Withers: Judiciary, Albania’s biggest problem
10/04/2014 00:00
Socialist majority approves the law on obligatory work in the country for Albanian medical students 19/09 21:16
Justice is a huge problem of Albania and people have lost credibility to
the judiciary, not because of them, but because of the justice system
that has discredited itself during all these years.
The former United States Ambassador to Tirana, John Withers, declared in an interview for Voice of America that justice is the biggest wound of our country.
He says that the aspirations of the Albanian people will be realized when justice will answer only to the law, and not to one person or one political party.
When asked if the Socialist Party has kept its promises after six months in power, he declared that it is still early to say
“I think it is far too early to say. Any new government has to undergo several processes. Must learn once again the governing mechanisms after being away from power for a long time. I think that six months are not enough for judging if they will be able to carry through these things or not”.
When asked if Albania might receive the candidate status this June, the former United States Ambassador to Albania expressed optimism, but he reminds that the membership process requires the fulfillment of the highest international standards. It is a much more detailed and complicated process than that of NATO accession, according to Withers.
The VOA journalist mentions corruption as one of the biggest wounds of Albania, and the conviction of critics that no one can go after the so called big fish.
Withers argues that no society has been able to eradicate corruption, let alone in six months. But he added that the day will come when the public will make the government answer about what they have done.
“You mentioned corruption. It is like a cancer. The entire society gets sick if it is not treated. Fight against corruption will be decisive for the heritage of this government. Secondly, it is the justice system. A discredited system that has mostly discredited itself. There are people in Albania who are interested for this justice system, in order to affect the court’s verdicts for their own interests. None of the Albanian people aspirations can be fulfilled without building an impartial justice system which is based only on the law and not on the interests of one single powerful man, or of one political party”, Withers says.
The former United States Ambassador to Tirana concludes his interview by appealing Albanians to not forget that there is a chance ahead to improve their country and not stay passive, but participate in the process.
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