Clinton Urges Free, Fair Elections In Albania

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By Besar Likmeta

In a speech to Albania’s parliament on Thursday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Albanian leaders to hold free and fair elections, fight corruption and respect independent institutions.

“Your next elections should be free and fair in order for the Albanian people to trust you as their leaders, while sending a strong message to the EU that the political system in Albania works,” Clinton told MPs.

Albania
Albania

“The consolidation of democracy does not require only free elections, but rule of law, strong institutions and an independent judiciary, in order for citizens to hold their leaders accountable,” she added.

Since the collapse of the Stalinist regime of former dictator Enver Hoxha in 1991, Albania has had a difficult transition to democracy marred by fraudulent elections, corruption and political strife.

In June 2013 Albania is expected to hold the next round of parliamentary polls, considered by the US and the EU as a key test of its democratic credentials.

Clinton had a four-hour visit to Tirana, where she held talks with Prime Minister Sali Berisha, President Bujar Nishani and opposition Socialist leader Edi Rama. Her visit to Tirana formed part of bigger Balkan tour of Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Albania and Croatia.

The Secretary of State urged Albanian leaders to fight corruption and put the country’s interests above partisan political interests.

“Corruption is a cancer that consumes society, protects leader with amoral values and punishes people that are trying to build a better life,” Clinton said.

“The fight against corruption requires cooperation… and Albanian leaders should create a culture of dialogue,” she concluded.

Balkan Insight

The Balkan Insight (formerly the Balkin Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN) is a close group of editors and trainers that enables journalists in the region to produce in-depth analytical and investigative journalism on complex political, economic and social themes. BIRN emerged from the Balkan programme of the Institute for War & Peace Reporting, IWPR, in 2005. The original IWPR Balkans team was mandated to localise that programme and make it sustainable, in light of changing realities in the region and the maturity of the IWPR intervention. Since then, its work in publishing, media training and public debate activities has become synonymous with quality, reliability and impartiality. A fully-independent and local network, it is now developing as an efficient and self-sustainable regional institution to enhance the capacity for journalism that pushes for public debate on European-oriented political and economic reform.

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