PDSH has kept its word; it has fulfilled its contract with the Albanian electorate, with democracy, with Albania, with Europe
Speech by the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, delivered at the Extraordinary Conference of the DP on 5 March 1995
Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished delegates to the Extraordinary Conference of the DP,
The Extraordinary Conference of the DP has been convened to address several problems that have arisen from open opposition to the decisions of the National Council of the DP, and this opposition has come not from ordinary Council members, but from the DP Chairman himself and his friends, who have used for this purpose not their own ideas, but only the theses of the Albanian Marxist leadership. This Conference is meeting on the eve of the beginning of the fourth year of the mandate that the Albanian people gave the Democratic Party in the elections of 22 March. Therefore, now that we still have a quarter of our mandate ahead of us, I think it is essential that we take as accurate an account as possible, and make a critical and precise review of the three-year implementation of the DP programme—the most serious programme the Albanian nation has known in its history. This programme is known to have saved us from our ancient calamities, in the first years of democracy’s linear development, and rescued Albania from the precipices of history down which the Albanian red nomenklatura was rolling it. Today, more than ever, we must return to our programme. I study it continuously, take stock, and invite you, as well as all DP members and voters, to do the same. The programme is our given word, our contract with the Albanian electorate, with democracy, with Albania and Europe. It is the hope, ideal, courage, sacrifice, achievement and creation of those who voted for us, of those who fought for another Albania.
I am pleased to declare today, at this Conference, that in these three years the DP, by implementing its programme, has kept the promise it made to the Albanian electorate, even though it took part in, described it as a farce and a mockery of democracy, and [conducted] the most insulting campaign in history. The people did not deserve the Constitution. I want to be honest with you and remind you that even today I do not criticize the decision we made to hold a referendum—no, nor does the result please me—but rather our commitment and determination to build democracy. We embraced this course because we did not embark on it for the sake of positions, and, in the absence of other possibilities, we turned to the people to decide on the Constitution. By this act, we demonstrated that democracy, not power, is our highest goal, and that we hold power in order to build democracy. The referendum result was unpredictable to everyone. But one thing was certain: on 6 November, the people did not vote to shorten [the term], but [voted for] the left-wing extremists ... or the demons of Enverism. On the other hand, the existing constitutional laws, because of the compromises made in the Constitution-drafting commission, were and are superior to the draft that the people did not approve. With regard to the Constitution, our electoral programme states: “We are committed to drafting a contemporary democratic constitution, founded on the principle of separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers.” Thus, the programme says that we will commit ourselves to drafting a constitution, because its adoption cannot be determined by a single political force. But, with regard to our draft Constitution, its preparation and adoption have gone beyond the programme’s requirements several times. Let us refer to the facts: First, we adopted constitutional laws of European standards which, according to experts from the Council of Europe, prevented a legislative vacuum and fully guaranteed a parliamentary system, the separation of powers, human freedoms and rights, and the independence of the courts. We committed ourselves to drafting a constitution and not only to drafting it, as required by the programme, but also to adopting it, unlike any other political force in this regard. Thus, in cooperation with the Venice Commission, the Charter of Human Rights was drafted; it is also the fundamental law of national reconciliation, and has been described as the most outstanding Albanian document, although [the text is unclear here]. left-wing extremists ...
President Herzog, President Scalfaro, NATO Secretary General Verner, the President of the European Parliament [name unclear], prime ministers and ministers of states, from the EU, the USA, other countries in Europe and the world. [Unclear passage.] We ensured the highest per-capita assistance in Eastern Europe, and succeeded in internationalizing the Albanian question as never before. The DP programme emphasizes that in bilateral relations the DP will rely on the country’s traditional historical allies, identifying Germany as its principal partner. Albania, the Albanian government, which was struggling through increasingly tragic circumstances, today has close relations with this friendly country. My meetings with President Weizsäcker and Chancellor Kohl, the reciprocal visits of Messrs. Gensher, Kinkel, Shpanger, Serreqi and Kopliku, President Herzog’s successful visit, and the joint declaration with him, which was valuable and a genuine treaty of friendship and cooperation, are major milestones in Albania’s friendship and cooperation with Germany. Germany has also given our country one of the highest levels of assistance per capita in the world. In our programme we designated Italy as a priority and an important partner for Albania. It has given Albania considerable assistance from its earliest steps and continues to do so today. Some problems created by the Craxi–Nano duo were overcome, without in any way diminishing our and all Albanians’ deep appreciation for the great and generous assistance that the Italian government, institutions and citizens have given and continue to give Albania. President Scalfaro’s visits to Albania, Mr. Meksi’s visit to Italy, and meetings with our President, representatives and the Italian government are all important contributions to European integration. President Bush’s position, and later President Clinton’s position, on the Kosovo question, as well as President Clinton’s position on the Albanian-Greek dialogue, his decision to add [unclear] to the agreement, and the creation of the American-Albanian Enterprise Fund are very important acts of friendly economic and political cooperation between our two countries.
