VZCZCXRO6834
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHTI #0674/01 2821354
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 091354Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8513
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000674 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL AL
SUBJECT: Tirana Impressions 
 
TIRANA 00000674  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U) The following is a weekly report prepared by Embassy 
Tirana's local staff to provide additional political, economic and 
cultural insight into current developments in Albania. 
 
---------------------- 
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS 
---------------------- 
 
What Rama's Boycott Means 
------------------------- 
 
¶2.  Following a bitter election defeat in June, Socialist Party 
Chairman Edi Rama has launched an energetic campaign decrying the 
election results, including a large demonstration scheduled for 
October 10.  People were convinced at first that Rama had to create 
a perception of a political party threatened by external enemies; a 
strategy in reality aimed at fighting off internal SP opposition. 
During the post-election SP congress at the end of August, Socialist 
party members found out that any effort to unseat Rama from within 
the SP was almost futile.  With only minor, sporadic objections, all 
party forums, structures, and SP local mayors supported Rama's right 
to rerun, even though this clearly contravened the party's own 
statutes.  According to Rama, his decision to run for re-election 
was justified under the "extraordinary situation of an illegitimate 
government that stole the votes oQhe Albanians." 
 
¶3.  The SP Congress did not refer to any boycott of the parliament. 
HoQer, immediately afterwards Rama declared that the 
decision-making organ of the Party had authorized any such action it 
deemed fit.  A boycott was thus declared and a series of conditions 
was attached for a return to parliament.  The list starts with a 
mega parliamentary investigation of the "electoral crime" and 
continues with other less meaningful aspects.  Albanian 
parliamentary investigative commissions have actually never achieved 
anything in the past, something Rama knows very well.  The list of 
conditions keeps growing.  Every day, there are new issues surfacing 
in the media, folloQd by an SP official adding the issues to the 
list or removing previously "non-negotiable" conditions from the 
list. 
 
Where is the Boycott Heading? 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4.  The decision to boycott is based on a fluid timeframe, on a 
"fight against evil" thesis, and conditioned with a continuously 
changing list of demands.  Nobody at the Socialist Party knew when 
it would start.  Nobody now really knows when it will end, and if so 
how long will the return last.  What is clear is that the SP will 
never get what they ask for and that Rama possesses no decent exit 
strategy from the boycott scheme.  Thus, even when they return to 
parliament, the backdoor will always stay open to abandon it again. 
All this is happening in an Albania that is a member of NATO, with 
improving indicators in international reports on the elections, and 
with increased aspirations for E.U. membership and freedom of 
movement. 
 
¶5.  With no real chances to change the electoral system to better 
suit Rama's needs, all odds are that polemics and conflict will 
continue until the 2011 local elections.  With a PD - LSI coalition 
in Tirana, with the existing electoral system coauthored by Rama 
himself, and with a Rama war declared against "the three Prime 
Ministers" (Berisha, Meta, and Nano), everyone in town is crossing 
their fingers and hoping that Rama will not decide to boycott the 
local elections.  One thing is certain, the lines have been drawn, 
and the "fight against evil" could continue for a long time to 
come. 
 
Quote of the Week 
----------------- 
¶6.  "The main problem is that for a boycott to be effective, you 
must first persuade thousands - maybe even millions of others - to 
go along, which is a lot of work and usually not successful." - L. 
Neil Smith. 
 
 
--------------------- 
EDUCATION AND CULTURE 
--------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) After a month of Ramadan, Albanian Muslim believers 
celebrated Eid ul-Fitr on September 20, 2009.  Congregational 
prayers were held across the country.  Muslim (Sunni) and 
Bektashi(Sufi order) communities hosted receptions attended by high 
government officials, diplomatic corps representatives, heads of 
other religious groups, and many Muslim believers.  Part of the 
Albanian tradition is the exchange of family visits among different 
faiths.  While Albania remains a largely secular society, these 
celebrations serve to reinforce the close relations that exist 
between the country's religious communities.  However, a trend was 
noticed this year in that various Iftars were hosted by the Muslim 
community, various members of the Diplomatic Corps and private 
 
TIRANA 00000674  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
individuals.  U.S. Embassy Tirana hosted two official Iftar dinners, 
inviting key Muslim leaders from across Albania. 
 
 
WITHERS