Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TIRANA920
2006-09-01 16:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tirana
Cable title:  

ALBANIA: LULL IN GOVERNMENT-OPPOSITION WARFARE

Tags:  PGOV AL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTI #0920/01 2441616
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 011616Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4765
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 2978
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 2767
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 5348
RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 0483
RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 4172
RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 2988
RUEHPS/USOFFICE PRISTINA 3474
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3315
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2203
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
C O N F I D E N T I A L TIRANA 000920 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2016
TAGS: PGOV AL
SUBJECT: ALBANIA: LULL IN GOVERNMENT-OPPOSITION WARFARE

REF: A. TIRANA 905

B. TIRANA 872

C. TIRANA 809

Classified By: A/DCM Paula S. Thiede, Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L TIRANA 000920

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2016
TAGS: PGOV AL
SUBJECT: ALBANIA: LULL IN GOVERNMENT-OPPOSITION WARFARE

REF: A. TIRANA 905

B. TIRANA 872

C. TIRANA 809

Classified By: A/DCM Paula S. Thiede, Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Thanks to EC-OSCE-hosted "coffee
negotiations," the Democratic Party (the largest party in the
majority) and the Socialist Party (the largest opposition
party) broke the logjam preventing forward movement on
electoral reform and organization of local elections. The
agreement addresses opposition demands for changes in the
Central Election Commission, media oversight commissions, and
temporary voters' lists. We have welcomed the fragile peace,
and our European partners will do the same. The truce should
create conditions for a peaceful opening session of
Parliament on September 4, but it is uncertain if the peace
can hold. Both sides remain extremely distrustful, and they
have not reached agreement on the date for local elections.
While the accord has been mostly welcomed in political
circles, some politicians and some in civil society criticize
the parties for amending the Constitution in order to resolve
their differences. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) Late in the evening of August 30, three
representatives of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) (Bamir
Topi, DP Parliamentary Group Leader; Ilir Rusmali, Deputy PM;
and Ylli Pango, Vice Chair of Parliament's media commission)
and three from the opposition Socialist Party (SP) (Ben
Blushi, Political Secretary; Ylli Bufi, Deputy Speaker of
Parliament; and Valentina Leskaj, Chair of the media
commission) signed an agreement that may pave the way for
further cooperation to organize local elections. (Points of
agreement follow in para 8.)


3. (C) There were no international observers at the
signing. Diplomats will not publicly acknowledge brokering
the deal; if asked, our European colleagues will admit to
offering "coffee, tea and hospitality" for occasional
meetings between Albanian politicians. In fact, however, EC
Charge Hubert Petit was a leading facilitator of the
negotiations, together with OSCE Head of Presence Pavel Vacek
and FRG Charge Joern Beissert. (Cover for the negotiations
was provided by a request from the GOA for an EC and Council
of Europe (COE) review of media legislation for compliance
with EU standards. Therefore, Petit and the COE

representative initiated the negotiations, folding in Vacek
and Beissert (Germany represents Finland as the EU Presidency
country) when talks moved into the political realm.)


4. (C) The media has occasionally credited the Embassy and
the Ambassador with a role larger than the moral suasion
actually offered and has speculated on the nature of foreign
involvement. We have agreed to keep the spotlight on the
Albanians )- in the hope that in the future, they may be
capable of negotiating on their own. The agreement was
reached only after the international facilitators withdrew,
essentially telling the Albanians "time is up." This
prompted a flurry of mobile phone negotiating rounds, leading
to final resolution. Petit and his colleagues described an
atmosphere rife with distrust.


5. (C) The date for the next elections was not addressed,
although SP leader Rama attempted to insert a delay into the
text toward the end of negotiations. Petit told him it had
not been one of the opposition's original conditions and
refused to consider it. Rama's recent public remarks seem to
have softened, slightly, demands that elections be held next
spring, suggesting only that it would be difficult
technically to have elections in the winter. (The OSCE
agrees.) The PM announced that he thinks elections should be
held December 24, but that they could be November 20-January

20. President Moisiu's Diplomatic Adviser told Charge he
thinks it would be better to delay elections until January 17
to avoid holiday conflicts for both voters and possible
international monitors. (The Central Election Commission
(CEC) has said the elections should be held between December
20 and January 20. There is debate within the legal
community about the legal deadline for elections.)


6. (C) Most in political circles have welcomed the
agreement, if with doubts about implementation. Some,
however, in both political and civic/intellectual circles,
have criticized resorting to Constitutional amendments to
settle petty political feuds. Albania's Constitution has not
been amended to date, and according to these critics, should
not be for the sake of political expediency. Several points
in the agreement will require cooperation between opposition
and majority to amend both law and the Constitution,
providing more opportunities for renewed breakdown.


7. (C) COMMENT: The fact that the parties reached
agreement is clearly positive. It would have been better had
they had the courage, will and responsibility to do so
without international intervention, but virtually no one,
especially Albanians, thought that could happen (Ref A) as
the dispute dragged on. Tensions remain high, although we
are guardedly optimistic that the September 4 opening session
of Parliament will not replicate the physical melee of July
28,s closing (Ref C). A big question remains whether the
parties, who have limited trust or confidence in each other,
can take the next steps to implement the agreement. We will
continue to press them to do so, and OSCE will be pushing to
organize elections.


8. (SBU) The agreement reached by the majority and
opposition has twelve points:

1. Expands membership on the Regulatory Council for Radio
and Television (KRRT) from five to seven members, with the
two new nominees to come from civil society, nominated by the
opposition. (The KRRT issues radio and TV frequencies and is
generally considered a lucrative board to which to be
appointed.)

2. Expands membership on the Council for Public Radio and
Television (KRTSH) from seven to eleven members, with the
four new members to represent civil society and to be
nominated by the opposition, with one nominee to have
majority agreement. No vote on the new members can occur
until agreement is reached between opposition and majority on
the fourth nominee. (The KRTSH regulates public TV and
radio.)

3. Calls for legislation to require qualified majority
voting for decisions in both councils on &major issues8 to
be determined by Parliament.

4. Calls for a joint initiative by MPs from opposition and
majority to introduce the amendments required above.

5. Calls for amendments to provide for qualified majority
voting on future appointments to the KRRT and the KRTSH.

6. Calls for amending the Constitution to enlarge the CEC
from seven to nine members. Both new members would be
selected by Parliament, with the Social Movement for
Integration (LSI, opposition) and the Demo-Christian Party
(PDK, governing coalition) jointly nominating for the
positions.

7. Stipulates that simple majority on the CEC is five-four
and qualified majority is six-three.

8. Makes the opposition Deputy CEC Chair a co-chair, to
replace the chairman if required, co-represent the
institution and co-sign all issues.

9. Agrees that temporary registers will be "cleaned up"
before 20 October 2006 and will thereafter cease to be used
as a source of voters' lists for elections, that both sides
will cooperate at all levels to achieve this objective, and
that both sides agree to delete all references to the
temporary register from the Electoral Code.

10. Calls for resumption of the work of the ad hoc committee
on electoral reform.

11. Calls for amending the Constitution to extend the
mandate of local officials to four years. (Note: The EU
called for this, in conformity with EU norms.)

12. Calls for future general and local elections in either
Spring (April-May) or Autumn (October-November),every four
years.
CRISTINA