USA: Solve the critical issues

The US greeted the report of the OSCE Ambassador to Tirana, Eugen Wollfarth, through a press release of the US Ambassador at the OSCE, Ian Kelly.

Ambassador Kelly says that “unfortunately, the Presidential elections held on June marked a bitter partiality and failed to give the needed transparency. However, they were a peaceful example of a basic democratic practice for the presidential election”.

“The alignment of the democratic mechanism with the standards demands even more work, more than the election of a new president. For this reason we want to express our congratulations for the passing of the Electoral Code reforms, especially for the experts and leaders of both political parties who worked hard”.

“However, the passing of the law is not that significant if the new laws will not be implemented with good faith. It will be especially important to guarantee the election of a new Central Election Commission Chairman through a consulting, impartial and transparent process”, he underlines.

“Our concern is that the partiality that dominated the Presidential election could continue or even increase while Albania prepares for the Parliamentary elections of the next year”, Kelly says.

The Ambassador suggests that Albania should continue to resolve the critical issues needed for the continuity of the Euro-Atlantic integration. “The political war that held last year faded the world views of Albania and shadowed the country’s progress of the past 20 years”, he added.

“The Albanian Political leaders must keep the country’s best interests in their mind during the electoral campaign, so that they can make sure that the progress of these reforms will not be left aside for the next 12 months”, he concludes.

NDS: OSCE critics, alarm for democracy

The New Democratic Spirit greeted the report of the OSCE ambassador and considers the critics on this document as an alarm bell for democracy and the rule of law.

“Here’s another report that highlights the insufficient progress of democracy in Albania, especially the obvious delays in the realization of those reforms that make the vital standards of a functional democracy and rule of law”, the reaction says.

NDS states that the report lashes the hesitation of the official institutions for respecting the law, and considers it a potential danger for the rule of law.

NDS underlines that the majority has lost the public’s trust and is becoming a failed model of the rule of law and democracy, as the report indicates, according to the NDS.

“NDS sees this moment as one more responsibility for working with the citizens, the public opinion and the international partners in order to remove this government, for which the OSCE says that 22 years after the fall of communism, they are trying to reinstall a pyramidal and personal state that doesn’t have the votes or the moral credential”, the reaction says.

OSCE: Albania progresses and stops

“The general elections of 2013 are expected to be a wild race”. This is the forecast that closes the annual report that the head of the OSCE presence in Tirana presented to the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation that is being held in Vienna.

Wollfarth presents Albania’s political situation in a report of several pages, but that is summarized with the expression “progress and stop”.  While he considered the other reforms as partial or in a stalemate, Wollfarth appreciates the consensus found for the Electoral Code but he adds that it is not enough.]

“Its implementation for 2013 is a great responsibility of the party leaders”, Wollfarth says, underlining the unlimited power of the party leaders.

At this point, the OSCE report adds that the reforms will be neglected during this electoral year, because the entire attention will be on the elections rather than pushing forward the complex agenda of the reforms.

The report gives negative evaluations about the rule of law, saying that there are tendencies for some steps back in this direction, but only the international pressure has avoided it.

“The constant weakening of the state institution, which is verified by their hesitation to act according to the law, is a serious threat for the delicate achievements in the rule of law”, the report says.
It emphasizes the Gerdec trial, for which it cannot be said that it was in full accordance with the principles of a right trial. As for another famous trial in Albania, the one against the former Deputy Prime Minister, Ilir Meta, the report underlines the Supreme Court decision to find him innocent.

As regards corruption, the report says that the impunity culture prevails.  The corruption accusations against the Ministers on duty who have important investment agreements on their hands and the lack of trust in the ballot counting process have emphasized the impunity culture even more.

A convincing balance of verdicts, sentences or high and adequate fines for the corruption cases of high rank officials would be a positive measure for turning the public’s trust and demonstrate political determination, the report says, noting that there is a apradox in this direction.

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