Nano: We will convene Parliament
After President Berisha's delays in calling Parliament
All Albanians, especially the new majority that won more than 2/3 of the seats in parliament, are waiting for Mr Berisha to carry out his final institutional duty: to call Parliament. After that, everything passes to the new legislative power, to the new majority that controls the new parliament. The new parliament must be convened. If Berisha does not cooperate, we will convene the new parliament ourselves, against Berisha's old — that is, primitive — wish to block it. And finally, at the very first meeting of the new Parliament, even without Berisha's cooperation, we will invite Berisha to decide whether he will remain a deputy — and in that case he has the fortune of being involved in the philosophy of coexistence — or whether he will remain, for only a few more hours of the new parliament, President. Interview with the leader of the majority Fatos Nano Page 2
Berisha's departure without return
Editorial
Berisha now has nothing left to do except make the final handovers of the presidential office and leave it. This is a departure without return for Berisha. He is leaving the post that he misused for five years, also losing the chance to knock on that door again. The departure of a president from office under normal circumstances would constitute a solemn event in the life of the country. In other democratic countries, when presidents are replaced, such events are accompanied by festive ceremonies and honors befitting the highest institution in the country. Such a thing will not happen in Albania. It will not happen because Berisha is leaving office in shame. He is leaving, forced out by the clear verdict of the people to remove him from the political scene. He is leaving because the absolute majority of Albanian seats can no longer tolerate his presence. Berisha is leaving office after a grave tragedy for the Albanian people. Around three thousand dead, around ten thousand wounded, the state struck hard in every cell, the army destroyed, the state finances in dark days, the country's prestige in such a condition that it will take years to repair. These are the fruits of Berisha's disastrous rule during his five years in power. Five years ago Berisha came to the post of president as the leader of the main opposition party. With a compromising communist past, he managed to manipulate domestic and foreign opinion by taking on the badge of chief democrat. This was also one of the reasons why the people voted for him in 1992 and why the international opinion tolerated him for longer than it should have. Although with a compromising past as a loyal servant of the communist nomenklatura, with the vote of confidence of the people Berisha had the historic chance to lead the country toward what Albanians aspired to: toward a democratic civil society, with hope for continuous improvement in welfare, with the possibility of integrating into all international organizations and forums. But such a thing did not happen, and that was Berisha's fault. Instead of embracing reform, he reverted completely to classic totalitarian methods in his relations with political forces and other institutions of the democratic state. He put the entire state at the service of his own ego for power. When this state had to face broad popular uprisings raised in protest, it melted like salt in water. Berisha thus placed himself in open conflict with the people. The people's hatred toward him reached the level that led to the armed revolt. With the elections of [?-?], in June the conflict between Berisha and the people was finally resolved. Now Berisha must change offices, returning to his party headquarters. In truth this new office is no longer the one from 1991, when he was leader of the opposition. Albania is no longer the Albania of 1991 either. Nor are Albanians the same as six years ago. Berisha's political game will no longer have the same effects it once had. The best thing for the country would be for Berisha to withdraw from politics once and for all. That way he would leave the Albanian people and the Democratic Party itself in peace. But he cannot stay without a chair. That is the disease of all dictators. So Berisha may enjoy the chair of PD leader if they allow him. But he will never return to the chair of head of the Albanian state. He will not return, because the Albanians will no longer allow the last remnants of communism to come to power, in their most bastard form, such as Berisha.
