nr. 105 / 30 qershor 2007

For Christian Democrats, Heard Work Brings Results, but Spells Trouble for Berisha

It is not a secret than the relationship between the Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Party has always been a rocky one. For the past sixteen years, we have seen the Democratic Party take the Christina Democrats for granted, considering them insignificant. Sali Berisha, the Prime Minister and the National Chairman of the Democratic Party, has time after time betrayed and breached the promises he made to the Christina Democrats for their support. But this time things are different.

The Christina Democrats have reorganized themselves. They removed Nikoll Lesi, as he was too closely related to Berisha and to Nano, and put Nard Ndoka in charge of the party, who to this date appears to be more effective than Lesi in managing, leading and enlarging the party membership.

Mr. Ndoka smiled, when asked about his success in 2007, and said “Time has come for both the DP and the SP to realize that Albanians are not happy with neither of them. They want change, and we represent that change. However, we have a lot of work to do before we get comfortable. As a matter of fact, we should never get comfortable knowing how the DP and the SP conduct their business. We will continue to work had and deliver results for the Albanian people so that we can win their support.”

As soon as he replaced Lesi, Mr. Ndoka returned to the basics. He enlisted new activists, recruiters, coordinators, managers, fundraisers, etc., and changed the approach to bringing new members into the party. He concentrated his activities in three fronts: 1) Recruiting members from Northern Albania, where his main supporters, meaning the politically persecuted and Catholics, are situated. 2) Making its presence at the Universities and other institutions of education where the new intelligentsia is being trained, and 3)Taking a steadfast position against the Democratic Party, especially against Berisha, making him realize that this party will no longer be taken for granted.

“Mr. Ndoka came in and told me that I want you to be in front of the University every day, sunshine or rain. I want you to have your table there, right by the University’s main entrance, with our materials on top of it, even if you recruit only one person,” said Arben Mitaj, a recruiter with this party. “There are days that I recruit none, but I go back the following day anyway and continue doing what I am told to do,” he continued. And our determination concerns the DP” he said.

And they have cause to be concerned. As of now, the Christina Democrats have been able to form a Parliamentary Group, attracting both democrats and socialists into their party; they got at least one minister and Berisha may be forced to give them another one; they got about 5.5% of the national vote during the local election of 2007, giving them the right to have their own observers and commissioners in future election; they will hae a say for the upcoming presidential election, where they have circulated names from their party for this position; both Catholic democrats and socialist are leaving these parties and joining the Christina Democratic party; and the NMD/LZHK has allowed the Christian Democrats to take the lead in the coalition. .

“Even though this party’s membership is mainly Catholic, this party has the right values and platform, and has found its constituency, Catholics and the Politically Persecuted. They are well organized and very disciplined. The way they are working, it is impossible for the major parties not to notice that Christina Democrats have become a force to reckon with. They are a real political force at this time. And the more they distance themselves from Berisha, the more they are seen as a force that Berisha must recognize or otherwise they can at any time form a coalition with the Socialists and make the Democratic Party a minority party in Parliament. Thus jeopardizing Berisha’s position as the Prime Minister” said Kimete Kastarti, Political Analyst.

“ We won the Kelemnd Commune because of our hard work and determination to bring to voters something real, something that is no related too much with the Democrats. Voters have lost faith in the Democratic Party. They are hungry for a new party that represents their values and needs ” said Gjok Mitaj, who ran the 2007 campaign for Nue Lelcaj, a Christian Democrat.

“We have noticed that some of our members, who are Catholics, have left our party and have joined the Christian Democratic Party, and it concerns us,” said the spokesperson for the office of Paulin Sterkaj, a Socialist Deputy.

“LZHK is elated to see the success achieved by the Christian Democrats,” conceded Armando Ruco, the Vice Chairman of the LZHK. “Mr. Ndoka has been able to re-organize this party very well and I am proud to be part of his coalition,” he said. “Berisha cannot take them for granted any longer,” said Mr. Pisha, a Political Operative from Shkoder.

However, the party’s success did not come easy. Mr. Mitaj, who, because of his job as a recruiter, claims to have been attacked by his opponents and detained twice by the security forces, said that during the local election of 2007, he could see that the Democratic Party was concerned about the kind of work that they were doing. “Their concerns became obvious during the questioning that I was subjected to when detained in Shkoder,” he continued.

“Even though Berisha used his Shik to arrest, beat, and intimidate us, we were able to pull a huge victory. He can no longer regard us as insignificant” said Gjon Zefi, the leader of the most powerful clan in Bushat, the Zefi clan.

Allegations that Shik was used by Berisha against Christian Democrats during the 2007 election and that many complaints were filed with The Office of the People’s Advocate against Shik were not denied by the People’s Advocate in Tirana, but he declined to elaborate further. However, Berisha’s spokesperson admitted that the People’s Advocate has expressed concerns about the number of political complaints he has received against Shik recently.

Nevertheless, both analysts and voters agree that Christian Democrats have made Berisha’s life more difficult now that he must recognize the fact that they are the third largest political force in Albania and which disagrees with him in almost everything.

