The International Institute for Middle-East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES) from Ljubljana, Slovenia has been regularly analyzing the events in the Middle East and the Balkans. IFIMES has been also regularly following the current political events in Albania. About the current events in Albania and its future before the approaching parliamentary elections in July this year has on the National Conference of the Democratic Party in Tirana on the 23rd of April 2005 spoken Dr. Sali Berisha, the President of the Democratic Party and the former first democratically elected President of the Republic of Albania. We are hereby publishing with his approval his speech in full.
Dr. Sali Berisha
President of the Democratic Party and
the former President of the Republic of Albania
Ladies and Gentlemen, my first words in this Convention, I would like as the tradition asks for, to address to the representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Tirana, and extend to them my deepest gratitude for the help that their governments and their nations have given and continue to give to our country. I would like to express my deepest and particular gratitude to our most distinguished friends, who have honored us with their presence, Mr. Antonio Lopez Isutriz, Secretary General of the European Popular Parties and Kostas Sasmatzoglou, Supreme Political Counselor to the Chairman of the EPP, Mr. Martens, Ives Coussain, deputy, Chairman of the Friendship-with-Albania Group in the French Parliament, Pascal Drouhaud Secretary for the International Relations of UMP- France, Erik Kroiher, Secretary for the International Relations, Ë Gorssruck, Deputy and Christian Passin Representative of the Political Academy of the Austrian Popular Party, Mr. Caligiuri, deputy in the Italian Parliament standing for »Forca Italia« and Stavros Papastavrou, Secretary for the International Relations and EU of »Nea Demokratia« – Greece. I would like to assure Mr. Isturiz and all our friends present in our Convention that we are proud of their friendship, very grateful for their support and determined to place at the foundation of the reforms and the change that Albania expects the principles and values of liberal democracy upon which rest the foundations of the free societies in their countries.
Furthermore, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to you, dear delegates, the whole DP membership, activists, militants, central and local leaders of the DP and our devotees all over the country, for their great support, challenge, commitment, help, energy and sacrifices in defense of liberty in this country, as well as for your real opening towards the gorgeous values of the civil society, academic, university, medias' and business world, towards the founders of the DP. You did change DP into a party of change, of the project of hope and great victory in the coming elections.
Long Live the Democratic Party!
I would wish to express my cordial thanks today, to my closest colleagues, the Vice-Chairmen of the DP Ms. Topalli and Mr. Topi, the Secretary General Mr. Bode and Secretaries Executive, the members of the Presidency and the whole membership of the National Council, for their commitment, precious help in the leadership of the DP all over these years. I extend my thanks to our deputies in the Parliament, who with their intensive vocation, transformed the Parliament into a central pillar of the political life and the opposition into a »de facto« leader of this life; to our local government representatives, our mayors and local counselors, who with their alternative governance, quite transparent and efficient, became forerunners of the great change in Albania.
Additionally, allow me in your name, to extend a special acknowledgment to the members of the Policy-Orienting Committee, who with their high scale of professional expertise and intellectual commitment drafted the most solemn platform of great reforms and change, so much desired by the Albanians. A special gratitude goes directly to those who at December of ‘90, founded jointly with us the Democratic Party, Gentlemen Pashko, Imami, Ruli, Zogaj, Uka, and who after a withdrawal, rejoined with us to lead to the end the peaceful revolution launched in ‘90.
Welcome!
Finally, I invite all of you to give a unanimous thank to the personnel passionately engaged in the perfect arrangement of this Convention of the Victory.
Thank You so much!
Ladies and Gentlemen, Our Convention is summoned at a moment when all over the country, from the depth of soul of millions of Albanians, men and women, boys and girls, elderly people, employed and unemployed, intellectuals and laborers, comes out a strong echo, an SOS, a national clarion-call: Now it’s the time for change.
Today is the right time for a change, and we are opening our Convention when Albania is eagerly looking for a change; when Albanians, at a wide-ranged national social consensus, have signed it as a new national white dawn for their own self and the children. The DP comes in this Convention as an opened party, which changed itself to bring a change to Albania; it comes as a powerful locomotive to the change so much desired by the Albanians.
For this purpose, it proclaimed as a major political direction, the opening and close partnership with the civil society, academic, university, Medias' and reliable business world. An outcome of this partnership was the national victory in the local elections, the establishment of the Policy-Orienting Committee comprised of distinguished personalities from prominent institutions of this society, leaders of chairs and faculties in our universities. In a few months' time, they reached to present to the Albanians the core of radical reforms, the most reliable alternatives to combat corruption, the fiscal reform, the one in the domain of education, environment, health, agriculture, tourism, energy, order, security, integration.
Today is the time for change, and the DP shows up in front of the Albanians, with the best project to lead Albania to a change; the project of great reforms, where there is room for each citizen. The change to run should be a pretty start, coming out of the pure inside of the Albanians' hearts, to bring back the smile and content to all the citizens. Let us join all of us around the big values we share; let us sweep away intolerance, revenge, greediness, abuse, nepotism, brutality, polarity and exclusion, from our homes. To us, none will be overlooked; none would remain half the way or alongside it.
