Other 40.000 USD for lobbying

This was the declaration released by the United States Ambassador to Tirana, Alexander Arvizu, when the Albanian Parliament relieved Ilirian Muho from his duty as Central Election Commission member.

Five days later the government urgently passed a decision for taking 400.000 USD from the reserve fund. The decision was proposed by the Ministries of Integration and Finances, and the urgency for which the government would use these funds was lobbying in the United States of America.

Top Channel’s sources at the Ministry of Finances have secured a Council of Ministers decision dated 19 April 2013, saying that in support of article 100 of the Constitution, in support of articles 5 and 45 of the Budget System law, and article 13 of the law for the budget, by proposition of the Ministry of Integration, the government decided to grant 40 million ALL to the Prime Ministry.

According to the Council of Minister’s decision, the money was to be used in scientific researches and lobbying for reinforcing the relations between Albania and the United States. The decision has entered in act immediately, which means that the money had been prepared one month earlier.

The Albanian government has lobbying agreements with two American companies (Podesta Group and Patton Boggs), which have often caused controversies since the lobbying has been mostly held at the State Department, in order to reduce the critical stances against the Albanian government for the political situation and the status of democracy.

This money will go once again to these companies that are currently involved in the electoral campaign of Prime Minister Berisha and his party.

The Prime Minister’s relations with the United States are in a cold phase, after constant actions that culminated with the firing of a Central Election Commission member and after refusing the appeal to find compromise for the crisis in the commission.

It may be a coincidence, but on the same day when the money was used, Podesta had instructed several media outlets through an e-mail to remove the critic paragraph in the speech held by the United States Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of State, Jonathan Moore.

After this e-mail was published to the media, Podesta declared that it was just a mistake that had been corrected.

But the Socialist Movement for Integration expressed its suspicions that the mistake was intentional, and that there are many other cases when Podesta interferes in the internal affairs of this country, paid by the Albanian tax payers.

Top Channel