“Secret Service law undermines democracy”

This concern was raised in Brussels, in NATO-s headquarters. A cable shows the dialogue between the US ambassador in NATO and the Albanian ambassador.

The latter was asked to give the message that the passing of this law would undermine democracy in Albania.

US: Berisha wants Secret Service Control

A cable classified as “secret” sent to the US Department of State, expresses the concern of the US Embassy in Tirana for Berisha’s attempts to control the Albanian Secret Service, also including the stance of the President Bamir Topi for this draft law.

The cable sent on 27 January 2010 says that this law turns the Information Service into a political instrument for the Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha for intimidating political rivals.

Such amends would change the cooperation with other institutions, including ours, by damaging the international confidence in Albania’s opportunities for monitoring the Guatanamo prisoners that have arrived or that will arrive in the country.

The cable continues with the concern that the US Embassy and EU legal experts have expressed for this law that opens way to abuses.

By analyzing the Berisha’s past relations with the Secret Services, the cable underlines that it is not the first time when the Berisha government tries to control the Secret Service for giving it another role, while the Secret Service is one of the only institutions that has been able to preserve its independence, despite its unpleasant relations with the Prime Minister.

The cable continues to list Berisha’s attempts in 2006, when he proposed the law for merging the Secret Service with the Interior Ministry, but he withdrew this request after an intensive opposition by the international community. In 2006, Berisha orchestrated an unsuccessful campaign for discharging the Secret Service Director, Bahri Shqiri, with whom he didn’t have good relations. According to the consultation law, they are supposed to meet once a year, but they have never faced each other for many years.

Shaqiri has only sent a copy of the yearly report to the Prime Minister.

After failing to discharge Shaqiri, the Prime Minister has tried to weaken the Secret Service by giving more rights and privileges to other agencies and also by decreasing its funds.

The cable also mentions a meeting of Ambassador Withers with the President Bamir Topi, saying that the head of the Albanian state has expressed his deep concern for this law that reminded him the frightening communist institution, the State Security Service.

Quoting many other sources, the US Embassy says that these are clear attempts by Prime Minister Berisha for taking under control the remaining independent institutions.

The same sources have declared that Bahri Shaqiri, a friend of the US government, is a professional figure whose chances are to leave his duty for being replaced by someone handpicked by Berisha. This would create a negative effect to the employees of the Albanian Secret Service, many of whom are trained by the United States and who will be replaced by other inexperienced people.

The cable concludes with the comment:

“For this reason, the international community has only a few days to warn the Albanian government for the danger of this law”. 

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