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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTI #1067 3551127
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 211127Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6483
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L TIRANA 001067 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2017 
TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO AL
SUBJECT: ALBANIA:  SOCIALIST PARTY CHAIRMAN: THE SP 
SUPPORTS NATO REFORM EFFORTS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador John L. Withers II, Reasons 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
¶1. (C) In a one-on-one conversation with the Ambassador 
following EUR/DAS DiCarlo's December 19 DVC with Albanian 
leaders on Kosovo, Tirana mayor and Socialist Party (SP) 
chairman Edi Rama voiced consternation that the USG might be 
misconstruing the party's position in supporting Albania's 
future NATO membership.  He had, he said, asked former 
Foreign Minister and SP parliamentarian Arta Dade to explain 
the SP's position on judicial and electoral reform to various 
diplomatic missions, including the American Embassy.  Rama 
professed concern that Dade's presentation might be taken as 
refusal to participate in passing reform packages essential 
to a potential NATO invitation.  (Note:  Dade in fact had 
called on the Ambassador the previous day to deliver exactly 
such a message; the Ambassador cautioned her against being 
seen in the international community as obstructing Albania's 
NATO hopes and strongly advised the SP's leadership to 
reconsider its position.  End note.) 
 
¶2. (C) Nothing, Rama insisted, could be further from the 
truth.  Past Socialist Party governments had been the 
strongest advocates of Albania's membership in the Alliance 
and the party under his leadership remained steadfast in its 
determination to achieve that objective.  To that end, he and 
other members of the SP were engaged in discussions with the 
Berisha government to move judicial and electoral reform 
forward as expeditiously as possible.  The governing 
Democratic Party (DP) and the SP, he maintained, had wide 
areas of agreement on restructuring the organization of 
Parliament.  The key issues of the civil registry and the 
national identification card were in government hands and no 
longer matters of parliamentary debate.  It was "not easy," 
Rama declared, for the SP to work with the government on 
reforming the judiciary, given what he claimed were PM 
Berisha's "illegal" machinations in removing former 
Prosecutor General Theodor Sollaku.  Nevertheless, Rama 
promised concerted and good faith efforts to reach agreement 
with the majority on this crucial issue. 
 
¶3. (C) The Ambassador welcomed Rama's determination to reach 
common political ground with the government in the larger 
national interest.  It is essential, he told Rama, that 
leaders across the political spectrum set aside political 
infighting and reach compromises if the NATO goal is to be 
achieved.  The Ambassador stressed a good outcome in 
Bucharest, should it occur, would not be seen as the success 
of any single party or even solely of the government, but of 
the nation, the opposition included, united for the national 
good.  He promised to provide Rama an Embassy-prepared fact 
sheet on key elements of judicial reform (copy e-mailed 
separately to EUR/SCE). 
 
¶4. (C) COMMENT:  Rama's comments mark a major turnaround in 
the Socialist Party's position.  As recently as a few days 
ago, the SP leadership was talking tough and threatening 
confrontation with the majority parties on reform proposals. 
Two principal factors seem to be at play in the reversal. 
First, Rama has come under pressure from the SP 
rank-and-file.  A consortium of SP mayors from some of the 
country's larger cities has urged cooperation with Berisha, 
whom they credit with major increases in allocations for 
municipalities in the government's recent budget.  Moreover, 
Rama is acutely conscious that, with an issue as important as 
NATO on the line, the Nano wing of the party, still chafing 
under Rama's rather eccentric leadership style, may once 
again be enticed to desert to the Berisha camp, as happened 
during the presidential elections this past July.  (The Nano 
faction has presented a list of demands to Rama and said they 
will consider leaving the party early in 2008 if those 
demands -- concerning internal party structure and 
decision-making -- are not met.)  Finally, Rama is desperate 
to avoid condemnation in the international community, and 
especially in Washington, as the man who undermined Albania's 
NATO hopes, should an invitation not be forthcoming in 
Bucharest.  Alternately, he would hope to merit some degree 
of credit if a NATO invitation should come.  Still, Rama's 
new attitude is welcome news.  We will monitor him and PM 
Berisha closely to ensure that they meet their stated 
intentions.  END COMMENT. 
WITHERS