Alis Volat Proprii - Flies With Her Own Wings

Albanian to English: Article from Koha Jone Online in Albanian -- Website of major privately owned daily, generally nonpartisan; URL: http://www.kohajone.com General field: Other Detailed field: Government / Politics

Source text - Albanian Gazetari Andi Bejtja, drejtor i Lajmeve ne Televizionin Kombetar Klan, flet mbi zhvillimet e fundit politike ne vend. Ndalet ne ate qe mund te quhet terheqje e europarlamentareve nga aktivizimi i tyre per negociatat Berisha-Rama per ngercin politik dhe shpjegon pse ngerci politik ka hyre ne rrugen e zgjidhjes Lidhur me ate qe opozita e quan krize, Parlamenti Evropian ka thene qe ka nje zgjidhje dhe se ajo duhet te vije nga vete forcat politike shqiptare. Ju si e shikoni kete, a mendoni se do te kete me te vertet nje zgjidhje? Une kam qene nga ata qe besoja se perfshirja kaq e madhe e komunitetit nderkombetar ne zgjidhjen e ceshtjes shqiptare, duhet te kishte marre fund me kohe. Kjo ngarkese kaq e madhe e nderkombetareve ne kete periudhe, personalisht mendoj se nuk ka qene me shume pozitive. Fakti qe ata “u dorezuan”, nuk do te thote se kriza ne nje fare menyre nuk eshte zgjidhur. Po ta shikojme me kujdes edhe ne apelet e tyre behet fjale qe opozita te vazhdoje te marri pjese ne parlament dhe opozita po merr pjese ne parlament. Dhe meraku kryesor i tyre eshte qe institucionet shqiptare te funksionojne dhe institucionet shqiptare ne fakt po funksionojne. Megjithate edhe rikthimi i opozites ne parlament eshte nje lloj, po themi, fitoreje per Shqiperine ne teresi. Pastaj se kush humbi personalisht, apo se kush fitoi, eshte nje ceshtje tjeter. Une mendoj se Edi Rama e kishte kete beteje te humbur qe ne fillim, e kam thene edhe here te tjera, per arsyen e vetme sepse Sali Berisha kishte nje mbrojtje ligjore, kishte ligjin me vete, kurse Rama kerkonte nje thyerje te ligjit. Jane bere kompromise permes ligjit, por kete here askush nuk mund ta shtynte Berishen me dhune te shkelte ligjin, aq me teper qe Rama filloi gjithe proceset agresive ne nje kohe qe nuk konsumoi ligjerisht ceshtjen, duke filluar qe nga Gjykata Kushtetuese, duke filluar qe nga Komisioni i Venecias, rekomandimin e komunitetit te nderkombetareve. Pra ai e radikalizmi gjithe kete proces pa konsumuar asgje ligjore. Dhe duke qene se Berisha ligjin e kishte me vete kete here, ne nje fare menyre do te dilte fitimtar nga kjo perplasjeje. Duke u shprehur ne menyre figurative, me duket pak cinike, por ne fakt eshte e vertete, se nderkombetaret u sollen me Ramen, si me nje avion qe kishte dale nga radaret. E moren, e ulen ne pisten me te afert nje here, e moren pilotin, i dhane nje darke te “Krokodili” dhe pastaj i thane merr furgonin dhe kthehu ne destinacion. Ne fakt kjo eshte ajo qe ndodhi. Me nje fjale, tani nuk e shikoj dot te logjikshme dhe e shikoj te pamundur, qe zoti Rama te marri prape avionin dhe te filloj te dali nga radaret, pavaresisht se kutite nuk u hapen. E thene me fjale te tjera ishte nje beteje e humbur, sepse greva e urise u ngrit ne nje ceshtje me pikepyetje dhe socialistet ishin shprehur disa here qe ne qofte se rezultati del ndryshe, do t’i kerkojne falje mazhorances. Si mund te behet nje greve urie, si mund te radikalizohet gjithe ky proces, vetem ne baze te nje dyshimi apo hamendjeje. Pra shkurt, beteja ishte e humbur qe ne fillim. Por ne fakt ne nje dalje qe zoti Rama ka bere, humbes quan Berishen. Ai e quan ate pergjegjes per te gjithe ate c’ka po ndodh, pikerisht per injorimin, qe ai i beri thirrjes, apelit te nderkombetareve ? E para e punes Berisha, eshte ritheksuar, ose eshte theksuar nga nderkombetaret, madje edhe nga Departamenti Amerikan i Shtetit se fitoi legjitimitetin e shqiptareve, pra Berisha eshte aty ku eshte dhe nuk eshte e vertete ndonje levizje e Berishes, ndonje pergjegjesi, ose ndonje humbje. Procesi i liberalizimit te vizave nuk preket nga kjo, te jemi koshient mund te kete konseguenca per sa i perket vonesave ne integrimin e vendit, por liberalizimi do te ndodh. Kjo eshte nje loje politike ku palet politike akuzojne njera-tjetren. Por ajo qe eshte e rendesishme te kuptojme eshte qe me gjithe radikalizmin Rama nuk i hapi kutite dhe nuk arriti asnje nga keto objektiva. U duk sikur pas greves se urise ai ne nje fare menyre e rikonfirmoi veten si kryetar partie, por mendoj qe pas gjithe ketij viti qe mund te jete nje vit deshtimesh i Rames, ai serish ka per ta vene ne pikepyetje edhe rolin e vete si kryetar partie. Si mendoni, cili do te jete tani aksioni i radhes i kryesocialistit. A mendoni se mund te kete vlere rikthimi i socialisteve ne rruge, ne protesta? Mua kjo me duket e palogjikshme dhe e pamundur. Cdo gje mund te ndodh, sepse e kam thene dhe here te tjera se cdo parti i ka 200 militante, 200 mije militante, qe mund te simpatizojne Ramen dhe mund t’i mbledhe sa here qe te kete nevoje. Por nuk eshte ky objektivi. E thashe edhe nje here qe me duket e pamundur qe Rama te marri edhe nje here avionin dhe te qarkulloje, e ka shume te veshtire te ridale nga parlamenti. Une kam qene i mendimit dhe kam thene qe ne qofte se Rama do kishte lene parlamentin qe ne fillim, keto kauza mund te funksiononin, por duke mos hyre, bojkoti u be primar per nderkombetaret dhe tani nuk e shikoj menyren se si ai mund te ridale nga parlamenti dhe te rifilloje kete politike.

