Government decisions, from lobbying in America to concerts against the Socialists’ hunger strike CIP report for 2010 revealed / How the decisions were hidden from publication in the Official Gazette News The Government of Albania keeps 112 Council of Ministers decisions made during 2010 secret, continuing the lack of transparency toward the public over the use of Albanian taxpayers’ money, while also violating the law on publishing decisions in the Official Gazette TIRANA ARBEN ROXHANI The Albanian government hid from the public, for last year, 112 Council of Ministers decisions made during the previous year, when it approved at least 1081 Council of Ministers decisions. In the Official Gazettes of 2010, only 821 Council of Ministers decisions were published, while 25 standard decisions issued during 2010 were identified, which can be found online but not in the Official Gazettes. On the official website of the Council of Ministers, 58 decisions approving agreements in principle were also found, of which 4 were published in the Official Gazettes, while the other 54 were not. In the Official Gazettes of 2010, 17 Council of Ministers decisions “approving agreements in principle” were published. These are the conclusions of the 2010 report prepared by the Center for Public Information Issues (CIP), parts of which are published today by “Shqiptarja.com”. According to this report, during 2010 at least 25 Council of Ministers decisions (final decisions) were not published in the Official Gazettes out of at least 71 decisions “for approval in principle”; 17 were sent for publication in the 2010 Official Gazette. These other acts may be either Council of Ministers decisions that finally approve the decisions “for approval in principle,” when that is the Government’s own competence, or Council of Ministers decisions proposing draft laws for their ratification in Parliament, when that is Parliament’s competence (Article 121/1 of the Constitution)... continues on page 2 In the photo: Singer Çiljeta Xhilaga with Prime Minister Berisha during a PD concert

Editorial BY AFRIM KRASNIQI The game of masks for the rules of procedure The two major political parties, PD and PS, have agreed to begin work on changes to the new rules of procedure of parliament. The point of reference will be the rules of procedure of the European Parliament. The consensus is welcome, but I do not think there is reason for champagne. The two sides have opposing demands related to secret voting, the time for free parliamentary debate, the treatment of MPs and the structure. This is the seventh time that parliament has set up bipartisan committees to deal with how MPs will speak, vote and behave in parliament. The fact that once again there are problems and there is a committee shows that the 20-year consensual result has not been productive or long-lasting... Even now, the chances are minimal, for at least two fundamental reasons. First, the parliamentary parties have not complied for 13 years with the constitutional obligation to draft and approve a law on the organic organization and functioning of parliament. This law would have to pass with 84 votes, meaning it requires consensus and could not be changed by any majority, as has often happened with the rules of procedure. Second, PD-PS do not take as a basis one of the rules of procedure of the 27 EU countries, but that of the European Parliament (EP). This is a unique model, with fundamental differences from national parliaments. The EP has no electoral ruling-opposition competition, it has no... continues on page 2

JAKIN MARENA The court has postponed the trial against the Socialist MPs, who are accused of defamation by the PD MP Albana Vokshi, on the grounds that the latter is under administrative investigation by the ILDKP for failure to declare the amount of 106 thousand euros... continues on page 5

Debate, tenor Rudin Sata: Zhani Ciko’s betrayal Pages 12-13 Meta’s video, Gimi’s 7%-scheme statement, questions and answers Pages 6-7

Recommendations of the Venice Commission: The CEC should not be partisan Page 4 The family is wiped out, the witness: The fire brigade arrived 25 minutes late Page 14

The first hotel for GAY people in Tirana, rooms from 15 to 30 euros Page 8 New Tirana, 4 days without electricity, CEZ: We are working, there is a serious fault Page 9

NEW DEVELOPMENTS In the process involving PS MPs, the issue of ILDKP emerges

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