Join with us in the road towards a change. Together, we are going to lead Albania to a change!
Ladies and Gentlemen, Today is the time for change. Our project of change is the project of the supremacy of values, and liberty is its Northern Star; family, work, peace, tolerance, comprehension, strong confidence in one another and in Albania, integration in the EU, make up the fundamental provisions, its constellation. The transformational power of freedom will be the main potential of our project of change.
We, once again confirm our promise and commitment to guarantee the fundamental human freedoms and rights, their expansion, the consolidation of the democracy infrastructure, free press, political parties, civil society, autonomous universities, and independent trade-unions. Today, 16 years after the collapse of the Berlin Wall, there are under-way many penal and civil cases claimed by the government men against journalists and Medias.
I would like to assure the fourth power and the parliamentarians of the free speech, that after the elections, the new governing majority will withdraw from any right on civil or penal prosecution against the media, and will fully respect their autonomy and non-discrimination principle.
Albania is the country of the most remarkable religious tolerance. On behalf of the DP, I would like to assure the supreme representatives of the religious wings, that in conformity with secularism as fundamental principle of our state, we highly appreciate their role in the building up of the spiritual infrastructure of our nation and; we will fully respect the freedom of belief.
We assume as a top priority of ours, the promise to restore and compensate the properties to the religious communities, whilst the Albanian society should guarantee them of the financial support. We are proud of and pray to God for our beliefs. In the context of our project of change, I would like to guarantee on behalf of the new government, the Greek, Armenian, Roma, Egyptian and Slavic minorities, of their rights, origin and beliefs to be rigorously respected, in conformity with the International Conventions on the Minorities. In particular, allow me to assure the Egyptian and Roma communities that they will no longer be treated as the orphans of mother-in-law, but instead, they will feel proud of their inherited origin, culture and civilization. Within the first six months of its mandate, the government is going to pass a special programme for their schooling, housing and employment.
It's time for a change, Join with us for your freedoms and rights. Vote for a change!
Ladies and Gentlemen, »Time for a change«, to us, implies new responsibilities towards the Albanian emigrants all over the world. We undertake to:
Guarantee the right of vote for the Albanian emigrants wherever they are, in Italy, Greece, Alaska, New Zealand or elsewhere.
We are going to set up a supportive legal framework, to enable their return in Albania and stimulate the mobilization of their savings in various investments.
Furthermore, we are going to establish cultural centers for them and in compliance with the legislative framework in the countries where they are residents, we will facilitate with teachers and books their learning of the Albanian language, whilst we will open in Albania Summer Schools for their children.
Our Consulates and Embassies abroad, will keep their doors open every weekend to deal with their demands.
Following the requirements in the international conventions, we will defend their freedoms and rights, and will keep on working strongly for their legalization and the re-unification of their family members, as well as for the creation of a friendly atmosphere and stand towards them in the countries they live and work.
I would like to take advantage of the occasion to extend my thanks to the government of Mr. Karamanlis, for the passed law on the legalization of emigrants and for the attitude towards the Albanian emigrants in Greece. Emigrants are our everlasting reminiscence. We love them so much. May God bless them wherever they are!
Ladies and Gentlemen, to you and me, time for change would mean the consolidation of the family as the core of the man's life, the foundation of the society, the major condition for a child to access security, affection, education and parental love. Nowadays, the phenomena of emigration and divorce have caused thousands of children to grow up fatherless or otherwise living under the mercy of the fate. Drug-addiction, illiteracy and their treatment as slaves often become their fate.
In our Project for Change, we undertake the following commitments:
No child will be abandoned; every child will reach the care he/she deserves.
Special care to be offered to the disabled children or the disabled parents, who have children in their custody.
Aid to the households of children lacking one of the parents and to those with many children; training courses, grants and loans for the just created families and those with many children.
A strong family - a strong society. This is our slogan.
The vote for the Change is the vote for your family. We are going to win!
Ladies and Gentlemen, today is the time to bring a change and Albanians have already made their decision. All of us are fully aware that they haven't taken that decision for the sake of changing something. The response is a strong »No«. They have taken the decision, first of all, because they are in quest of well-being and work; because they want for themselves and their families to live a European life. Despite the substantial natural assets, Albania keeps itself isolated inside the rich Europe, into an island of poverty and misery. This hopeless situation forces each year, some 100 thousands of Albanians, which make up the most active part of the society, to migrate abroad taking away with themselves the energies, the future and their youth.
The DP Project of the Change stands on the following major pillars:
Upgrade the welfare of the Albanian citizens and eradicate misery in Albania.
Fast creation of new jobs, decrease of unemployment rate to the average level of the developed countries, reconsideration of the work and the man of work.