Translation - English Andi Bejtja, journalist and Director of Klan National Television News, speaks about the latest political developments in the country. He focuses in what may be called a retreat of MEPs from their participation in Berisha-Rama negotiations regarding the political deadlock, and explains why political deadlock is on its way to solution. KJ: Regarding what the opposition calls a crisis, the European Parliament said there is a way to solution, and it must come from the Albanian political forces. What is your opinion about this, do you think there will really be a solution? Bejtja: I have [always] been part of that group of people who believe that such an extensive involvement from the international community in resolution of the Albanian issue should have ended long ago. Such a great amount of tension during this period on behalf of the Internationals, I personally think has not been very positive. The fact that they "gave up" does not mean that the crisis in a certain way is not resolved. If we look carefully, even their appeals consist in calls for the opposition to participate in Assembly, and the opposition is participating in Assembly. Plus, their main concern is for Albanian institutions to function, and Albanian institutions are functioning. However, the return of opposition in Assembly is let us say a kind of victory for all Albania. Then, regarding who personally lost and who won, this is a different issue. I think Edi Rama had lost this battle from the very beginning, as I have mentioned many times, for the only reason that Sali Berisha had legal defense, he had the law with him, while Rama was seeking something that was a breach of the law. Compromises have been made through the law, but this time no one could force Berisha by using violence to transgress the law, all the more when Rama started all the aggressive actions at a time when the issue had not been even legally consummated, starting with the Constitutional Court, starting with Venice Commission, the recommendation of the International community. [sentence as published] So, he radicalized all the process without following any legal procedures. And given that this time the law was on Berisha’s side, in a way or another he would emerge triumphant from this confrontation. Figuratively speaking, it seems a little bit cynical to me, but in fact it is true that the Internationals' attitude toward Rama was similar to the attitude toward an aircraft gone outside the radar coverage. They took him, they landed him once on the nearest runway, they took the pilot, gave him a dinner at "The Crocodile" and then told him to go get the van and return back to the destination. In fact, this is what happened. In a few words, I cannot bring myself to think of this as logical, but I think it is impossible for Mr Rama to get on the aircraft again and start flying outside the radar [coverage], despite the [ballot] boxes not being opened. In other words this was a lost battle, because the hunger strike was based on a questionable issue, and the Socialists had many times declared that if the result came out differently, they would apologize to the government side. How could one go on hunger strike, how could this process be radicalized, based only on a suspicion or supposition? So, to cut it short, the battle was lost from the beginning. KJ: But, in fact, in a public statement Mr Rama calls Berisha a loser. He calls him responsible for all that is happening, especially for ignoring the call, the Internationals' appeal? [punctuation as published] Bejtja: First of all, Berisha has been acknowledged and re-acknowledged from the Internationals, and even by the US Department of State for winning legitimacy from Albanians. So Berisha is where he has always been; nothing is true about sway, responsibility, or loss on his part. The process of visa liberalization is not affected by this, and to be honest there may be consequences in terms of delay in the country's integration, but the liberalization will come. This is a political game in which political parties accuse one another. But what is most important to understand is that, with all his radicalism, Rama failed to open the boxes, and did not manage to achieve any of these objectives. It seemed like after the hunger strike, in a certain way he reaffirmed himself as party chairman, but I think this whole year, which could be a year of failures for Rama, he again will have to question even his own role as party chairman. KJ: On your opinion, what will be PS chairman's next action? Do you think it would be worthwhile for the Socialists to return to the streets in protest? Bejtja: This seems illogical and impossible to me. Anything can happen, as I have said other times, every party has 200 militants, 200 thousands militants, that may be like Rama and may be united every time he needs them. [sentence as published] But the objective is not this one. As I said, it seems impossible to me for Rama to take the aircraft again and fly around; it is very difficult for him to leave the Assembly again. I have always been of the opinion, and I have always said that if Rama would have left the Assembly since the beginning, these causes [meaning missions] may have worked out after all, but with [Socialists] not entering [the Assembly], the boycott became primary for the Internationals, and now I cannot think of a way in which he can leave the Assembly again and continue with this policy.