By FERDINAND XHAFERRI DP Member of Parliament Preparations for the electoral process are nearing the finish line. It is now clear that the actors of the By-

Preparations for the electoral process are nearing the finish line. clear that the actors of the political Bureau have almost stopped mediating. In other words, on the one hand, the international institutions, represented mainly by the OSCE, seem both tired and frustrated. They were unable to persuade the Albanian political class to cooperate, at least for the elections. On the other hand, it seems that the one who could be called the winner is the secret or instinctive compromise between Nano and Berisha: to bring anarchy to the electoral process and the elections themselves. This became apparent when Berisha threw the OSCE group of experts into a boycott, while Nano did not leave his partner alone and was always looking for an opportunity to torpedo the organization’s Ambassador. The process was never brought under control because, as soon as it seemed that measures were being taken and the issues raised by Berisha were being resolved, Nano would immediately enter the fray, and vice versa. This produced only confusion and tension, in line with the objectives of the very Binom. In these circumstances, it is important to explain why Nano and Berisha have decided to build and support a compromise based on tension, and what the predicted future of the local elections might be. Both Nano and Berisha are perfectly aware that a free and fair electoral process, as the OSCE has sought, would determine one winner and one loser. This means that, regardless of which one ended up on the losing side, given the evidence and the way in which the two main players have conducted themselves so far, the parties led by Nano or Berisha would be at risk, morally as well as institutionally, and under pressure to resign. An election process marked by tension would create an opportunity for all sides to swear that they had won or that there had been manipulation. Thus both opponents would enter the next political elections without the burden of feeling that they had lost. Rejecting the prediction of the elections, they may realize that Albanian society has finally shown that it will not accept being used on a mass scale and made to pay for the sake of the egotism or games of the entire Nano-Berisha duo. It is not a good sign that, given the dramas that Nano’s and Berisha’s political conduct has brought upon this country, voter turnout is expected to be below 50 percent. Perhaps this fact will point to an atmosphere of emptiness, unsuitable for a compromise on holding tense elections to succeed.

Neritan Ceka: With ry miss we go into the elections alone, without Nano

National Library TIRANA

Kadri Hazbiu had said, “At least let the grave not be lost” page 2

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Humor by Filip Çakuli, read on pages 30-31