To the understanding of the DP, the free market economy is the gate that leads to the prosperity of the individual, family and the entire society. Therefore, to raise the welfare and employment rate, we rely on the free initiative dynamic machinery and the guarantee of the free market and competition, equal chances for the individual-entrepreneur to meet a success and the whole country to move on through a fast economic growth.
We are going to turn on the fast economic growth engine by means of:
Full and fast privatization of the big enterprises, making use of the stocks' market, thus making Albanians owners of their national assets.
Transformation of Albania into the most attractive country to the local and foreign investments in the region and beyond, not simply to double but instead, to multiply the foreign investments bulk along the four next years.
To reach this goal, we guarantee as follows:
The rigorous observation of the anti-monopoly competition laws, the law on concessions and procurements, their amendment for proximity to the international standards. The fair and free competition will be our commitment.
Definitive solution to the land ownership disputes, amendment to the current law to sweep out the social restrictions, restitution whenever possible, full compensation in all the other cases, in cash or kind (tourist sites), after the prices available in the market. The Nation - with the face to the sea; this will be our motto.
Significant decrease of taxes and the simplification of the fiscal system; the unification of the customs' authorities with the tax ones. During our governance, no one will pay taxes over 1/3 of his overall income. We have already warned the reduction of the VAT for foodstuff, energy to the extent of 70% and around 25% for the other categories, the lowering of the social insurance contributions to the extent of 25%, and finally, a reduction at 15% of the over-profit tax.
Simplification of the whole legal, administrative procedures and the establishment of the practice: one-stop shop for the registration of the businesses.
Creation of free zones and industrial parks, as a vigorous generator of employment, production and assimilation of the new technologies.
Upgrade the actual low level of crediting and put in function the stock-exchange.
Create a motivating ground for export; orientation of the foreign and local capitals towards production and export; application of micro-economic incentives; the diversification of the duty-free practices for the exports, favorable crediting lines for the guarantied exports; supporting services to the small and medium export.
Building of the road infrastructure in Durrës, Morinë, Lushnje, Vlorë; guaranteeing the supply with water, electricity, extend the internet and telecommunication network all over the country; full liberalization of their market.
The creation of the database on national information.
Reduction of the administrative expenditures and the upgrading of public investments' scale.
Development of human resources, intellectual potential, as the most powerful source of all kinds of developments. We promise to approach our schools to the requirements and standards of the market. In this context, we are going to set up the National Committees of Human Resources and will draft special programmes to maintain, take in and bring back the brain in Albania.
To us, Change means well-being. Therefore, we invite all the Albanians to vote for their prosperity.
We are going to win!
Ladies and gentlemen, In our Project for Change, apart from the economic growth, facilitation and stimulation of the new jobs, we also rely on the following measures:
Establish favorite treatment for the private employers that create new jobs.
Set out a fee payable to the entrepreneur for every newly employed individual, based on the demand in the market and; release the charges weighting directly on the labor price, by assuming the coverage of the training and social insurance costs for the newly employed individuals. A top priority in the employment scheme will be young men and women, the families with no employment at all as well as long-term unemployed.
Cut off to the extent of 50% the small business tax, which means twice more money in the pockets of the common citizens and businessmen accounts and creation of new jobs.
Provide loans at favorable terms and additional fiscal facilities for the production enterprises, depending on the number of the newly employed individuals.
Decentralization of the budget by increasing four times, i.e. from 6 to 25%, the local communities’ revenues through the implementation of the fiscal reform.
Fast growth of tourism as main priority of our government, with focus on the doubling of the number of tourists in the course of three years.
Opening of the markets for the Albanian producers.
Lastly, to open up the gate of prosperity and to create new jobs for Albanians, we’ll get rid of the private monopolies of the government officials, which as stated by the World Bank, have cut short 196 thousands of jobs. Only the bribes which the businessmen pay to the administration clerks and the government men reach to 1.4 milliard of dollars annually. I am here to swear in front of you that the clean hands and the power of law will be the lever of Archimedes to pull down the walls and monopolies and open up the gate of prosperity and employed to all the Albanians.
Join with us for clean hands. We will win.
Ladies and Gentlemen, In our project of change, we undertake to re-evaluate the work and the working man. In this context, we:
Can not accept wages evidently below the subsistence minimum.
Are not in support of egalitarianism, still we can not agree with the cynical ratio of wages 1:20 in the public sector and.
In no case can we agree with the ridiculous level of pensions, which hardly cover the costs of a single week. A strong no. We express our commitment to:
Increase the average wage and in parallel double the low salaries, until the difference among the wages in the public sector declines to the 1:5 ratios.
Double the pensions and raise them over the subsistence minimum.
Remunerate the personal chances and success, the career of the individual beyond the boundaries of his status. Meritocracy will be the key stone of the remuneration to the public functions.
Change for us, means jobs available for Albanians and reverence for their work.
