Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TIRANA308
2008-04-18 16:31:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tirana
Cable title:
THIS WEEK IN ALBANIA, APRIL 12-18, 2008
how-toVZCZCXRO2045 RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHTI #0308/01 1091631 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 181631Z APR 08 FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6996 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000308
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE
DEPT OF JUSTICE FOR OPDAT, ICITAP
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON AL
SUBJECT: THIS WEEK IN ALBANIA, APRIL 12-18, 2008
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000308
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE
DEPT OF JUSTICE FOR OPDAT, ICITAP
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON AL
SUBJECT: THIS WEEK IN ALBANIA, APRIL 12-18, 2008
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.
--------------
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
--------------
2. (U) DIVISION WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY:
Until now, factions within the ruling Democratic Party (DP) were
only seen in coffee shops and restaurants, or in appointments of
officials according to who their friends were. But in recent days,
as the agenda was set and changes largely agreed upon for imminent
constitutional amendments to the electoral system, ideas started to
change on reforming constitutional pillars, bringing to light
divisions within the ruling party.
3. (U) One proposed amendment caused major debate, floating up
through the DP's three major power groups to President Topi (a DP
member until he became president). Last week a DP Member of
Parliament "innocently" presented among the amendments one that
would essentially strip the President of his main independent power
-- Presidential decrees. Under the proposal, all Presidential
decrees would be countersigned by the Prime Minister before entering
into force. Opposition grew from the Topi faction of DP MPs, while
PM Berisha claimed that he had been unaware of this proposal. He
later said that he was against it. Even so, no one asked who came
up with the idea.
4. (SBU) It seems that the idea had come from Berisha himself and
was embraced by two opportunistic factions within the DP (the
Topallis, headed by the Parliamentary Speaker, and the
Rusmali-Bodes, headed by the former Justice Minister and including
the current Finance Minister) that enjoy any chance to attack the
third group - the Topis. The amendment was completely rejected by
the opposition Socialist Party coalition, and the idea quickly died.
The importance of the incident is the emergence of an effort to
weaken Topi's current position and his future political career, as
well as the definition of a group of Topi supporters within the DP.
--------------
ECONOMIC UPDATES
--------------
5. (U) THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING: A local opinion maker speculated
last week on the existence of a hidden deal between the GOA and
Russian oil and gas companies. According to this journalist,
Hungarian company MOL, one of the bidders for the upcoming
privatization of the state oil refining company ARMO, is favored by
the Prime Minister to win the tender. MOL reportedly is acting as a
cover for Russian oil interests, evident through already close ties.
Through this acquisition, the Russians would expand their presence
in the Balkans and secure control over the east-west transit of oil
and gas as well as over the potentially large oil and gas reserves
recently identified in Albania.
6. (SBU) This is not the first time that rumors of Albanian-Russian
deals have been reported in the media. In 2006, the GOA expressed
its intention to import natural gas and was said to have signed an
agreement with Gazprom. If struck, this deal never moved forward,
but perhaps Russia has not lost interest in Albania. Our Albanian
journalist chastised the GOA for flirting with Russia in this manner
before the ink on the NATO membership invitation has dried. (See
also septel.)
--------------
THIS WEEK IN ARTS AND CULTURE
--------------
8. (U) RENOVATING SKANDERBEG SQUARE: Competing proposals for the
rehabilitation of Tirana's main square were presented last week to a
panel jury and the public. The Municipality of Tirana organized this
international competition, which received an amazing range of
proposals from acclaimed architects and designers from Belgium,
France, Italy, Spain, Holland, and the U.S. Open to the public, the
event sparked the interest of hundreds of citizens, architects,
artists and architecture students. The project will be financed by
the government of Kuwait. The jury of eleven (seven Europeans and
four Albanians, including Tirana Mayor Edi Rama) decided unanimously
on Belgium's Studio 51N4E, which plans to create a public space
filled with greenery. American firm Daniel Libeskind Architects won
the Public Prize with its idea of a square for citizens to highlight
symbols of history and reminders of freedom.
