The Task Force and the state’s failure

By Plator Nesturi

As it was expected, in the first days of November, a unit from the FBI along with German and Italian experts, would arrive to Albania to help with the setting up of the Special Prosecution and the supporting structures which will investigate crime and corruption in this country and bring it before justice. This was announced by Prime Minister Rama in his weekly appearance, when he announced that a Task Force with foreign experts will be created. All of this appears to be a success and crime should shake in its boots. Meanwhile, the opposition has declared that fresh scandals will unfold in the weeks to come, promising to shake the government and the left wing majority to its foundations. Even these are expected to be provided by foreign services, because our services are hardly taken seriously. So, everyone, left and right, is rejoicing over the foreign experts who will discredit the opponent and who will finally make justice and install credibility on law enforcement agencies.

But, everyone seems to forget one little detail. The arrival of foreign specialists with the aim of installing order, showed that the state has failed. Institutions such as police, prosecution and courts, which form the main pillars of the justice system, have completely failed. The state, which they have all built, has failed.

We may call it any way we like to call it: aid, assistance or tutelage. The arrival of foreign experts to monitor and support the new structures of investigation, is, first of all, a failure. The failure of a political class to build a state with standards. So, at the end of the day, we might as well feel grateful that they are coming, because with this pace of intolerance, corruption and injustices in the sentences delivered by this rich judicial system, we will start to eat each-other alive. By this judicial system which has been delivered as a gift by this political class, which today, seems happy about the arrival of foreigners who are coming to bring order. Meanwhile, these foreign experts will not allow politics to poke its nose in the judicial system, promoting its servants and intimidating those who seek justice. A judicial system which ignores any sort of abuse, corruption, turning this system into a swamp, where nothing happens and justice sinks in its mud.

Foreign experts come to Albania after the voting of a law which the international community imposed upon the Albanian parliament. A parliament which turned out to be criminalized and where the “founding fathers” were discovered to have criminal records at home and abroad. Foreign experts come at a time when the law on decriminalization revealed that many officials of central and local government had criminal records. They come at a time when a part of the economy is criminalized from the money coming from traffics or dirty money belonging to yesterday’s and today’s people in power. They come at a time when people are killing each other as a result of the unfair decisions delivered by the courts. We’re in real trouble. This is why people are hoping that perhaps, something will change in the justice system with the arrival of foreign experts. Common people are not very interested to know how the issue concerning the mandate of the Attorney General will be solved or whether Visho Ajazi was pressured into resigning or stepped down for personal reasons. This has no relevance for them, because these institutions have done very little to change this situation of impunity. Today, a former railway official turned out to be a drug dealer. Similar cases have also been seen in the past. The fate of the Attorney General or judges is relevant for people like him, because they have closed cases and have ruled out in his favor. But common people are not interested on this.

So, to all of this political class which is crying out its support for the creation of the Task Force, I say: Please, save it. It was you who brought justice to this point. Be quiet for once and keep your head low.

Note: The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Albanian Free Press’ editorial policy