Albania has established friendly relations based on trust and mutual respect with a number of other countries, such as Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries. Albania has also established very good relations with NATO. The visit to Albania by Secretary General Verner and the Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, my visits to NATO headquarters in Brussels, those by ministers Seraçi and Zhulali, the signing of the Partnership for Peace, the holding of joint manoeuvres, the provision of airport facilities for NATO forces, and Albania’s admission to the North Atlantic Assembly are major and undeniable achievements of our policy. Internationalizing the Albanian question has been and remains a major objective of our foreign policy. The resolution on Kosovo, sponsored by Albania and adopted a few months ago with the support of around 130 countries, is a genuine achievement of Albanian diplomacy and our foreign policy as a whole, particularly in internationalizing the Albanian question; this question has also been and continues to be a major topic in our talks and dialogue with other countries and institutions. So, gentlemen, as you can see, the major objectives of its foreign policy programme have been achieved and even surpassed, not only bilaterally but also multilaterally. Albania, which three years ago was burning and languishing in agony, is now not only [unclear], but has become a factor for peace and stability. Integration into Europe and [unclear] for a country that has lost more than half a century cannot be achieved in two or four years, but undoubtedly great strides have been made and more will certainly follow. Our relations with our friend [unclear] have set our nation on a safe path. Meetings with President Klesiul and Chancellor Vranacki, and reciprocal visits by foreign ministers, defence ministers and other government officials, have helped increase understanding, cooperation and friendship between our two countries. Efforts have also been made to broaden our country’s cooperation with the Scandinavian countries. The first results are very positive. High-level meetings and visits, as well as other visits, have brought our country closer to these countries.
In our programme, relations with the USA occupy a special place. I can tell you with pleasure that, despite the administration’s [unclear], our friendly relations are continually growing and consolidating. They have reached, and continue to reach, ever higher levels, beginning with the granting of most-favoured-nation status and the substantial technical and humanitarian assistance given to Albania at extremely difficult moments. Bilateral cooperation in security and defence is among the most successful. The USA has strongly supported Albania in all its efforts towards the agreement and to establish economic and political cooperation between our two countries.
We also have very good and friendly relations with Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Slovenia—friendly countries with which we have exchanged visits at every level and signed treaties of friendship and cooperation, as well as a series of other agreements. The DP programme stipulates that the DP seeks the country’s integration into ... Therefore, in the development of the country, with NATO, it has established very good relations with this organization. In addition to the full speeches of Messrs. Shehu, Meksi, Arbnori and Selami at the Extraordinary Conference of the DP, a press conference was held by DP leaders. Our relations with countries and international organizations have grown considerably, and the best conditions for the country’s development have been created. as its principal partner. Albania, the Albanian government, has close relations with this friendly country. administration’s undertaking have reached, and continue to reach, ever higher levels. relations with this friendly country. Meanwhile, joint delegations have also been sent to other countries, and meetings and visits have taken place. ... The programme sets out reform in the fields of the economy, health, education, culture and public order. The Albanian economy is free and [unclear], but the country Europe century cannot be a short-term issue. Europe cannot be reached been made and more will certainly follow. The current Albanian socialist leadership, from positions of destructive nihilism and anti-integration, has regarded all these not as achievements, but as nonexistent. Their innate colour-blindness prevents them from seeing Albanian democracy and Europe, on whose map they act as if they were Europe. The programme’s provisions concerning religious issues have been fully implemented. Albania is a country of freedom and religious tolerance.
THE ARMY, PUBLIC ORDER, SHIK, THE TREATMENT OF PEOPLE
The DP programme provides for reform of the army and its transformation into a democratic institution. The Albanian army is now commanded by civilians; it is no longer a private army of [unclear], but a barracks-based army that is trained and educated under a completely different programme. It has established very good cooperation with the armies of friendly countries and has held joint manoeuvres with them. Today Albania has a reformed army. Military education has also been profoundly reformed. Serious progress has been made in training, both at home and abroad. Progress has also been made in the police sphere, in addressing ... (Continued on page 2)
with the Albanian people, kept the promise it made to the Albanian electorate and fulfilled its historic contract. It saved Albania, “the Somalia of Europe.” Words do not speak to this; facts—and facts alone—do: the great transformations in every field, the laws that have been passed, the new institutions that have been established. In this presentation I will briefly compare our programme with the reality of its implementation in less than three years.
