Tirana Impressions

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000674 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL AL SUBJECT: Tirana Impressions TIRANA 00000674 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) The following is a weekly report prepared by Embassy Tirana's local staff to provide additional political, economic and cultural insight into current developments in Albania. -------------- POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS -------------- What Rama's Boycott Means -------------- ¶2. Following a bitter election defeat in June, Socialist Party Chairman Edi Rama has launched an energetic campaign decrying the election results, including a large demonstration scheduled for October 10. People were convinced at first that Rama had to create a perception of a political party threatened by external enemies; a strategy in reality aimed at fighting off internal SP opposition. During the post-election SP congress at the end of August, Socialist party members found out that any effort to unseat Rama from within the SP was almost futile. With only minor, sporadic objections, all party forums, structures, and SP local mayors supported Rama's right to rerun, even though this clearly contravened the party's own statutes. According to Rama, his decision to run for re-election was justified under the "extraordinary situation of an illegitimate government that stole the votes oQhe Albanians." ¶3. The SP Congress did not refer to any boycott of the parliament. HoQer, immediately afterwards Rama declared that the decision-making organ of the Party had authorized any such action it deemed fit. A boycott was thus declared and a series of conditions was attached for a return to parliament. The list starts with a mega parliamentary investigation of the "electoral crime" and continues with other less meaningful aspects. Albanian parliamentary investigative commissions have actually never achieved anything in the past, something Rama knows very well. The list of conditions keeps growing. Every day, there are new issues surfacing in the media, folloQd by an SP official adding the issues to the list or removing previously "non-negotiable" conditions from the list. Where is the Boycott Heading? -------------- ¶4. The decision to boycott is based on a fluid timeframe, on a "fight against evil" thesis, and conditioned with a continuously changing list of demands. Nobody at the Socialist Party knew when it would start. Nobody now really knows when it will end, and if so how long will the return last. What is clear is that the SP will never get what they ask for and that Rama possesses no decent exit strategy from the boycott scheme. Thus, even when they return to parliament, the backdoor will always stay open to abandon it again. All this is happening in an Albania that is a member of NATO, with improving indicators in international reports on the elections, and with increased aspirations for E.U. membership and freedom of movement. ¶5. With no real chances to change the electoral system to better suit Rama's needs, all odds are that polemics and conflict will continue until the 2011 local elections. With a PD - LSI coalition in Tirana, with the existing electoral system coauthored by Rama himself, and with a Rama war declared against "the three Prime Ministers" (Berisha, Meta, and Nano),everyone in town is crossing their fingers and hoping that Rama will not decide to boycott the local elections. One thing is certain, the lines have been drawn, and the "fight against evil" could continue for a long time to come. Quote of the Week -------------- ¶6. "The main problem is that for a boycott to be effective, you must first persuade thousands - maybe even millions of others - to go along, which is a lot of work and usually not successful." - L. Neil Smith. -------------- EDUCATION AND CULTURE -------------- ¶7. (U) After a month of Ramadan, Albanian Muslim believers celebrated Eid ul-Fitr on September 20, 2009. Congregational prayers were held across the country. Muslim (Sunni) and Bektashi(Sufi order) communities hosted receptions attended by high government officials, diplomatic corps representatives, heads of other religious groups, and many Muslim believers. Part of the Albanian tradition is the exchange of family visits among different faiths. While Albania remains a largely secular society, these celebrations serve to reinforce the close relations that exist between the country's religious communities. However, a trend was noticed this year in that various Iftars were hosted by the Muslim community, various members of the Diplomatic Corps and private TIRANA 00000674 002.2 OF 002 individuals. U.S. Embassy Tirana hosted two official Iftar dinners, inviting key Muslim leaders from across Albania. WITHERS