Balkan Newspaper interview with Journalist Stavri Marko

"SP leader is trying to win the lost support of immigrants"

"Rama's last promise has been that immigrants will vote in future elections, but his actions are unacceptable, while Rama, has a "great game" to make concessions for immigrants to Papandreou, already as Greek dual citizenship"

Q. Mr. Marko, Catherine Ashton said yesterday that the visa liberalization requires realization of reforms. While kryesocialisti Rama asked in Strasbourg support for this process. These statements are synchronized with each other?

If the start by Berisha, who in comparison with Rama, is far ahead in terms of diplomacy and international relations.Berisha knew how to play party interests for membership of Albania in NATO, by propagating the eve of the elections a success last year of his sovereign power. Approximately, the same did Rama, stating that the Socialist Party had its special contribution to NATO membership. But Rama could not manage failures of Berisha, in a time that NATO membership occurred exactly at the time that Albania made elections more "modernized" and simultaneously the most contested by NATO itself.

Given that NATO, represents a series of democratic values, it is futile to talk now about boxes voting to be opened.It seems that NATO "de facto" does not exist in Albania and nothing has changed since Albania's membership in the Alliance, while simultaneously disappointed ideals for which the country joined, while democracy starting from votes, has taken steps back. Rama's statement in Brussels does not constitute support for any issue particularly visa. But I want to add that Berisha as Djukanovic in Montenegro or Gruevski in FYROM, use all the concessions that were made for the visas in Europe of these countries, while those used for domestic electoral purposes. This error appears on Rama continues to make.

Q. For the first time SP's, but with so much force requires transparency of elections, calls and support for visas. Is this a new strategy to win more international trust or the SP leader thus accepts reforms made by the PM Berisha?

I would be more practical to addressed Rama, who with his movements in the foreign policy of the Socialist party, is self isolated. There is a distancing from philosophy of SP electorate in the south of the country by Rama. This means many changes in the cupola of the SP, orchestrated by Rama himself, bringing guests, friends, businessmen or exponents of the former nomenclature from the center.

Rama has left a part of his electorate, but also has disillusioned many communities, particularly in the Southern Albania, but also in emigration in Greece. But the special is the philosophy, he is building a party, which is not much known to distinguish nationalist influences. Just opening the voting boxes, Rama changed political direction of his voting cause, to the movement against Greece, which brought together a distancing of PASOK (!) and support of George Papandreou.

Clearly known that the introduction of Albania in Europe is neither merit nor Berisha both Edi Rama, also known that Athens for Albania, has decided to join the EU, particularly Papandreou plan for the Balkans in 2014. But without the support of PASOK and immigrants, it has not any hope that will help the electorate of SP to win next anticipate elections? One thing is known. This makes it necessary co-operation with the force of socialist immigrants in Greece, who yesterday became European citizens by the Greek Parliament.

Rama's promise has been that immigrants will vote in future elections, but his actions are unacceptable categorically, while Rama already have a "great game" to make concessions to immigrants to Papandreou, already as Greek dual citizenship.

Q. Rama said that two important issues are the transparency of elections by opening the boxes and the visa liberalization. Are of the same importance on these two issues for Albanians?

Edi Rama, as part of European Socialists "at the center", has more information than Berisha about integration of Albania. But still Berisha is in power, I'm sure that the suspension of visas with Albania would mean a victory for Berisha as happened with NATO.

Original interview in Albanian Newspaper:
http://www.ballkan.com/index.php?page=shownews&newsID=4613