9. (U) ALBANIAN WEIGHTLIFTER WINS A PLACE IN BEIJING: Albanian
TIRANA 00000308 002 OF 002
female weightlifter Romala Begaj won the gold medal at the European
Championship qualifying for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Begaj,
21 years old, competes in the 58 kg category. She is Albania's
newest female weightlifting talent after European Champion Fetije
Kasa who was stripped last year of her gold European Championship
medal after failing a drug test.
WITHERS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE
DEPT OF JUSTICE FOR OPDAT, ICITAP
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON AL
SUBJECT: THIS WEEK IN ALBANIA, APRIL 12-18, 2008
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.
--------------
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
--------------
2. (U) DIVISION WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY:
Until now, factions within the ruling Democratic Party (DP) were
only seen in coffee shops and restaurants, or in appointments of
officials according to who their friends were. But in recent days,
as the agenda was set and changes largely agreed upon for imminent
constitutional amendments to the electoral system, ideas started to
change on reforming constitutional pillars, bringing to light
divisions within the ruling party.
3. (U) One proposed amendment caused major debate, floating up
through the DP's three major power groups to President Topi (a DP
member until he became president). Last week a DP Member of
Parliament "innocently" presented among the amendments one that
would essentially strip the President of his main independent power
-- Presidential decrees. Under the proposal, all Presidential
decrees would be countersigned by the Prime Minister before entering
into force. Opposition grew from the Topi faction of DP MPs, while
PM Berisha claimed that he had been unaware of this proposal. He
later said that he was against it. Even so, no one asked who came
up with the idea.
4. (SBU) It seems that the idea had come from Berisha himself and
was embraced by two opportunistic factions within the DP (the
Topallis, headed by the Parliamentary Speaker, and the
Rusmali-Bodes, headed by the former Justice Minister and including
the current Finance Minister) that enjoy any chance to attack the
third group - the Topis. The amendment was completely rejected by
the opposition Socialist Party coalition, and the idea quickly died.
The importance of the incident is the emergence of an effort to
weaken Topi's current position and his future political career, as
well as the definition of a group of Topi supporters within the DP.
--------------
ECONOMIC UPDATES
--------------
5. (U) THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING: A local opinion maker speculated
last week on the existence of a hidden deal between the GOA and
Russian oil and gas companies. According to this journalist,
Hungarian company MOL, one of the bidders for the upcoming
privatization of the state oil refining company ARMO, is favored by
the Prime Minister to win the tender. MOL reportedly is acting as a
cover for Russian oil interests, evident through already close ties.
Through this acquisition, the Russians would expand their presence
in the Balkans and secure control over the east-west transit of oil
and gas as well as over the potentially large oil and gas reserves
recently identified in Albania.
6. (SBU) This is not the first time that rumors of Albanian-Russian
deals have been reported in the media. In 2006, the GOA expressed
its intention to import natural gas and was said to have signed an
agreement with Gazprom. If struck, this deal never moved forward,
but perhaps Russia has not lost interest in Albania. Our Albanian
journalist chastised the GOA for flirting with Russia in this manner
before the ink on the NATO membership invitation has dried. (See
also septel.)
--------------
THIS WEEK IN ARTS AND CULTURE
--------------
8. (U) RENOVATING SKANDERBEG SQUARE: Competing proposals for the
rehabilitation of Tirana's main square were presented last week to a
panel jury and the public. The Municipality of Tirana organized this
international competition, which received an amazing range of
proposals from acclaimed architects and designers from Belgium,
France, Italy, Spain, Holland, and the U.S. Open to the public, the
event sparked the interest of hundreds of citizens, architects,
artists and architecture students. The project will be financed by
the government of Kuwait. The jury of eleven (seven Europeans and
four Albanians, including Tirana Mayor Edi Rama) decided unanimously
on Belgium's Studio 51N4E, which plans to create a public space
filled with greenery. American firm Daniel Libeskind Architects won
the Public Prize with its idea of a square for citizens to highlight
symbols of history and reminders of freedom.
9. (U) ALBANIAN WEIGHTLIFTER WINS A PLACE IN BEIJING: Albanian
TIRANA 00000308 002 OF 002
female weightlifter Romala Begaj won the gold medal at the European
Championship qualifying for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Begaj,
21 years old, competes in the 58 kg category. She is Albania's
newest female weightlifting talent after European Champion Fetije
Kasa who was stripped last year of her gold European Championship
medal after failing a drug test.
WITHERS