Ladies and Gentlemen, in our project for the improvement of the prosperity, an important focus belongs to the sustainable rural and agricultural development. Nowadays, the village population constitutes 55% of the total population. The average incomes per capita in the Albanian farms are actually 50 lek daily. The DP considers the sustainable rural development, the transformation of our self-consumption farms into business units, as quite critical for the development of the overall country, the escape from poverty, and the creation of new jobs. Our project provides:
The building up of the infrastructure in the villages and rural zones, their supply with water, electricity, the asphalting of four thousand km of rural roads.
Favorable crediting system all over the country, for the farmers and agro-business, the oil price to go down to 40 lek/litre.
The promotion to the cultivation of the most profitable crops according to the regions, giving priority to the vegetables, olives and vineyards.
The establishment of the centers for the collection and marketing of the agricultural produce, the collection of field crops at international prices.
The complete re-structuring of the drainage and irrigation system.
The set up of the network of agricultural schools all over the country; subsidies to be granted for seeds and veterinary services.
Observance of the free trade agreements, as well as their re-negotiation based on their legal instruments.
Level the village pensions with those of the cities.
The protection of the land against the erosion, concrete casting, and massive forestation will be our major priorities.
The vote for the change is the vote for your farms. We will win!
Ladies and Gentlemen, the battle for knowledge is the battle for development. Today is the time for change, because only a radical reform would turn our school into a cradle of knowledge, career, the civic democratic culture and national identity. Actually, the percentage of the illiterate children is growing rapidly as fast as the number of schools failing to teach the pupils. The average of the schooling years for the Albanians has declined from 11.6 to 9.2%; 85% of the middle schools in the rural zones are shut down; the share for the education of their children from 4.2% in 1996 has declined to 2.8% of the GDP. About 30-70% of the academic staff has left the universities; their autonomy exists only on paper.
In our project of change, we take on the following assignments that could speed up the reformation of the education system and the modernization of our school at all the cycles:
Double the budget for the public education, with the view to prioritize it as the top item of the budget.
Provide incentives and facilities for the private education at all the levels.
The outreach of pre-school education at 80% of the children of the respective group-ages.
Attendance of the compulsory education from 100% of the children of the respective group-ages; zero tolerance against illiteracy.
Internet and English-teaching in each class, so as the children might click in their age of imagination and get prepared as future EU citizens.
Double the pupils’ number in the middle schools, to approach to the EU objective, which provide that until year 2010, 88% of the 22-years’ old youngsters should finish the secondary education.
Modernization of the teaching process, school texts, reduction to 25-30 pupils per classroom; schools equipped with all the furniture and didactic means;
The increase at 50% of the teachers’ salaries in the first two years of governance and their doubling on the fourth year of their mandate;
Reformation of the higher education, following a master plan to be drafted from the National Council of Higher Education and to be passed in the parliament.
Open the doors of the universities by next October, to all those willing to attend the higher education. Our objective will be the doubling of the students’ number, the costs per student and the investments for the higher education.
Leveling of the diplomas and the implementation of the Bologna Chart.
Full observance of the autonomy of the higher schools, the opening of the new branches in our universities, depending on the demand in the market.
Special programmes for the universities’ staff just like the one of 1000 young talented scientists and the programme of excellence groups with the distinguished students, graduated either in Albania or abroad, and for the researchers gone in for a post-university qualification abroad. We are going to make use of the long-term crediting for the renovation of our higher education system.
The vote for the change is the vote for modern schools to our children.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Improvement of employment and well-being make up the core of the social pact between the DP and the Albanians. The social state is the state established by the DP and the state which we wish to further consolidate. The upgrading of the quality of services is our objective. We consider an emergency the solution to the problem of nonstop supply with electricity and potable water.
In the context of the supply with electricity, we are going to focus on a better management of the produced energy and the minimization of the losses. Make use of the temporary depositing and its import, not upon corruptive contracting at the price of 45 cent kV, while in the stock-exchange it is being sold at 21 cent kV; the creation of new alternative sources south and north of the country, fully utilizing the tourist potential of our cities. Within 9 months time, we will abolish the a-forfeit system of fines; we’ll make zero the VAT on the electricity and will reduce its price.
Albania is a country rich in water sources, yet it is suffering more than any other country for water. We pledge ourselves to bring a radical change in the supply with water to the population, first of all by disciplining through legal instruments the abuses with the potable water, giving solution to the efficient management and construct new water supply pipes.
Within the first year of governance, all the tourist cities, from Saranda up to Velipoja, will receive nonstop water supply and in the years to come, all the municipalities of the country will access to the regular supply with water, whilst a notable improvement will occur in all the communes throughout the country.
Change in our concept means light and water for Albanians.
Today is the time for change. In the context of our project, change means sustainable policy to provide housing for the citizens, currently accessible only by the government officials. The DP pledges itself to follow an active central and local housing policy, which should guarantee at least, five thousand flats each year for the citizens. The accomplishment of this objective will be focused on the following actions:
The re-structuring of the Entity of Houses.