A — IN THE POLITICAL FIELD
Three years ago, the DP’s electoral programme set the following major political objectives: safeguarding the country’s independence and sovereignty; building a state governed by the rule of law; respecting and guaranteeing human freedoms and rights; respecting the rights of minorities; reforming the judiciary; comprehensive reform of local government; depoliticizing institutions; and profound reform of legislation and the judicial system. Albania, where citizens’ freedoms and rights had been prohibited—the country of forbidden speech, forbidden belief, forbidden movement and forbidden property—now has the highest number of private journalists in Europe, is a country of complete religious tolerance, and is dominated by private property. Albanians travel freely throughout the world. Albania, which only four years ago signed the Charter of Human Rights, is a member of the courts [text unclear]. We committed ourselves to drafting a constitution, in the East. outstanding document in relation to the European Convention on Human Rights. The Albanian left-wing extremists, because of their anti-democratic reflex, broke the consensus they had given and voted against the Charter. On 13 June 1993, the Constitution drafted with the Venice Commission was submitted to Parliament, but the Socialist leadership, determined to leave the country without a constitution, and with its destructive stance towards democracy and its laws, as well as its aim of provoking early elections, abandoned Parliament for four months. Nevertheless, we did not stop our efforts for a Constitution; we proposed a Constituent Assembly, which they called an unconstitutional coup. The President’s Constitution, although under the constitutional laws the President has no right to decree a Constituent Assembly or proclaim one, since its creation is the exclusive right of the Albanian Parliament. Faced with this confrontation, and lacking a two-thirds majority in Parliament, we proposed a referendum to approve the Constitution, a procedure fully permitted by our constitutional laws (Article 16/2). The referendum was fully endorsed by the most prominent experts of the Council of Europe delegation and all other international institutions. The Socialist leadership [text unclear].
Mr. Selami
Meanwhile, all the independent institutions stipulated in the programme have been depoliticized.
In these three years, local-government reform was carried out, and the first free local elections in Albania’s history were organized. Local administration was placed on a legal footing fully consistent with the European Charter of Local Self-Government. For party-political purposes, the left-wing extremists are making continual attempts to obstruct this level of government. Its consolidation is and remains a very important issue.
In the DP foreign-policy programme, opening up the country, securing support for reform and internationalizing the Albanian question are identified as the major objectives of this policy.
Over these three years, Albania and Tirana have welcomed and seen off heads of state, ministers and leaders of international organizations more than any other Balkan country, and more than over the entirety of their centuries-long history combined. Let us not forget that Albania, whose last communist Prime Minister had been left at the airport for a visa only three years ago, was visited during these three years by European and world figures, heads of state and leaders of international institutions, including Pope John Paul II, and [text unclear]. We became members [text unclear]. We committed ourselves to drafting a constitution, in the East. four months.
President Skalfaro’s visits to Albania, Mr. Meksi’s visit to Italy, reciprocal visits by the foreign ministers, my meeting with Mr. Berlusconi, and Italy’s uninterrupted continuation of aid to Albania testify to the prospects and current level of the centuries-old friendly cooperation with this country.
Strengthening comprehensive ties with France, Great Britain, Austria and the Scandinavian countries is identified in the programme as an objective of our foreign policy. I think that the Treaty of Friendship with France and the other agreements signed with that country, the initiatives with France, the visits, Prime Minister Meksi’s and Mr. Serregi’s visit to Paris, and the exchange of military delegations are historic developments in our friendly bilateral relations.
Relations with Great Britain are friendly and have reached previously unknown levels. Mr. Herd’s visit to Albania, those of Ministers Hog and Coker, the visit to England, the exchange of military delegations and the agreements signed gave a major boost to our friendly relations. Immediately after the elections, the British government helped Albania with technical and economic assistance.
The DP programme calls for very good relations with Greece, as well as guaranteeing the rights of the Greek minority in Albania and the human rights of the Cham people in Greece, and their repatriation. From the outset, the DP has attached and continues to attach particular importance to relations with our southern neighbour. Albania has made no provocation against it; it has expressed, and will continue to express, its friendship and gratitude for the assistance given to Albania. In keeping with the DP programme, over these three years Albania has met the standards of the Copenhagen Charter on Minorities, as OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Mr. Van Der Shtul acknowledges—standards that many much older democracies, and even founding countries of the Helsinki document, still do not meet. In the latest deterioration of relations with this country, the EU countries and the USA supported our open stance in favour of dialogue and spoke out against a blockade.
We have raised the Cham issue, and [it] continues to give it today as well. Some well-known problems arising from Greece–Nano [text unclear] were overcome, without in any way diminishing our deep friendship and friendly cooperation, or the gratitude of all Albanians cooperation with this country.
Furthermore, to our friendly relations.