Political system of Republic of Albania

1. Political system of Republic of Albania Věra Stýskalíková POL 268

2. Albania since 1945 in the hands of Enver Hoxha • Enver Hoxha (October 16, 1908–April 11, 1985) was the paramount leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the CommunistAlbanian Party of Labour: • Cultural and ideological revolution • Abolition of religion • Isolation (fear of the outside world) • Repression of clan system and clan leaders • Radical change in the status of Albanian women • Stalinism, enverism, titoists (traitors) • Repression (Sigurimi) • Technological backwardness

3. Challenges for Albania in the 90s of the 20th century: • Democracy for the very 1st time • Total Isolation • No independent courts, media, civic groups and associations • Instabil region • Geostrategical importance

4. Main Cleavage • Gegs in the north and in Kosovo, Macedonia and Monte Negro. In power till 1945, then since 1992. The society is regulated by Kanun. • Tosks in the south. In power 1945-1992; 1997-2005.

5. Transition: • 1985-1992 Liberalisation • 1992-1996 democratisation and transition, Democratic party having power • 1997 The Pyramid Schemes Crisis. Socialists in power • 1998 assasination of Azem Hajdari, attempt for the coup d´etat • 1999 Kosovo • 2001 Macedonia

6. The Hoxha´s Successor Ramiz Alia(other candidates either had been eliminated by the dictator himself or had died) • Alia did not relax censorship, but he did allow public discussions of Albania's societal problems and encouraged debates among writers and artists on cultural issues. In response to international criticism of Albania's record on human rights, the new leadership loosened some political controls and ceased to apply repression on a mass scale. In 1986 and 1989, general amnesties brought about the release of many long-term prisoners. Alia also took steps to establish better ties with the outside world, strengthening relations with Greece, Italy, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. A loosening of restrictions on travel and tourism resulted in a more promising outlook for Albania's tourist trade. • By the late 1980s, Alia was supporting a campaign for more openness in the press and encouraging people to talk freely about Albania's problems. As a result, controversial articles on a range of topics began to appear in the press. Not everyone, however, was happy with Alia's cautious program of reform. The entrenched party bureaucrats were worried that they would lose their powers and privileges and hence resisted many of the changes. Thus Alia's government was not able, or willing, to attempt changes that would put an end to the repressive elements of the system.

7. Beginning of the 90s: • Albania was the last country for the revolution to happen • Ramiz Alia started the slight political and economical reform in 1990 (travelling, religion, Ministry of Justice, visas for foreigners)

8. Main events for the demise of the regime: • Crisis on the embassies (2.7.1990) • Ismail Kadare asked for the political asyl in France (october 1990)

9. The emergence of the political pluralism: • 1st political party: 12.12.1990 Democratic party of Albania (PSSh) • Semi-democratical elections 31.3.1991 won the Albanian Party of Labour Ramiz Alia president Fatos Nano prime minister

10. The communists do not want to give up • The government was not able to deal with the crisis situation, the new government of national salvation was set up, reforms (privatisation, liberalisation of prices etc) • The prime minister announced that the Albania has the food reserves only for 6 days which revoked the anarchism and looting.

11. Elections of 1992 • Victory of Democratic party of Albania which stays in power till 1997: • Democratical party 92 seats • Socialist party 38 seats • Social democrats 7 MPs • Union for Human rights 2 seats • Republican party 1 seat • (100 MPS in single member districts, 40 proportional, 4% threshhold) The parties on ethnical ground were forbidden – the Greeks renamed Omonia • The parliament elected Sali Berisha new president • President designed new premier Alexander Meksi

12. Transition towards democracy or authoritarian rule??? • Economical reforms • Reforms in Justice and the State of Law • The socialists imprisoned (Some got amnesty or the sentence was reduced afterwards, e.g. Nexhemije Hoxha, some charged with financial affairs) • Opening of the Sigurimi files • 1993 controversial media law (couple journalists imprisoned and charged with the detection of the state secrect, the government kept the media control • The constitution guaranteed the parliamentary democracy – in practice we could talk about the hyprid semi-presidential systém • The justice was not separated from the executive power • The human rights violation, police abuse, nonlegal practices continued • No political culture, corruption, financial affairs • Support for the pyramid schemes

13. Berisha proposed the new Constitution: • Clear proposal for the semi-presidential regime • 2 controversial (nondemocratic) articles • Article which forbiddens the political parties on the religious and (or) ethnic grounds • The heads of the religious institution must be the albanian citizens, which had lived in albania for 20 years or were born there (aimed against the albanian orthodox church and its leader ethnic Greek Anastasios Yannoulatos) • 54% of the voters rejected the proposal • 42 % voters voted for • Clear cleavage south-north

14. The foreign policy • Cooperation with NATO states • Cooperation with the islamic world • Cooperation with the neighbours

15. Parliament • The Assembly of Albania (Kuvendi i Shqipërisë), also known as the People's Assembly (Kuvendi Popullor) is the parliament of Albania. It has 140 members, elected for a four year term. 100 are elected directly in single member constituencies with an approximately equal number of voters. 40 are elected from multi-name lists of parties or party coalitions according to their ranking. The total number of deputies of a party or a party coalition shall be, to the closest possible extent, proportional to the valid votes won by them on the national scale in the first round of elections. Parties that receive less than 2.5 % and party coalitions that receive less than 4 % of the valid votes on the national scale in the first round of elections do not benefit from the respective multi-name list. The president is elected by parliament.