The installment of the soft loans’ crediting system based on the mortgage collateral.
The construction of flats on open tender, by the private sector on the public sites and the share belonging to the local authorities, as the owner of the site, to get sold at soft loan or otherwise to be given on symbolic rent to the citizens.
Change, in our concept means housing.
Additionally, I would like to assure the former politically persecuted of the future government’s commitment to assume the responsibility of their indemnity in compliance with the laws of the country, the penal code of Albania and besides, a special programme in support of this strata, in order that their lives level with those of the other Albanians.
Time for change, in the context of our project means the Albanian youth, the energy as well as the supremacy of our project of change. Today, thousands of young girls and boys want Albania to become the home of their best juvenile dreams; every day they leave their country with great pain and nostalgia, because their fatigued mother cannot provide shelter to them. We assure the Albanian youngsters that the coming government will draft a programme, an active policy; will provide schooling, employment, entertainment and sport facilities for them.
A particular focus will be given to the problems of drug-addiction and its treatment, the precaution measures against AIDS and other pathologies. With the strongest discipline and the power of law, we are going to combat the trafficking of children and young girls, categorizing it as a penal act equivalent with the severe crimes against the mankind.
Change in our understanding, means protecting our children.
Today is the time for change. A better quality health service for each citizen will be our slogan.
The improvement of the quality of the free-of-charge service, the increase of expenditures and investments bulk, the fight against corruption, the prevention of diseases, the protection of the public health, the rigorous control over the drugs, the maturity of the health and diseases’ insurance market, the reduction of the infantile mortality rate to the average of the developed countries, actually 45%, the care for the elderly people, all the medical treatments to be given free of charge for the pensioners, cooperation with the private sector; all of these will be our targets in the domain of health.
Today is the time for change, because the pollution of environment is quite alarming. The pollution at the Scanderbeg square is many times higher than in the other metropolis all over the Europe. Moreover, Albania is actually the country with the richest biodiversity in Europe and with the highest scale of degradation.
In the frame of our project, the environment is the life, its protection and sustainable development conform the international standards, will be our objective.
New laws to defend the right of the author, the freedom of the creators in the conditions of the free market, subsidies to the national cultural institutions, national and international activity of our writers and artists, will be some of our commitment in the field of Albanian culture.
Today is the time for change, and in our concept, change implies that sport as a vital cradle for the formation of the youngsters and the development of health, will make up a priority of our government. We encourage the sport as an activity for all the citizens as well as the professional sportsmen. We are going to embark on investments to build up sport centers and facilities, sport grounds in the schools all over the country.
Ladies and Gentlemen, The time for change requires that public order and security, the fight against the organized crime and terrorism become our major priority.
Nowadays, international terrorism is the number one threat and enemy to the peace, security and mankind. The struggle against it, in the view of the new majority, will make up a top priority. Albania-the most safe country in the region, will be our objective.
We are going to guarantee the public order through the following measures:
Zero tolerance against the organized crime, criminal smuggling, and their punishment with the whole power of the law.
Reformation of the Public Order Corps and the institutions in charge with the enforcement of the law, with the view to upgrade the skills, professionalism, courage, and the remuneration of their members, their absolute depoliticizing and the exclusion of all the incriminated segments.
The establishment of a close regional and international cooperation with all the specialized agencies in the efforts against the organized crime and the enforcement of the law.
The enforcement of an anti-crime legal package on the protagonists of the organized crime, in which context, the penal acts will incur a precise measure of punishment.
The establishment of a gendarmerie as a powerful weapon to dominate the crime.
The installation of the police corps in the blocks and quarters with the highest rate of criminality, of course not for personal intentions of the Ministry.
The integration of the border-police into the public order police, guaranteeing to it the essential autonomy and regional integrated defense and; security of the land, marine and space frontiers, as a pre-requisite in the fight against smuggling, criminal traffic and international terrorism.
Presently, international terrorism is the number one threat and enemy for the peace, security, people’s lives and the national security of the free countries. Albania is going to give a real contribution in the fight against terrorism. But, if the port of Durresi and others well turn into private ports of the mafia governmental clans, as they really are today, due to the potential links of the organized crime with terrorism, they become a major threat for the security of the country and even beyond.
Change in our concept, means public order, peace, security.
We invite the Albanians to vote for their security.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Today is the time for a change. In Albania, the law enforcement index is only 0.17, which means to the limits of a failed state; three times lower than the index of ’96 and four times smaller than the one of Mongolia. All this is an outcome of the laws being overlooked by the government officials and employees.
In our project of change, we will embark on:
The commitment for absolute equality to all the citizens, to begin with the Prime Minister, the members of the parliament and the leaders of all the other institutions, as far as the guard of a school in Vermosh or a farmer in Vurg.
The consolidation and observance of the constitutional institutions, the compliance with the constitutional obligations and the sharing of the powers.
