we must be more serious” he added.

US concern for Secret Service

After meeting the President of Albania on 27 January of 2010, the US Ambassador in Tirana, John Withers, sent a confidential document to Washington in which he underlined the pressure that the Albanian government was pushing against the Secret Service.

The cable published by Wikileaks refers to the draft-law for Secret Services such as a return in Enver Hoxha’s era.

“Topi mentioned the concerns of the Ambassador for the Secret Service law by adding that the law reminds the fearful Secret Service of the communist era.

However, Topi admitted that he had received no copy of the draft and has not officially assessed of all it.

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