DIALOGUE WITH ALBANIANS FORM BASIS FOR NEW SP GOVERNING

UNCLAS TIRANA 000493 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SCE E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL AL SUBJECT: DIALOGUE WITH ALBANIANS FORM BASIS FOR NEW SP GOVERNING PLATFORM ¶1. Tirana Mayor and Socialist Party Chairman Edi Rama has met with thousands of citizens throughout Albania in a series of city and village gatherings reminiscent of town hall meetings in the United States. This is the first time such meetings have been held by political leaders in Albania. This "Dialogue with Albania," is what Rama and the Socialist Party (SP) consider as their first, instrumental steps towards drafting a new governing program for their party, the main opposition to the reigning Democratic Party. ¶2. The "Dialogue with Albania" has allowed party officials to talk with average Albanians and to learn about the problems and concerns they have been facing since the fall of communism 17 years ago. From these gatherings the SP identified six issues as the most pressing and dominant concerns Albanians are encountering today: education, agriculture, environment, energy, social issues, and healthcare. Each of these topics was discussed at length in numerous "Dialogues" held over a month-long period throughout Albania. After completing the "Dialogues," the SP made a thorough analysis of the information they gathered and published the information in a detailed report and on an interactive website. ¶3. Comment: Rama's innovative approach in reaching out to Albanians and identifying the problems they face has garnered both praise and ridicule, particularly from skeptics who question Rama's motives. Rama and the SP have gained a political foothold as a result of recent government debacles and rumors circulating around the Democratic Party and Prime Minister (PM) Berisha over the Gerdec investigation and Berisha's attempts to centralize control over the government. Rama and the Socialists are biding their time and riding out the shifts in the political atmosphere. In the meantime, the SP is using the "Dialogue with Albania" as a solid platform for Rama's anticipated run for Prime Minister in 2009. CRISTINA