Autonomous judiciary system, self-controls of the judiciary, rigorous execution of the court decisions, radical reforms on the prosecution institution.
The rule of law, in my understanding and yours as well, should mean the crucial condition to secure the fundamental rights and freedoms of the citizens, the replacement of the corruption system with democracy values' system, the guaranteeing of the free competition and equal chances, the attraction of the local and foreign investments, the escape from poverty, the fight against the organized crime and terrorism, the integration of the country in the EU and NATO, the guaranteeing of our children’s' future and ours as well in Albania.
Time for change, in our concept, means the rule of law,
absolute equality of citizens in front of the law.
In our project of change, we pledge ourselves to set up a small and efficient government, on absolute diet. The history has proved that when the government gets broader, the freedom for the citizens is more limited.
Today, the expenditures of the ministries are six times higher that those recorded in 96. To cut off the expenditures to the extent of 50%; this will be our commitment. In this context, I declare that I have had full respect for those hundreds and thousands civil servants in the current public administration, who have made serious efforts to keep strict to the law and the reforms. Our attitude towards the present officials, as well as those to come, will be determined absolutely from: Their behaviour and commitment to the law and the reforms.
Time for change, in my understanding as well as yours means that the time of halted, procrastinated or »a la carte« reforms soon will come to an end. Alfa and Omega of our project of change will be the all-sided reforms, which to the Albanians count as much as the air for the birds to fly.
Join with us to the road of reforms; this is our slogan. We'll win!
The decentralization of the powers in compliance with the existing legal framework and the relevant improvements, is another crucial condition for the government to approach to the citizens, to reach the sustainable rural growth, to combat poverty and corruption, promote employment, the enforcement of the reforms in the domain of education, health, services to the citizens, the placement under control and administration conform the territory laws.
Time for change, demands the legalization of the houses, the administration and placement under control of the territory with emergency. We are determined that within six months, we complete the process of the legalization of the houses based on the project:
The state assumes upon itself the compensation of the owners for the land in use by the displaced people all over the country.
The displaced citizens shall pay a fee a 100-400 thousand lek to get his house legalized and to be entitled to the ownership over the occupied land.
Legalization of all the appendages to the existing blocks of flats in the cities, by fixing a tariff of 4% over their price.
Change for us, means legalization. The vote for change is the vote for the legalization. We'll win!
Ladies and gentlemen, Today is the time for a rapid change, because the integration process of the country in the EU and NATO, the best dream of all the Albanians, is de facto frozen up. This dream is frozen up not because the EU and the NATO have closed their door for Albania. Instead, they are open, but the way to them is blocked from the wall of the government corruption, its private monopolies, the frequent violation of the political will of the citizens, criminal smuggling, the held back reforms that have remained on paper.
Therefore, we promise that by approaching to the fulfillment of the relevant criteria, we reach to sign right after the elections, the Agreement of Association and Stabilization and speed up the membership of Albania in the EU and the NATO.
We, democrats, represent the western vocation of the nation, since we pulled down the iron curtain in Albania, guided Albania towards membership in the European Council, Partnership for Peace and by the consensus of the elections of 2001; we opened the way to the start-up of the negotiations for the Agreement of Association. Today, we announce in public that the major interest of Albanians is their integration in the EU and the NATO.
Our project of making the European dream of the Albanians come true sets out several tasks, like the rigorous approach to the criteria and standards of integration in the EU and the NATO through radical political, social and institutional reforms. Our commitment in the up coming mandate will be:
The Albanians should vote like all the other European citizens, in free and fair elections.
New space for the role of the future opposition in the parliament and wherever it has its representatives.
Real decentralization of the government in compliance with the European Convention of Regional Authorities.
Put an end to the discrimination of the municipalities and communes based on the political colors of the elected officials.
Real freedom and autonomy for the medias, through a legislation of the best European standards.
Guarantee the human freedoms and rights and those for the minorities, conform the European Chart of Human Rights and the International Convention on Minorities.
Full support and respect to the autonomy of the human rights' organizations and the Ombudsman, which monitor the behavior of the public order corps.
Fast change of the dramatic situation in the pre-penitentiary system.
Fair interpretation of the immunity and its collective invalidation in cases of corruption acts and ordinary crime.
Guarantee the enforcement of the state of the law, autonomy and transparency in the judiciary, the efficient fight against corruption, monopolies and the escape from poverty.
Zero tolerance against the organized crime.
Guarantee the safety of the country borders.
Reformation of the prosecution institution and other institutions responsible for the enforcement of the law.
Approach our legislation to that of the EU countries.
Albania has already established a sustainable partnership with the NATO. We are resolute to rigorously meet with all the requirements of the North Atlantic Chart, the Adriatic Chart, in the political and military domain.
