Census in Albania

Stavros Tzimas

KATHIMERINI

The question "how many are we?" The next, will be call for Greeks in Albania, organized their own inventory. Our expatriates boycotted the census in the autumn by the Albanian government and the questioning by other minority groups. They felt that the conditions under which the count would not allow the free expression of will by citizens to the national and religious feeling.

The truth is that generally met international standards, but to sensitive questions about religion and national consciousness Berisha government, succumbing to pressure from nationalist circles, set conditions that discourage minority occur safely. Like for example the threat of one thousand euro fine on anyone now declaring Greek and in the last census in 1989 in the communist regime, had recorded an Albanian. At the time, but were only Greeks who lived in the villages of Dropolis, area designated minority area, and excluded other areas with compact Diaspora population as Himara, Korça Mr. al. If the latter procedure one example Cheimarriotis stated Greek, not only will inventories as a minority, but threatened with a fine!
The Albanian government announced partial results of the census. Released, ie, so far the number of citizens of the country and buildings, but not those of members of different minorities and religious dogmas. This is certainly the most difficult aspect of this inventory as well as things have turned the population map of the country will be under question. The company is testing cycles to deliver the abstinence of the Greek minority in projects of Athens, can hardly walk and internationally for the additional reason that apart from the Greek community, a decision of the Roman Catholic Church of Albania abstained and Catholic in religion, calculated to 10% of the population who are also planning their own inventory. And the Vatican, of course, far from destabilizing Albania, continues.

The Greek expatriates, organizing separate inventory risk and high risk. Should the leadership to demonstrate, if it wants to receive favorable acceptance in international organizations, the bold initiative that was carried out with unimpeachable process. Mostly, however, required to take all measures to return to inventory and the largest possible number of expatriates, who overwhelmingly migrated to Greece, but maintain ties with their ancestral land. Otherwise, the option will become a fiasco that will also be the final blow to the Greeks of Albania.