16. Party system – bipolar, two main political parties • The Socialist Party of Albania (Albanian: Partia Socialiste e Shqipërisë) is the current opposition political party of Albania. It currently has 43 MPs in the Albanian parliament out of a total of 140. It gained power in 1997 after a political crisis. In the 2002 General Election it secured 73 seats in the Parliament, which enabled it to form the Government. In the General Election of 3 July2005, the Socialist Party lost the majority and the Democratic Party of Albania formed the new Government, having secured a majority of 81 seats (together with its allies). • The Socialist Party of Albania is the legal successor to the Albanian Labor Party (which was once the Communist Party of Albania)). It is a member of the Socialist International, and is currently led by Edi Rama. Until 1 September2005, since its creation, the Socialist Party was led by Fatos Nano. He tendered his resignation as result of the outcome of losing the elections.

17. Edi Rama – new figure on the political scene – artist or politician?? • Edi Rama criticized Sali Berisha's regime a lot abroad during his career as an internationally recognized visual artist. • In 1997, security agents beat Rama nearly to death. After a long recovery he emigrated to Paris. When he went to his father's funeral in 1998, Fatos Nano called him into his government to be the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports. His first step was the opening of movie theaters to show Hollywood and other foreing movies in order to allow the Albanian people's mental isolation from the rest of the world to end. • In 2000, Rama ran for the mayor of Tirana as an independent candidate supported by the Socialist Party of Albania. He gathered 57% of the votes. Shortly after his election, Edi Rama's house came under fire from an unknown gunman on November 9, 2000, but Rama escaped the assassination attempt unscathed. • The most noted impact of Rama has been the many improvements to the city since he took over. Although he has been accused of corruption and funds mismanagement, he is mostly liked by the citizens for his bold style and the cleaning up of the city. His Clean and Green project in 2000 resulted in the production of 96,700 square metres of green land and parks in the city and the planting of nearly 1,800 trees. He also ordered the painting of many old buildings in what has come to be known as Edi Rama colours (very bright yellow, green, violet).

18. Party system – bipolar, two main political parties • The Democratic Party of Albania (Albanian: Partia Demokratike e Shqipërisë) is a center-rightpolitical party in Albania. It was instrumental in the ending of communist rule in Albania and was in power from 1992 until 1997, under the leadership of Sali Berisha and Aleksander Meksi. The government resigned in 1997 after a civil war nearly broke out and it's socialist rivals gained power. It is part of the Union for Victory (Bashkimi për Fitoren) coalition, which received 37.1 percent of the vote in the 2001 elections and 46 members of parliament. In the July 2005 parliamentary elections, the Democratic Party won 55 of the 140 seats and its allies won 18. This means that with a combined total of 73 seats, the Democratic Party and its allies will regain power when the new Parliament is sworn in. Sali Berisha has returned as a leader of the party.

19. Minor political parties on the „right“ • The Republican Party of Albania (Albanian: Partia Republikane e Shqipërisë) is a conservative political party in Albania. In the 2001 election it was part of the Union for Victory (Bashkimi për Fitoren) coalition which received 37.1% of the vote and 46 members of parliament. In the 2005 elections the Republican Party received 11 of the 140 seats, making it the third largest political party in Albania. • The New Democratic Party (in Albanian: Partia Demokrate e Re) is a political party in Albania. It is led by Genc Pollo. • PDR is part of the coalition Alliance for Freedom, Justice and Welfare (Aleanca për Liri, Drejtësi dhe Mirëqenie). In the parliamentary elections of 2005 PDR won four seats on the proportional list • The Democratic Alliance Party (Albanian: Partia Aleanca Demokratike) is a centrist liberal party in Albania. The party was formed in 1992 by Neritan Ceka and other dissidents of the Democratic Party of Albania. They were opposed to the allegedly autocratic rule of president Sali Berisha. The Democratic Alliance Party became part of a socialist led government in 1997. In the June 2001 elections it received 2.4% of the vote and three members of parliament. The party continued in government. At the last elections in July 2005 it won 3 seats in Parliament.

