THIS WEEK IN ALBANIA, DECEMBER 7 - 14, 2007

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 001054 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL SCUL AL SUBJECT: THIS WEEK IN ALBANIA, DECEMBER 7 - 14, 2007 ¶1. (U) The following is a weekly report prepared by Embassy Tirana's local staff to provide political and economic context and insight into developments in Albania. These updates will supplement post's DAR reports and reporting cables. POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS -------------- ¶2. (U) MORE POWER TO THE YOUNG: A snapshot of Albanian political actors today would show the fresh new faces that occupy several important seats in the government. They include Minister of Justice Enkelejd Alibeaj, Prosecutor General Ina Rama, a new Deputy of the Hich Council of Justice Kreshnik Spahiu, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lulzim Basha and Minister of Transportation Sokol Olldashi, all in their mid-30's. They are all law students who happened to study with Argita Malltezi, the Prime Minister's influential daughter. Judicary reform is a key condition for Albania's application to NATO, and these young professionals are confronting this task. "This office is a great responsibility and a challenge not only for me but for that whole group of people that I represent," new Prosecutor General Ina Rama said. While no one doubts that Premier Berisha, a surgeon in his early 60s, remains the undisputed leader of his party, the introduction of new faces has lead to discussions of a shift in the generational balance of power. ¶3. (U) While the opposition has charged the ruling party with nepotism due to the influence of the PM's daughter, the next generation is rising there as well. Under the slogan "A New Beginning," opposition leader Edi Rama, among the youngest of the establishment at 43, has brought fresh blood into the Socialist Party and pushed traditional faces to the sidelines as he works to consolidate his power as party chairman. Seventeen years after the fall of communism, those who came of age in its aftermath are entering Albanian public life. ¶4. (U) TOURISM IS THE FUTURE: Last week the World Bank Presence in Albania, in cooperation with GOA, presented its recommendations to develop the country's beautiful and unspoiled southern coast. The plan to develop and regulate the Southern Coastal Zone should provide a framework for regulated development, preventing the uncontrolled sprawl that has engulfed the once-quaint town of Durres. Albania has entered quite late into competition with its Mediterranean neighbors for an economic slice of the tourism pie. Unlike Croatia and Montenegro, where tourism flourished in the former Yugoslavia, Albania was not a tourist destination during communist times and still lacks sufficient infrastructure to support substantial numbers of international tourists. However, there is a silver lining: the spectacular southern coast remains undeveloped and relatively unspoiled to this day. ¶5. (U) Inconsistent regulations and unsettled property rights have been the major impediments to coherent development of Albania's coastline. The city of Saranda, considered the jewel of the Ionian Sea, has recently experienced aggressive development that endangers its tourist potential. However, the remainder of the southern cost has mostly remained underdeveloped, mainly due to poor infrastructure access. The Southern Coastal Zone Regulations Plan comes at a crucial stage in Albania's economic growth. As it moves away from international assistance, it must develop a path to sustained economic growth. That said, the approval of the plan is only the first step; the real challenge remains in its successful implementation. Top of Form Bottom of Form ¶6. (U) ELECTORAL REFORM - BIG FISH VS. SMALL FISH: The Ad-hoc Parliamentary Commission on Electoral Reform is considering adopting one of several European electoral systems, including Spanish, German or Greek. Small parties have sensed the tendency of the two big parties (ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the opposition Socialist Party(SP)) to consolidate the political scene and reduce the number of parties represented in Parliament. Ten small parties (whose representatives have never been directly elected; they acquire their seats through vote bartering with the large parties) agreed to jointly advocate for a German mixed majoritarian-proportional system. This would guarantee their existence in parliament by maintaining the possibility to manipulate proportional lists through deals with the biggest parties. The group also declared they would not tolerate an increase of the existing 2.5% electoral threshold for parliamentary representation, further ensuring their survival, although the German system has an electoral threshold of 5%. Meanwhile, the leaders of the Commission (members of the largest parties, SP and DP) want to reduce the number of parliamentary parties from the currently unmanageable 15 to about six. Between the two positions lies a quandary. "A fish may love a bird, but where would they live?" Drew Barrymore ¶7. (U) 1,000,000 TIMES BETTER: Tirana Airport Partners, the managing company of the Tirana International Airport, registered last week the one millionth passenger since the airport's opening in March. (See http://www.tirana-airport.com.al) The achievement, which comes three years ahead of initial projections, is the result of greatly improved infrastructure and services. Higher security TIRANA 00001054 002 OF 002 standards have contributed to the recent increase in the number of airlines connecting Tirana with the rest of the world, including Lufthansa and British Airways. The impressive increase in the number of passengers and flights may convince the company to begin the airport's planned expansion soon. ¶8. (U) QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "The Government of Albania has done its duty by fully supporting the United States intervention in Iraq, with the full conviction that the world without Saddam Hussein is much freer and secure, in the same way that it is without Slobodan Milosevic." Albanian PM Berisha during a press conference in Tirana with Kuwaiti PM Sheik Al Sabah ¶9. (U) THIS WEEK IN ARTS AND CULTURE: The first Encyclopedia of the uniquely Albanian iso-polyphonic music has been published, thanks to a grant from the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation. Printed in Albanian and English, this is the first publication dedicated entirely to iso-polyphony after this music was awarded the status of a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Mankind" by UNESCO. ¶10. (U) Albanian iso-polyphony is a sophisticated form of choral music, performed mostly by men. The term iso is related to the ison of Byzantine church music and refers to the drone, which accompanies the polyphonic singing. The drone is traditionally performed by the Tosks (a culturally distinct group of southern Albanians) and includes staggered breathing and rhythmic tone performed to lyrics. The rise of cultural tourism and the growing interest of researchers are contributing to the revival of this unique folk tradition. WITHERS