Documenti
Mr. Nano's speech in the meeting of the Prime Minister with 10 political parties, on May 19-th, 1997, on the electoral law.
You, Prime Minister, presented well the issue that, without establishing the real authority of this Government, as an executive power, which, based on its mandate, will hold and guarantee free and fair elections in Albania, this process can not be dismentalled. Besides you, at the top of a Government of the National Reconciliation, which emerged from March 9-th accord, the President of the Republic has only one alternative: to cooperate and not to obstruct. There are, at the same time, even two other structures, in guaranteeing free and fair elections in Albania; this round table of the political parties, which composed this Government, and the international organisms, which, we expect, under a general coordinator, to provide, together with you, the agenda of the common actions of the electoral process.
In the mean time, I lay down the questions: What's happening with SHIK (National Informative Service)? I demand its explanation as a citizen, as a Party Chairman, who, by singing March 9-th accord, together with the other partners of this table, offered opportunities to this Government to give messages and expectations on stability and elections in Albania. The latest developments are of great concern. By law, you should urgently control SHIK, not leaving this organism in the hands of people and structures, which caused the crisis. SHIK's commanders, SHIK's officers and the incriminated in SHIK's ranks, are still on duty and are making terror, are implementing scrips of tension in South and, later on, all over Albania. If the gentlemen of the Democratic Party do not express their real will of sending forward this process, we have to realize that they lifted the formal genocide and opened the way to the real one, against the civilians of this people, who are against Berisha.
We ask Berisha to cooperate, because there is no other alternatives. Please, as the Primer of this Government of the National Reconciliation, provide your response to this round table, when will SHIK be under control? Without this response, the situation will aggravate in Albania.
DP obstructs the transparency of the renting companies
Still in the finances' agenda, the transparency issue of the renting companies. It has come on stage again, recently, after arriving in Albania the World Bank top mission. WB mission has opposed the law passed 10 days ago by the parliamentary group of DP. Unfortunately, DP deputies have crossed out from the Government's draft those parts suggested by WB and IMF. As a consequence, WB and IMF reacted:
"We are of the opinion that the current law is impropriate".
The Finance Minister of the Reconciliation Government, Mr. Malaj, defended in the parliament, in the same day of his arrival from Washington, the draft on the transparency of the renting companies. He made clear that the draft has the accord of the WB and IMF. DP deputies did not lay confidence on it, because they were not interested to. But, the WB mission visited, itself, Tirana. They opposed the law. "This law does not meet our demands", was their statement. But, the parliament has locked its doors now. What's going to happen with the law, how is it going to be changed? The responsibility rests on DP. But, the story does not end here. WB and IMF have asked transparency on the renting companies as a precondition of the coming negotiations. This heavy burden does not only fall on the shoulders of the DP deputies, whom nobody knows where they are now, but, on the whole Albanian people. The 18-th of June is coming, the day of the International Conference on the Revive of the Albanian Economy, which will be held in Rome. The WB is preparing the materials, but, the DP law on the transparency of the renting companies obstruct this process, required even by the experts of WB and IMF. On the other side, these two prestigious organisms, state: "We will be ready to work together, after Albanian Government will have under its control the documents and assets of the renting companies". That's why the lathe squeezes.
WB's opposition rests mainly on the statues of the observers. The Government had decided the nominee of observer(s) to each company, which had borrowed money from the people and should go through the checking process. This or these observers had to be appointed by the Government. Their nominee should assist the creditors of these companies by observing the financial situation of the renting companies. Just, on this issue was the intervention of DP deputies. After crossing out the concrete observers' nominees, suggested by the Government, they have corrected in the law that "a group of observers", composed of three people, nominated by the Parliament, State Control and the Government, each respectively, should not be attached to the concrete companies. Like this, DP has to appoint two of its representatives and the Government, one. It is well understood, that Government's draft is not on the interest of the DP, which has incarnated, at the same time WB's and IMF's opponency, because it is not to their interest the transparency of the pyramid schemes.
DP parliamentarians' law demands the checking limits of the renting companies within 20 days and, then, the material has to be presented to the parliament. What has been done in 5 years, should be checked in 20 days! An absurdity. WB mission has reacted as well, on this issue. "The time limit is very short", they have pointed out. And this is done on purpose, to provide a superficial checking on the renting companies.
On his side, the Albanian Minister of Finances, Malaj, has stated several times that we do not push the close of the renting companies. What we request is only transparency on them. In the direct negotiations in Washington, with the top representatives of the two big international financial institutions, WB and IMF, the Albanian Finance Minister has asked financial facilities, through smooth credits, to support those who have lost their houses in the pyramid schemes, or the small business etc.
One of the most hardliner, opposing Government's draft, is Mrs. Karamitro, the head of the only stock exchange market in Albania. Once, she used to oppose the informal market in the country, together with Mr. Luniku, the ex Governor of the Albanian Central Bank. While now, she obstructs the transparency on the renting company, the transparency demanded by the WB and IMF, thing which she knows quite well. And she can realise, as well, that the transparency on the renting companies is close related to the financial assistance of our economy and finances.
Berisha's campaign faces people's reaction
There are some days now, that the country's President, Sali Berisha, has started the electoral campaign on the favour of his Democratic Party. Though he should represent country's unity, his speeches are full of accusations against country's opposition and, especially against, the biggest force of the opposition, Socialist Party.
In the improvised rallies, he is escorted by his bodyguards and hundreds of armed people in numerous state cars. In his first so called rallies, like in Kavaja, Shijak, Preze, Lac, small dwelling places, he has been faced with the people's indifference and their reaction, as well, by asking his resignation and their stolen money. The slogans of those March days of the big unrest are present even in his meetings, like "Down with Sali Berisha", "Sali, you thief, where have you put our money" etc. Under these conditions, the President of the Republic is forced, several times, to address only to his bodyguards and his armed supporters and, of course, to the only state Radio and Television, which are under his control and produce his speeches.