The reforms in the field of defense have so far acknowledged a real progress. Today, units of our armed forces are integrated with the NATO units and Euro-force on missions in Bosnia and Afghanistan. Our military units stand side by side the allies' troops in Iraqi. From this plateau, please allow me on your behalf, to extend a cordial greeting to our soldiers and in particular, to those who are abroad; to express my acknowledgement for their mission; to assure them of being so proud of their mission and of strongly backing up it; and that we'll take all the efforts so that Albania soon becomes a member of NATO.
Change, for us means integration. The vote for the change is the vote for integration.
Join with us on the road towards Europe - this is our call. We'll win!
Ladies and Gentlemen, Albania as factor of peace, cooperation, friendship and stability in the region, member of the EU and NATO; this will be the guiding principle of our external policy. In this context, we believe that the major contribution of ours in the region and worldwide, will be the compliance with the requirements and standards to reach the euro-Atlantic integration and make Albanian become the gate-to-west for the whole Balkans.
We are positive about the development of friendship and regional partnership with the neighboring countries like Greece, Turkey, Macedonia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Rumania and Serbia. We hail the consolidation of the Ohrid Agreement, as an agreement of peace and stability in Macedonia. The DP considers the settlement of the Kosovo status as a vital condition for the consolidation of peace and stability in the region. We are of the opinion that this solution should be based on agreements of international warranties on freedoms and rights of Serbs and other minorities in Kosovo; the acknowledgement of the actual international borders of Balkans and Kosovo, the determination of the Kosovo status in compliance with the will of its citizens for self-rule and in partnership with the international community, to establish a constructive dialogue and cooperation between the Belgrade and Pristina. Both Albanians and Serbs should follow the examples of other European countries, which have locked in their archives the long-lasted conflicts, and instead have developed friendship and cooperation for the sake of the euro-Atlantic integration.
The new majority to rise from the up coming elections will consider of particular importance the relationships with the big states of the EU like France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and the supporter countries like Austria and all the other EU member countries. We will intensify an extensive cooperation with all of them.
The Democratic Party considers its priority the cooperation and relations of friendship with the USA, the champion country of freedom, the country which is guiding the triumph of conscience in the former communist countries and the liberation of Kosovo. For 25 years, Albania was the most oppressed people and as such, it has suffered more than any other country. That’s why we have supported and will keep on supporting the doctrine of the President Bush, the outreach of freedom all over the world. We have been and still remain dedicated side by side the USA in the fight against international terrorism.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Today, we democrats are faced up with a noble mission – the mission of the renaissance of hope and trust, the clean-up of the prospects, the opening of a real vision for every Albanian. The accomplishment of this mission becomes high priority, because the fear of what will happen tomorrow, the threat of unemployment, the diseases and the ravaged hospitals, the threat of crime and the violence of the street to us and our children as well, the physical and spiritual weakness generated from poverty, have cut all the expectations and rooted the illusion and desperation among many citizens.
Despite this grey situation, the people have turned their eyes to us, as the main promoter of this change. For us to fulfill our mission, it’s essential to stay amidst them, above all amidst those that are most hopeless, in more need and lonelier. We should reign their mind, hearts, to unfreeze the frost of their timidity, our hope and trust.
Let us all assure the Albanians, of our project to be above all the project of the renaissance of hope and trust for every citizen, of the recovered hope for all those who have lost it, as well as the of return of hope for all. Employment, education, and success, access for each citizen to live a better life, a rather reliable support for his family, a rather deserved remuneration and respect for his career.
In our concept, change means to bring back to Albanians the taste of success, to make this latter become a real, feasible, touchable and quite foreseeable objective. Change, means also a better distribution of the existing assets, the creation of new ones and the narrowing down of the tremendous gap which isolates the two Albania’s: The Albania of the governmental minority and their clans, which bath all day long under the sun of prosperity and their wealth which increases even as they sleep; and the Albania of common, honest, patriotic citizens, who live in the Siberian cold of poverty.
For us, the change to come, should belong to all the citizens, regardless of their past, beliefs and their dwelling place. By means of this change, we intend to lay the strong basis of the national unity. Let us leave behind the past conflicts; if united we’ll win, we’ll change Albania. Let us work all of us, without prejudices, in order to build up our present and future, to make the change turn out into a great luck, real light and hope for ourselves, our children and all the Albanians. Thereby, I invite you towards the new horizon, to make our dream come true. Ladies and Gentlemen, Our project of hope-giving Albania has in its focus the Albanian citizen, with his problems, sufferings, his family and perspective.
First of all, it’s the citizen the real focal point of our project of change.
I would like to assure my citizens that being a man who has passed a quarter of a century in service of sufferings, pains, their confrontation with the illness and the evil, my deepest instinct is to be present whenever occur problems and concerns and to do my best for their solution. I introduced myself in the field of politics, as you all know, as the man of the compassion, and I will always remain such. The most important decision of my life is to live with problems, pains, sacrifices, joys of the Albanian citizens.