20. Minor political parties on the „left“ • The Social Democratic Party of Albania (Albanian: Partia Socialdemokrate e Shqipërisë) is a social-democraticAlbanianpolitical party. The party was formed in 1991. At the 2001 elections it got 3.6 percent of the vote and elected four Members of Parliament. At the last elections in July 2005 it increased its representation, now holding seven seats in Parliament. All seven MPs were elected through the proportional list.The party is led by Skënder Gjinushi • The Socialist Movement for Integration (Albanian: Lëvizja Socialiste për Integrim) is an Albanianpolitical party. At the last elections in July 2005 it won five seats in Parliament. • The Environmentalist Agrarian Party (Albanian: Partia Agrare Ambientaliste) is an Albanianpolitical party, founded in 1991. The party is led by Lufter Xhuveli. Initially the party was known as the Agrarian Party of Albania (Partia Agrare e Shqipërisë). It is a reformist party that supports a free marketeconomic system. In the June 2001 elections, it received 2.6 percent of the vote and three seats in Parliament, In the 2005 parliamentary elections the party got 88 605 votes (6.5%) and 4 seats. • The Social Democracy Party of Albania (Albanian: Partia Demokracia Sociale e Shqiperise) is an Albanianpolitical party. At the last elections in July 2005 it won two seats in Parliament.

21. Ethnic parties • The Unity for Human Rights Party (Albanian: Partia Bashkimi për të Drejtat e Njeriut, Greek: Κόμμα Ένωσης Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων) is a centrist, more or less liberal party in Albania. The party was founded in 1992 to represent Albania's ethnic Greek population as the continuation of the Democratic Union of the Greek Minority (Omonoia). The Unity for Human Rights Party joined a Socialist-led coalition in 1997. In the 2001 elections it received 2.6% of the vote and three members of parliament. At the last elections in July 2005 it won two seats in parliament. The party leader is Vasil Melo.

22. Extremist (anti-system) parties The Movement of Legality Party (Albanian: Partia Lëvizja e Legalitetit or PLL) is a monarchistpolitical party in Albania, led by Eqerem Spahia. In the 2001elections it was part of the Union for Victory (Bashkimi për Fitoren) coalition which received 37.1% of the vote and 46 members of parliament. The party of the Albanian National Front (Albanian: Partia Balli Kombëtar Shqiptar) is a nationalistpolitical party in Albania. In the 2001 elections it was part of the Union for Victory (Bashkimi për Fitoren) coalition which received 37.1% of the vote and 46 members of parliament.

23. 1997 state of anarchy Armed rebellion after the fall of the pyramid schemes South against north and Berisha Looting of every state agency Looting of army arsenals OSCE step to country and organises elections

24. 1998 another unrest? Prominent politician Azem Hajdari was assasinated. The democrats accused the socialists from the assasination. Provoked coup d´etat by Berisha?? After his assassination, for which Berisha blamed the Socialist Party of Albania and its leaders, there were several demonstrations, some of them violent. Others blamed Berisha himself. No one was convicted of Hajdari's murder, although many people were eventually fingered as having participated in his assassination. Many of these suspects were in turn assassinated or killed under different circumstances.

25. Development since 1997 • The general elections of June 1997 brought the Socialists and their allies to power. President Berisha resigned from his post, and Socialists elected Rexhep Meidani as the President of the Republic. Albanian Socialist Party Chairman Fatos Nano was elected Prime Minister, a post which he held until October 1998, when he resigned as a result of the tense situation created in the country after the assassination of a prominent leader of the Democratic Party, Azem Hajdari. Pandeli Majko was then elected Prime Minister, and he served in this post until November 1999, when he was replaced by Ilir Meta. Albania approved its constitution through a popular referendum which was held in November 1998, but which was boycotted by the opposition. In the last parliamentary elections 2005 the Democratic party returned to power.

26. Presidents of Albania • Sali Ram Berisha (born October 15, 1944) is the Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania. He was also the president of Albania from 1992 to 1997. • Rexhep Qemal Meidani on July 24, 1997, with the proposal of the SP, the Albanian Assembly elected Mr. Meidani, President of the Republic.Meidani was succeeded in the presidency by Alfred Moisiu in 2002. • Alfred Spiro Moisiu (born December 1, 1929 in Shkoder) has been President of Albania since July 24, 2002.

27. President • The President of the Republic is elected by secret vote and without debate by the Assembly by a majority of three-fifths of all its members. The President of the Republic is in every case elected for 5 years, with the right of reelection only once. The President of the Republic may be discharged for serious violations of the Constitution and for the commission of a serious crime. In these cases, a proposal for the discharge of the President may be made by not less than one-fourth of the members of the Assembly and must be supported by not less than two-thirds of all its members.

28. Parliament • 140 MP´s, 4 years • 100 seats elected in single-member constituencies and 40 by a separate proportional ballot on a nationwide basis.