Phillips: Elections in Albania Must Repeat

According to him, the June 30th process was an election farce, with no choice -- the type that would organise a party-state. Analyst also proposes a review of the American administration's approach to Albania, which he says has closed its eyes to the real problems facing the country.

Editor of Balkan Affairs analyst David Philips has an extremely critical attitude on how local elections were held in Albania, from the approach of majority to the role of opposition. He says June 30th was not an indicator for a democratic country.

These were not free and fair choices, there was no choice. These are choices of the kind Ramiz Alia and Enver Hoxha would host. Albania has become a country with a state party. There's no other way. There is no possibility for the opposition to express its views”.

Criticals by the director of the Institute for Peace at Columbia University in New York go to the American election address.

Philips shares the conviction that Washington made a mistake by refusing to accept the possibility of delaying elections on behalf of stability for the country. Sticking to the logic that the June 30th process was an election farce, the analyst proposes redefining the process.

The “what should have happened should have been postponing the elections at President Meta's recommendation. Albanian voters need an alternative. The US government must insist that they have an alternative, before generating elections and saying they are free and fair. There has been a disfigurement of democracy by the Albanian government and the United States government has closed an eye on this. I think it's a shame the U.S. has allowed this to happen. These elections must be re-made on 13 October. It must be passed through a reliable process to prepare for elections so that all Albanians have a voice. Otherwise, these elections will mark the death of democracy in Albania and not another step towards democratisation of the country”.

Analyst says Prime Minister Edi Rama is responsible for deciding for the country's future and if he wants to leave behind a positive legacy.

“Edi Rama is ahead of an important choice: either he will go into history as an opposition to a failed state or he will have the opportunity to become a statesman by uniting people by offering them solutions and by strengthening democracy. His choice. I hope he will act in the name of the people and the Albanian nation”.

Analyst says this should be a moment of reflection for the opposition as well because of what he calls strategic errors since the boycott of parliament, the election one.

The “Oposor should carefully reflect on its role. The boycott of elections is not political. Boykoti has nothing to do with democracy. If the Democratic Party wants to gain more support from the people, it needs to present a reliable option”.

According to the opposition Phillips, it must enter into dialogue with Prime Minister Edi Rama by proposing the repeat elections, as well as determine the conditions under which this process will be conducted. / TCh/