Therefore, I swear that I will visit the schools and universities, where their children are learning, the hospitals where their relatives get cured, the enterprises where you work; I am going to install the language of dialogue with the coming opposition, social partners, the men of culture, business, medias, the civil society, farmers, labors, learned men, pupils, students, young men and women, civil servants, in order to reveal new ideas, foresee new ways, launch new reforms, implement the project of change, which is going to bring together all the Albanians.
I invite every Albanian citizen to appraise me based on my sensitivity,
respect and affection for the citizens.
Sometime you have heard me raise my voice in the Parliament, become harsh and point at someone with my finger or otherwise call them nicknames. I swear that never have I done this for the sake of any personal vengeance, but instead because my sensitivity towards the undeserved poverty, which closes up every prospective for the Albanian citizens. I have done this because to me, wherever there is suffering, there is injury, wherever there is a difficulty, there is an obligation. I want to be quite sincere with you; I have raised my voice and I have pointed by finger, because out of all my clothes I use, the gloves are the only thing that whenever I bought, I never used.
Besides, I will never be the rapacious crow or the lonesome bird flying over you. Please, run away from me, if I show up as such in front of you. I am Sali Berisha, to stay always amongst you, thirsty of sharing the enthusiasm, energy, hope, devotion, honesty, affection, and respect for you, your families, and your work, for the nation and for the whole Albania.
I am not flying over you, but I am standing with my feet on the ground; I take the power from your power, light from your mind, trust from your trust, vision from your ideas, inspiration from your character. You already know that throughout these 15 years of my engagement in politics, we together threw over the most severe dictatorship in Europe, pulled Albania out of the Orwellian bunker of isolation; with our radical reforms we laid the foundations of a democratic system; defended regardless of the cost of falling in opposition the values and principles in which we trust. Anyway, I would like to tell you that I have never, not for a moment or a day worked for history. My history is the freedoms, sufferings, pains and the truths of the common citizens and yours in general. In no case and in no circumstance, have I stayed away from you, have I flied and will fly over you, have I escaped to other countries; instead I have always stayed with you or amongst you.
That's why I invite you to appraise me above all, from my attitude towards your problems, the project I am presenting to bring them to a solution, my approach towards our national interest and, from my oath. Change for me means to turn the good words into good works. I take the opportunity to assure you that in the coming government, the statesmen who will not keep their promises will be sent home. I cannot accept that those who are trusted by your vote make use of it by cheating you. The responsibility of keeping the promise shall be the top issue, of which the new government will be kept accountable.
I believe that the supreme task of the Prime Minister and the next cabinet, will be to protect the Albanian citizens from corruption and by means of the sterile hands of the surgeon, the power of the law, the radiation of the sun of transparency, to pull out from the exhausted body of our society this cancer, which is ruining, wasting the health, the beauty, the imagination, the life of the children, youth, men and women, elderly people, as well as the Albanian family and society in its entirety.
From this plateau, I would like to assure the Albanians that the first battle we are going to win together will be the one against corruption. My oath is clean hands, and the power of law and full transparency in defense of your private and public assets.
The first law to get amended will be the law on the conflict of interests. I swear in front of you that no statesman or high official in the subsequent administration can use the power, the immunity for his own or his family unlawful enrichment, unless faced up with the strictness of the law. I assure you that no statesman or high official can hide, transfer the wealth misappropriated by means of the force of the power, to his relatives, and even less so to his spouse. They can cross the rainbow or go through lifting, but one day they will have to leave their jobs and to face up to the law.
Clean hands, equality in front of the law - this is our promise. We'll win!
Ladies and Gentlemen, The Albania of nowadays, resembles a woman on the edge of giving birth to her baby, full of shyness, of course not painless but with hope and joy, hardly waiting to bring her child to life, the change for all the Albanians.
For that reason, it needs more than ever, our support, affection, trust and dedication. Therefore, I invite the Albanians to love their country more, because by doing so we can come to love ourselves, our children and future. Let us join together in the election campaign of the great change, the great start. Change means good luck, hope, goodness, work, prosperity, modern schools, public order, security, integration, dignity, success for every Albanian and the whole country.
Our generation used to experience the most severe oppression. With our courage and bravery, we set ourselves free, making the dream of freedom come true. Now, with our courage, let us make the beautiful dream of democracy and integration a reality.
Our agenda will be the triumph of change, the triumph of our project ideas, the project of all those in need of welfare and employment, public order, security, dignity, education, the triumph of integration in the EU and NATO, the triumph of al those who remained loyal to these principles, the triumph of those who are willing to look ahead, the triumph of children, girls, boys, men and women who want to see Albania –as the most beautiful home of all the Albanians.
All of us are ahead of a great appointment; the appointment with the change, hope, victory and future. Let us run towards them! The success, as Disraeli says, is the child of courage. We'll win! Let us walk more united than ever, with the spirit of modesty towards the triumph. Our triumph is the triumph of the party, the triumph of the Albanians and Albania.
May God bless Albania and Albanians!
