Kosovo rising electoral temperature in Tirana

AIM Tirana, May 18, 2000

Recently and practically at the same time, the Socialist Party, from the Government coalition in Albania, and the Democratic Party, the largest opposition party, have publicised their intention to send their representatives for a visit to Kosovo. After his arrival to the United States on May 16, the Socialist President Fatos Nano, stated that he will go to Kosovo to take part in the Congress of the Party for Democratic Progress, headed by the former KLA chief, Hasim Thaqi. According to information from his headquarters, Sali Berisha, President of the Democratic Party, was invited by Ibrahim Rugova's Democratic Alliance of Kosovo and is planning to go there on the first anniversary of the arrival of NATO troops to Kosovo, in early June. This will be the first visit to Kosovo for both Presidents of the two political parties who, until now, were in no hurry to take this journey although the road was opened after the arrival of NATO troops to Kosovo last June. It seems that they think that now is the right political moment for both of them and their parties to make this visit.

It looks as if though there is no coincidence in the practically simultaneous announcement of visits of Presidents of the two largest rival parties from Tirana to Kosovo. The pre-electoral fight for local elections, the date of which has not yet been determined, but is scheduled for some time this autumn, has started long ago in Albania and already reached high temperatures.

And when they appeared to have exhausted most of pre-election campaign slogans and forms, both in relation to the public as well as in their mutual skirmishes, the two great rivals of the Albanian politics have rushed to include the Kosovo visit on the electoral agenda of their superior officials. The pre-electoral matrix of these visits of two party leaders to Kosovo catches the eye, although neither of them have admitted of going to Kosovo in order to raise their pre-electoral rating. However, the long delay of their visit to Kosovo and the heated pre-election atmosphere in Albania point to the conclusion that this is just one of the reasons for organising these visits. The problem of Kosovo and relation towards it always were and still are an important component of political and electoral programmes of political parties in Albania, but also of their rivalry and mutual political and electoral fights.

The sensibility that the electorate in Albania has for and the importance it attaches to the issue of Kosovo, especially after the last year's NATO attacks and exodus of almost half a million of refugees from Kosovo who found shelter in the Albanian homes are constantly growing. The two major political parties, which all the time endeavoured to present themselves as the most authentic champions of the Kosovo interests in Albania, must bear in mind this increased sensibility of the electorate and its influence on the votes.

Both Albanian political parties and their leaders have devoted special attention to the current situation in Kosovo, local development and problems, UNMIK's institutions and their future status endeavouring to attract as many voters as possible with their Kosovo programme. It is a fact that the exceptional welcome that Albania organised for the Kosovo refugees last year, during Milosevic's ethnic cleansing campaign, and high international recognition of its role in the course of that crisis, have greatly helped the socialists' campaign. In that context, President of the Socialist Party of Albania, Fatos Nano launched a more active campaign of his party and gave several proposals aimed at keeping the initiative when it comes to the relations between the Albanian political parties in the Balkans.

Along those lines was his proposal he presented to the Parliament on March 23, for organising an all-Albanian forum for integration and stability which would aim at rallying all Albanian political parliamentary parties from Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro. And while parties of the Albanian opposition, such as the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, turned a cold shoulder to Nano's call, the Albanian parties from Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro embraced it and, according to the Socialist Party Headquarters sources, positive answer to Nano's invitation was received from Rugova, Thaqi and Xhaferi.

Nano also proposed that the Albanian parties of Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro should take part in the Regional Conference of the European Left dedicated to problems of the Stability Pact, which is scheduled for the second half of June in Tirana.

The increased importance of Albania in the policy of Pristina and of Kosovo factors in Tirana's policy is also demonstrated in the fact that the highest world officials, who came to Tirana, repeatedly asked the local leaders to exert greater influence on Kosovo to adopt a more moderate and restrained policy.

During her visit in February, the American State Secretary, Madeleine Albright asked that of the Albanian Parliament. Also, in his letter of April 14, addressed to the Albanian Prime Minister, British Prime Minister Tony Blair pointed out: "Your influence on the Kosovars is of special importance".

Incidentally, according to some regional analysts, the fact is that the Albanian policy has an important and indispensable influence on the course of the Kosovo politics. On April 15, President of the Democratic Party Berisha, rejecting the invitation of the Socialist President Nano to participate in the All-Albanian Forum, stated that there was no need for Tirana's paternalistic attitude towards Pristina and that both politicians in Tirana and in Pristina were aware of Tirana's irreplaceable role in the Kosovo policy, which was constantly growing. The international factor, which is present in Kosovo and which has increased demands for Tirana's support to the implementation of UNMIK and KFOR aims in Kosovo, is also aware of that. In Tirana on April 24, former NATO Commander, General Wesley Clark said that Albania's attitude during Kosovo crisis changed the history of the region.

Visits of the Presidents of the two Albanian parties to Kosovo aim at strengthening their position in relation to the local voters, but also in relation to the demands and policy of the international community in Kosovo.

It is clear to both the Socialist, as well as the Democratic Party that the attitude the international community will adopt towards them will greatly depend on the attitude of these two parties towards developments in Kosovo. When it comes to Kosovo, the international community has been asking lately the major Tirana political parties to distance themselves from the thesis of the so called Greater Albania and to condemn the events and activities of the Albanian extreme elements in Presevo and Bujanovac.

What attracts attention in relations between political parties in Tirana and those in Pristina is choice of sides which is far from idyllic and incapable of masking spitefulness and lack of sympathy between party leaders on both sides of the border.

Fatos Nano, President of the Socialist Party, was invited by Hasim Thaqi's Party for Democratic Progress and mutual links between presidents of these parties are no secret. On the other hand, President of the Democratic Party, Berisha, was invited by Ibrahim Rugova's DSK and the importance they attach to their mutual links in contrast to their rivals in their respective political surroundings, is no secret either.

There is an element very important for all political parties in Tirana and Pristina alike, which uncovers the pre-election character of the intensification of inter-party relations and heated atmosphere which is characteristic of such situations. Local elections are expected to be held this fall both in Albania and in Kosovo, while there is great pre-election and political polarisation between the Socialist Party and the Democratic Party in Albania, same as between DSK and PPDK in Pristina. This situation with the approaching elections creates the same needs and conditions in which political parties in Tirana and Pristina are busy making alliances and preparing pre-election programmes focussing on Kosovo and its development and future. In this way Kosovo rises the pre-election temperature in the political life of Tirana and, on the other hand, moves of the Albania's political parties, one way or the other, cause high electoral temperatures on the Kosovo political scene.

AIM Tirana

Shaban MURATI