By SONILA MEÇO
The general elections are now over. Albanians voted the Socialist Party to form a government on its own. Under the paradigm of the winner who is not judged and the loser who comes up with pretexts, nobody is yet clear how the government will be in the next four years. This is the first time that hearings take place with the citizens after the elections and not before the elections, to understand what they want, thus turning into an effort to legitimize what an election process could not secure morally, a process filled with suspicions and suppositions. Through a system which regularly exempts people and leaves them outside a perimeter where they can control and feel represented by those that they elect, but one which is known by the domestic opinion and the international community.
In a historical moment for Albania and in a reconfiguration of geo-political influences in the region, the deputy assistant Secretary of State, Hoyt Brian Yee, said that Western Balkan countries will not be able to achieve the economic average of the European Union even in 30 years and he recalls that the US cannot tolerate corrupt politicians in the Balkans and that the citizens are responsible for their election. So, we are clearly told that we’re responsible for our political elites, for this phase of integration that we’ve come to and the situation that we’re in.
On the same day, the US State Department says in its report on Albania that foreign investors have been challenged by excessive corruption and informal business practices. With this power of illegitimate money and excessive corruption, according to the USA, the responsibility for the election of corrupt leaders falls upon the citizens.
And in a democracy, the will of the people is exerted directly or through their representatives in parliament who are elected in free and democratic elections, through active participation of the people in politics and civil society and through the rule of law, where everyone is equal before the law.
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Albania casted its vote and it offered the Socialist Party a golden opportunity to govern on its own, in a country where check and balance, which is a mechanism of democratic regimes, has degraded as a result of being misused or of not being used regularly. The division of powers and their independent way of functioning, are not even memories, because it’s hard to remember a period when the judiciary, media or parliament have enabled the government to become authoritarian.
While people are asked to be responsible when electing their rulers, let us recall how Albanian citizens are in fact unable to choose. While one eye is needed to keep corrupt officials in check, two eyes are needed not to allow the “citizen” to be corrupted.
Today, the citizen is abandoned by civil society, which is part of strong battles to survive financially in front of a corrupt power. Those who protested yesterday, have been awarded with a project today in order not to protest any more. Others are infiltrated in just causes to weaken and bewilder them. It’s hard to count the battles won by civil society, which are needed to create trust.
Today, the citizen has been abandoned by the media, which chooses not to air his protest, but instead, it chooses to air the propaganda of the government. The media of political marketing, which combines business and political interests, where the citizen is seen as consumer and owners build public opinion.
Today, the citizen is abandoned by his fellowman, who wants to leave the country for lack of hope.
The citizen has been abandoned by the Constitution, which at the state that it’s in, its only function is to legitimize power and not act as a guarantor of the state.
Today, the citizen has been abandoned by the electoral system, which doesn’t allow him to decide the fate of power through his free vote.
Today, the citizen has been abandoned by a territorial division, which has distanced him from his representative, making it impossible for the latter to hear about his problems and to be held accountable.
Today, the citizen feels abandoned by the service that controls the quality of food and cares for his wellbeing.
Today, the citizen feels abandoned by referendums, his right to directly decide on issues that concern him. When was the last referendum called?
The citizen has been abandoned by politics and this is so true that the acting Prime Minister of the country, the leader of the party that won a majority to form a government on its own, declared that “if we don’t return power to the citizens, the defeat will be even bigger”.
The citizen has been abandoned by the opposition, which is in the middle of an internal war.
The citizen has been abandoned by new parties, which, in spite of being voted, they cannot represent him in Parliament.
The citizen has also been abandoned by the international community, which hails the way they voted, although none of the previous recommendations of OSCE/ODIHR were put into practice, bringing an electoral process where the vote, its legitimacy and its value are not respected.
The citizen has been abandoned by democracy which has chosen stability as a cure for a system which is still in transition.
The citizen is being abandoned by public spaces, which have been put at the service of private interests.
The citizen has been abandoned by unions and he feels unprotected when he’s part of a private company or state administration.
The citizen has been abandoned by news. News is not aired. Instead, it goes through online portals, turning into unstructured, untrue and libeling information that serves to the interests of their owners, business or other dark connections of those who want to drive and shape opinion.
Note: The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Albanian Free Press’ editorial policy.
