RIPPLES FROM A BOULDER: AMBASSADOR'S REMARKS RENEW

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000398

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE, JUSTICE FOR OPDAT, ICITAP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL AL
SUBJECT: RIPPLES FROM A BOULDER: AMBASSADOR'S REMARKS RENEW
DEBATE ON CORRUPTION, IMMUNITY

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1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The release of USAID's annual report on
corruption perceptions, and a pointed speech delivered by
Ambassador Withers at its May 7 launch, reignited the
stagnant debate on corruption in Albania and prompted some
prickly Government responses. The event received wide media
attention and highlighted an issue that, while reportedly
among the GOA's highest priorities, has seen little concrete
progress. The ensuing discussion may have broken the logjam
on removing high-level immunity, has energized the opposition
to raise perceived government failure on corruption, and has
revealed a split in the Democratic Party (DP) establishment
on how serious a problem corruption is in today's Albania.
We plan to keep the pressure on, at a minimum to ensure that
stated plans to introduce legislation to lift immunity do not
evaporate. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) In conjunction with the May 7 roll-out of the USAID
sponsored "2008 Corruption in Albania Survey: Perceptions and
Experiences," the Ambassador delivered relatively short, but
fairly pointed remarks. He cited examples of everyday
corruption that were instantly recognizable to the audience,
composed primarily of university students and the media. The
Ambassador called on Albanian officials to show their
seriousness in fighting corruption by lifting immunity, and
challenged the citizenry to demand more of its Government as
well as to itself refrain from engaging in day-to-day petty
corruption. At times, the audience responded almost
physically to some of the examples. To date, there are still
occasional editorials and commentaries sparked by the
intervention. The event occurred in the run-up to Albania's
annual "Justice Day" ceremonies, providing further
opportunities for public and official reaction.


3. (U) Opposition leader Edi Rama expressed broad support
for the Ambassador's charge (and USAID's evidentiary polling)
that the perception of corruption has worsened over the last
year. Rama emphasized GOA failure to improve the overall
climate while specifically raising the reportedly corrupt
practices surrounding the Gerdec tragedy and national road
construction projects. The media elite almost uniformly
agreed, responding with a series of front page articles and
editorials also citing government failure to make a dent in
corruption.


4. (SBU) President Bamir Topi reacted almost immediately to
the speech, calling for increased awareness of corruption
among government agencies as a step toward tackling it.
However, after some quiet comments to the Ambassador at a May
8 lunch, Prime Minister Berisha maintained a public two-day
silence on the topic, finally broken when he noted to a
student group that a NATO invitation had been extended
because the government had demonstrated an "iron will" in the
fight against corruption. In other comments, Berisha
asserted that the Ambassador's comments exaggerated the
problem of corruption in Albania; the Ambassador's
references, Berisha stated, were "but a leaf on the tree,"
while the Government's "successful efforts against
corruption" constituted the forest. The PM then sought to
shift the debate from his government's record on corruption
to the related question of immunity for Parliamentarians and
other high officials by calling for its removal as "a
condition for a successful fight against corruption." (Note:
While Topi resigned his DP membership when he took the
presidency, he continues to have a contingent of DP members
who back him, rather than the PM. His outspoken comments on
this issue reinforced this division.)


5. (SBU) Others also seized on the topic of immunity,
including Rama, and public debate heated up in the days
following the speech. While the DP danced around the topic
of the current highest profile immunity case, that of former
Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu, the opposition used it as an
example of the need for change, and the President contributed
his support. (Note: Prosecutor General Ina Rama formally
requested the lifting of Mediu's immunity April 25 to
investigate charges related to the Gerdec explosion, but
Parliament has so far not acted on this request.) According
to media reports, a consensus has been building in Parliament
between Socialist Party (SP) and DP parliamentarians for an
across-the board limitation for the legislative and judicial
branches as well as the heads of some state institutions
(though any reduction in immunity provisions would likely
exclude the President). Some speculate that the overall
provisions will be changed and that Mediu's immunity would
then be lifted by way of the changed provisions, so that he
is not singled out to have his immunity lifted alone.


6. (SBU) COMMENT: The USAID report is a useful tool each year
to highlight progress, or lack thereof, on the fight against

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corruption, an issue of paramount importance for Albania's
further democratic development. The media storm created by
the Ambassador's speech highlighted the need to remove
official immunity at a timely moment. With the Gerdec
investigation ongoing in an apparently diligent and
professional manner, and the issue still before the public
eye, an incentive to move forward on lifting immunity for all
may have come at an opportune time. Berisha's attempts to
minimize the Ambassador's examples and to extol progress in
the government's fight against corruption are not convincing
to the average Albanian. In coming weeks, we will continue
to keynote corruption, particularly the lifting of immunity,
in our private discussions with senior government and
opposition leaders, and to keep it front and center in our
public pronouncements. END COMMENT.
WITHERS