ALBANIAN ISLAMIC COMMUNITY ELECTIONS RIGGED?

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000184

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF PREL AL
SUBJECT: ALBANIAN ISLAMIC COMMUNITY ELECTIONS RIGGED?

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN L. WITHERS II FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND (d
).


1. (C) Summary: On March 18, Selim Muca, Chairman of the
Albanian Islamic Community (AIC),announced the AIC would
hold elections for the Chairman, and three days later Muca
was elected unopposed to another five-year term. However, on
March 24, in response to a March 20 lawsuit filed by some AIC
members which alleged that Muca violated the AIC's electoral
code by calling this snap election, a lower court voided
Muca's reelection pending a full hearing on the merits of the
case. The election was criticized by some AIC members who
said that Muca called the snap elections to ensure that he
would run unopposed for the Chairmanship. Embassy sources
suggest that Muca,s decision was geared toward securing his
place as Chairman in light of changes caused by the religious
"agreements" reached in early 2009 that will require the AIC
and others to reregister and submit their bylaws for review.
As ever, the real issue seems to be property restitution and
the enormous sums of money that are at stake in this process,
but this may also be a struggle between the more
laissez-faire old guard and the more strictly religious
younger generation. End summary.


2. (C) On March 21, 75-year old Selim Muca, Chairman of the
Albanian Islamic Community (AIC),was elected to his second
five-year term as Chairman by a vote of 68-20 against two
lesser known candidates who did not pose a serious threat to
Muca's chances at reelection. The elections were not without
drama however, as many members of the AIC were upset with
Muca's March 18 call for elections. In response to the snap
elections, several members of the AIC filed a lawsuit to halt
the March 21 elections, arguing that the decision to hold an
election so quickly violates AIC electoral procedures.
Despite this case, Muca went ahead with the elections but on
March 24, a lower court voided the election results pending a
full hearing. The date of the next hearing is unknown and it
is difficult to ascertain how the court might rule.
According to Saimir Rusheku (protect),Deputy Director of the
AIC, Muca called for the quick elections in order to ensure
that he would run unopposed and win easily.


3. (C) The elections are important because the Chairman of
the AIC has considerable influence over the property holdings
of the AIC. Property is the real issue. Once among the
largest landholders in country, the AIC has regained only a
portion of its former holdings. Indeed in two meetings, one
with an AIC official and one with the Chairman on the State
Committee for Religion, Rasmi Hasanaj, religion was barely
mentioned; the two officials talked incessantly about
property deals and money. Local media coverage, while oddly
quiet overall, echoed these concerns and speculated about
dirty land deals and millions of Euros changing hands on
construction projects. Muca, for his part, has defended his
actions by depicting the objections to the elections as
efforts of extremist radical groups that want to take over
the community. Hasanaj and others have rejected these
notions.


4. (C) It seems that Muca declared the quick elections in
order to ensure that he is the Chairman of the AIC because of
the passage of the religious "agreements" between the four
major religious groups (the AIC, Orthodox Church, Catholic
Church and Bektashi) earlier this year. According to the
"agreements," each group will soon be required to re-register
with the state and submit their by-laws for review. By
holding the elections now, Muca is attempting to secure his
Chairmanship for the next five years and avoid any potential
problems with re-registration and/or the GOA's review of the
AIC's bylaws. According to GOA officials, the new agreements
were created in order to allow the GOA to better regulate the
activities of the four major groups as well as provide them a
means to fund their operations. Under the agreements, the
four groups would be able to manage their properties
themselves and spend the non-taxable proceeds in a manner
they see fit. The GOA hopes that with this income, the four
groups will be able to self-finance their operations, thereby
avoiding the interests of outside actors such as Iran, Egypt,
Syria, and Saudi Arabia which are keen to exert more
influence in Albania.


5. (C) According to GOA contacts, the religious communities
would be given "priority status" in the property restitution
cases. This framework, while laudable, does have the
potential to open the door for corruption, however, as each
restitution decision must be reached on a case-by-case basis,
creating the potential for hundreds, if not thousands, of
cases with millions of dollars at stake. The basis for the
restitution cases comes from a 1960s Communist registry that
states which properties were owned by the various religious

TIRANA 00000184 002 OF 002


groups when the Communist regime appropriated them. While
the registry is considered accurate by most observers,
sorting out the myriad claims to title, especially if a
property has multiple ownership, is quite complex. The four
religious groups could become some of the largest landowners
in Albania.


6. (C) Comment: As ever with the AIC, property and money
seem to be the dominant issues, not religion. The control of
assets and hanging on to power seems to be the primary
motivations for Muca, which may be raising the ire of the
rank and file members as demonstrated by the lawsuit and open
criticism of the elections. This may also be a struggle
between the more laissez-faire old guard and the more
strictly religious younger generation. Corruption within the
AIC could also lead to revulsion and revolt on the part of
the younger generation and could create an opening for a more
fundamental, less tolerant form of Islam. The lower court's
ruling that the elections be voided is a serious blow to
Muca's chance at reelection, but he is a savvy operator with
considerable connections, so he cannot be counted out yet.
WITHERS