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DE RUEHTI #0398/01 1441504
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231504Z MAY 08  CTG MANY SERVICES
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7109
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000398 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE, JUSTICE FOR OPDAT, ICITAP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL AL
SUBJECT: RIPPLES FROM A BOULDER: AMBASSADOR'S REMARKS RENEW 
DEBATE ON CORRUPTION, IMMUNITY 
 
TIRANA 00000398  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: The release of USAID's annual report on 
corruption perceptions, and a pointed speech delivered by 
Ambassador Withers at its May 7 launch, reignited the 
stagnant debate on corruption in Albania and prompted some 
prickly Government responses.  The event received wide media 
attention and highlighted an issue that, while reportedly 
among the GOA's highest priorities, has seen little concrete 
progress. The ensuing discussion may have broken the logjam 
on removing high-level immunity, has energized the opposition 
to raise perceived government failure on corruption, and has 
revealed a split in the Democratic Party (DP) establishment 
on how serious a problem corruption is in today's Albania. 
We plan to keep the pressure on, at a minimum to ensure that 
stated plans to introduce legislation to lift immunity do not 
evaporate.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) In conjunction with the May 7 roll-out of the USAID 
sponsored "2008 Corruption in Albania Survey: Perceptions and 
Experiences," the Ambassador delivered relatively short, but 
fairly pointed remarks.  He cited examples of everyday 
corruption that were instantly recognizable to the audience, 
composed primarily of university students and the media.  The 
Ambassador called on Albanian officials to show their 
seriousness in fighting corruption by lifting immunity, and 
challenged the citizenry to demand more of its Government as 
well as to itself refrain from engaging in day-to-day petty 
corruption.  At times, the audience responded almost 
physically to some of the examples.  To date, there are still 
occasional editorials and commentaries sparked by the 
intervention.  The event occurred in the run-up to Albania's 
annual "Justice Day" ceremonies, providing further 
opportunities for public and official reaction. 
 
¶3.  (U) Opposition leader Edi Rama expressed broad support 
for the Ambassador's charge (and USAID's evidentiary polling) 
that the perception of corruption has worsened over the last 
year.  Rama emphasized GOA failure to improve the overall 
climate while specifically raising the reportedly corrupt 
practices surrounding the Gerdec tragedy and national road 
construction projects.  The media elite almost uniformly 
agreed, responding with a series of front page articles and 
editorials also citing government failure to make a dent in 
corruption. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) President Bamir Topi reacted almost immediately to 
the speech, calling for  increased awareness of corruption 
among government agencies as a step toward tackling it. 
However, after some quiet comments to the Ambassador at a May 
8 lunch, Prime Minister Berisha maintained a public two-day 
silence on the topic, finally broken when he noted to a 
student group that a NATO invitation had been extended 
because the government had demonstrated an "iron will" in the 
fight against corruption.  In other comments, Berisha 
asserted that the Ambassador's comments exaggerated the 
problem of corruption in Albania;  the Ambassador's 
references, Berisha stated, were "but a leaf on the tree," 
while the Government's "successful efforts against 
corruption" constituted the forest.  The PM then sought to 
shift the debate from his government's record on corruption 
to the related question of immunity for Parliamentarians and 
other high officials by calling for its removal as "a 
condition for a successful fight against corruption."  (Note: 
While Topi resigned his DP membership when he took the 
presidency, he continues to have a contingent of DP members 
who back him, rather than the PM.  His outspoken comments on 
this issue reinforced this division.) 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Others also seized on the topic of immunity, 
including Rama, and public debate heated up in the days 
following the speech.  While the DP danced around the topic 
of the current highest profile immunity case, that of former 
Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu, the opposition used it as an 
example of the need for change, and the President contributed 
his support.  (Note: Prosecutor General Ina Rama formally 
requested the lifting of Mediu's immunity April 25 to 
investigate charges related to the Gerdec explosion, but 
Parliament has so far not acted on this request.)  According 
to media reports, a consensus has been building in Parliament 
between Socialist Party (SP) and DP parliamentarians for an 
across-the board limitation for the legislative and judicial 
branches as well as the heads of some state institutions 
(though any reduction in immunity provisions would likely 
exclude the President).  Some speculate that the overall 
provisions will be changed and that Mediu's immunity would 
then be lifted by way of the changed provisions, so that he 
is not singled out to have his immunity lifted alone. 
 
¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: The USAID report is a useful tool each year 
to highlight progress, or lack thereof, on the fight against 
 
TIRANA 00000398  002 OF 002 
 
 
corruption, an issue of paramount importance for Albania's 
further democratic development.  The media storm created by 
the Ambassador's speech highlighted the need to remove 
official immunity at a timely moment.  With the Gerdec 
investigation ongoing in an apparently diligent and 
professional manner, and the issue still before the public 
eye, an incentive to move forward on lifting immunity for all 
may have come at an opportune time.  Berisha's attempts to 
minimize the Ambassador's examples and to extol progress in 
the government's fight against corruption are not convincing 
to the average Albanian.  In coming weeks, we will continue 
to keynote corruption, particularly the lifting of immunity, 
in our private discussions with senior government and 
opposition leaders, and to keep it front and center in our 
public pronouncements.  END COMMENT. 
WITHERS