The chairman’s delegates vote for Pllona. Violent re-election of the old leader The DP is certain to lose the local elections page 2

GAVROSH LEVONJA

The wedding of the great Albanians

GAVROSH LEVONJA The highly charged situation, and especially the unexpected developments on the eve of the Democratic Party congress, have surely meant that the absence of a congratulatory message from the President of the Republic to the congress of the largest opposition party has gone unnoticed, at a time when it has been announced that Mr Meidani will be in Italy during the days of the Socialist congress. But let us turn to the congress that has just concluded, that of the Democrats. It is well known that a congress is the most important event for a party and, regardless of its content and the impact it may have on the life of the country, a congratulatory message—even a formal one—from an institution such as the presidency, which under the Constitution must also safeguard the unity of the nation, is a natural gesture. Indeed, bearing in mind the tense climate that has dominated Albania’s political scene, it could be said to be a necessity. No justification, including the one based on a preference “not to interfere in the internal affairs of parties,” convinces anyone. It is unlikely that a message of general good wishes from President Meidani would have changed the course of the Democrats’ congress. But, considering the country’s need for an opposition that is both strong and constructive, a greeting from the President of the Republic conveying messages of peace and cooperation would undoubtedly have had at least a minimal impact, helping to turn the opposition’s wishes into reality and enabling it to make its irreplaceable contribution to solving problems from its position. Meidani may recall that three years ago an “intransigent” president such as Sali Berisha did not hesitate to send a congratulatory message to the Socialists’ congress at the time, calling on them to reform quickly. By remaining inert in the face of the Democrats’ congress, President Meidani missed yet another opportunity to establish an identity beyond that of an ordinary politician: that of a president who might be closer to the opposition. Above all, considering the inability of political forces on opposing sides to find ways and means of engaging in dialogue with each other, the President of the Republic ought to have been the main catalyst in this regard. The assessments Mr Meidani made in Slovenia about Albanian political parties would certainly have been far more useful if the parties themselves had heard them, even through a congratulatory message such as one that could have been sent on the occasion of their congresses.

Bexhet Pacolli, Ana Oxa and Rexhep Çeliku Exclusive photos by Roland Tasho Bexhet Pacolli, Ana Oxa and Rexhep Çeliku. Exclusive photos by Roland Tasho.

The candidate for chairman of the SP, and currently the former chairman of the party, Fatos Nano, met yesterday afternoon with the U.S. Deputy Ambassador in Tirana, Mr Shnajder. The meeting was accompanied by a lunch, which on such occasions is called a working lunch. According to Nano’s statements to “KJ,” political issues were not absent from this working lunch. Nano did not confirm which of the two had the greater political appetite, but emphasized that they discussed the political situation in the country as well as the situation currently prevailing in the country’s two largest parties. Nano said that no one should speculate about such meetings and create the mistaken impression that the United States supports one or another candidate for chairman of the SP. According to the former Socialist chairman, the Deputy Ambassador said that he understood any move that helps modernize the SP. But Nano’s American friend asked him to present the platform he had put forward for changes in the SP. According to Nano, there was complete understanding between him and the U.S. Deputy Ambassador in Tirana. Asked for further details about the conversation, Nano declined to elaborate. He agreed only to say: “We understood each other.” Mimoza PICARI

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