The Staff

Eduart Sufaj is forced to leave Albania because menaced

The citizen Adriatik Islami, unable to find Afrim Sufaj, whom he wanted to kill, took the extreme decision to kill his brother, Eduart Sufaj, though he had no guilt or responsibility for what happened. Thus, Eduart Sufaj had to disappear, as scared to be killed.

Even though we live in 2007, the human life in Albania is still in serious danger, although when one has to protect himself or his family from problematic or incriminated people.

The happening of June 1^st 2007 in the city of Shkodra, at the “Partizani” district, proved this. There was an incident between the two citizens Adriatik Islami and Afrim Sufaj. Adriatik Islami was the one who started insulting and menacing Afrim’s sister in his presence. After less than half an hour, a conflict started while the two fought between them. Afrim stabbed Adriatik and then disappeared.

Now Eduart Sufaj is sought by Adriatik Islami to be killed, because his brother, Afrim Sufaj, stabbed Adriatik.

According to the witnesses in this sad occurring, Afrim did this violent act because his sister was insulted and menaced in his presence. His sister did never love Adriatik, because he was always very ill-mannered and menacing toward her. Actually, Eduart Sufaj, born on April 18, 1979, resident in the village Hysaj of Malësi e Madhe, totally innocent in this happening, had to leave his country because his enemy is seeking after him.

Eduart’s mother appealed through the media in Shkodra, asking for help for her son, as it is a dangerous moment for his life. She says she had to leave home and go to her father in Velipoja as she is afraid to leave alone at home, for her husband died four years ago by a heart attack, never knowing what was going to happen to his son.

We came to know that the murderer Adriatik Islami was previously condemned twice because of alcohol abuse, what brought him in other conflicts with different citizens.

Vasel Gilaj

A Calvary of sufferings

The family of Gjergj Ndoc Guri from Qarret is amongst many other Albanian families who face the problem of blood-feud. In 1992, Rrok Pjetër Guri, a cousin of them, killed for self-defense the citizen B.G. from Koman, at the brothers Guri bar by the cascade of dike. The Albanian Tribunal decided he was innocent, but his departure increased revenge toward his family. The family of the victim wants avenge for two reasons, firstly because he was their cousin and secondly because it happened at the courtyard of his bar where he was serving. Although the missionaries of reconciliation tried to reconcile them, there wasn’t any reconciliation. Gjergj had to leave his bar and his business to go abroad. The Calvary of sufferings has no end. There were attempts to eliminate him, but he survived. In 1997, explosive was placed at his house but they came out safe again. Despite the continuous caution, his wife suffered violence raped by masked people, making her abort in the second month of pregnancy. Gjergj was menaced many times in order to stop him from reporting to the police otherwise his wife and the two children would be killed. In these conditions, Gjergj had to find shelter in various places, as the police and the Albanian State is unable to protect him and his family. His life is threatened every day, so his return would cause him secure death.

The situation in Albania is very heavy because of the medieval phenomenon. There are 1650 Albanian families living shut in. It seems hard for Albania to integrate in the Euro-Atlantic structures.

I. Delaj

No return for Zef Prela

Wounds, pain, never ending hemorrhage - these are phenomenon that accompany our country in seventeen years. In seventeen years of frail pluralism, every corner of Albania is filled with bleeding wounds. There are seven years since Zef Prela had to leave his country. With great pain he left his country, where he was born and grown, where his personality was shaped. He left back sufferings and sacrifices, friends and relatives, forgetting all those years he lived here. He couldn’t look anymore at the fields and the mountains which were his company in this country. His parents’ and family tombs might be covered by grass and forgetfulness, as none can visit them. Houses are closed and there’s none to open their doors and windows. A forsakenness and forgetfulness that hurts deep inside. Zef never thought there would come a day when life would become unbearable in the country for which he dreamed for half a century. But life is dearer than dreams. So what he was wearing was the only treasure Zef Prelaj took with, as he had to leave his house and country toward a new world, an unknown country where the hope of him and his family was lying.

Many years ago, people like Zef would lose their lives at the border, because of the bullets of the soldiers, just because they wanted to escape the communist hell. In the next years, when it was said we were free, for Zef, death was nearer than life and this death was coming from his fellow citizens who spoke the same language and were born in the same land, but had different points of view and wanted to deprive him from his freedom. Zef loved freedom for himself and others, that’s why he had suffered from the phalanges of an old system that is dangerous still today. It wears different, it kills by night and cries by the day. It (the old regime with a new dress) doesn’t spare death to the enemy, just to have their power without limit at the point that they might deprive from freedom those who have different opinions. There are seven years that Zef is missing to his friends and country. His friends of the same ideals of freedom and democracy miss him. He is missing to the town squares where they protested many times for human freedom and equality. He is missing to his relatives who might not see him anymore, because return is almost impossible for him. He knows very well what expects him if he comes back. He tried many times, but he cannot challenge death at his age. Better away from danger holding a mountain of pain and wounds than trying the danger of return. This is a consuming death for the Albanian youth.

“Shqipëria Etnike”