“Dushku”, or “Ruzhdije”?!

It begun many years ago with Dushku! It followed us for a long time, probably to end with Ruzhdije! The Albanian problems with the elections have been continuous, except for the “referendum” of march 22, 1992, of separation from the regime. None can deny now that all the political election, no exception, either local or national, haven’t been honest. In other words, people’s will was never completely respected and probably we’ve been mostly governed by those we haven’t voted for. We’ve become immune with this phenomenon already, but for the eyes of an occidental, an American, a German, or an Italian, such a statement might make them have a strong reaction, starting from themselves followed then by an entire group of people who might have made their vote a passion, like sports.
In Albania, the “spine” of building a new system, that of Albanian democracy, what we had, somehow in the beginning of 1990, is distorted since the beginning. We’ve not been apparently in democracy, or better, we’re not in democracy! We’re really free now, to express ourselves, to meet, to protest, but the strongest instrument, with the power to change the power-keepers has never been in our hands. Of course, I’m not pretending to say something new, but at least, I’m saying it the way it should be considered, now at the beginning of the third earthly millennium.
From 1990 until today, it has always been found some way to close the problems with the elections. Sometimes there’ve been agreements, which didn’t work for more than 6 months; sometimes there was used the “compensation method” for the looser, probably undeservedly, during the last elections; sometimes it was shut not just one eye, or an ear, but all the senses, even with the international blessing. Every time, these international countries, more than our problems, have considered theirs, as it is happening with the last political crisis in our country. It is simple: the EU endured with Bulgaria and Romania, including them though they hadn’t met many of the criteria, so they don’t want to make the same mistake with Albania, which is probably even far from visa liberalization with this space.
It was spoken many times about the “sins” of the justice system in our country. There have been promised and half-realized reformations in this system. Yet, it still suffers with long sufferings, admitted even by our international “referees”. Ironically, this system has often covered even the destiny of the elections - the foundation of the Albanian democracy. We all witness that many mandates and results have been decided by the court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court, or even the Constitutional Court. This came because the Law-maker had foreseen this even for the simple reason that, with the “diseases” our justice system has, it is very easy to hostage it. There was never made the effort to have a particular elections’ mechanism with all its parts, that doesn’t need the justice doors, as it happened on June 28, 2009 with the decisions of the Elections’ College. It is considered a court, but indeed it is an elections’ administrative temporary ring of the chain. All the judges chosen for this purpose are judges of the Court of Appeal, and as such they’re authorized for the elections only for a few days. Does anybody think that during those days they are immune to all the “diseases” they suffer as part of our corrupted and none the less honest justice-system? Who believes this is just naïve, if not much more. To get the deputy’s mandate, each of the parts in elections is ready to “use” much more millions than during a simple trial in the Court of Appeal. Only to chose the President Bamir Topi, the price of a deputy’s vote amounted on five hundred of thousands of  Euro, in our poor Albania!
The political will stands above any other will. The axiom is true for any kind of democracy, for from this will come all the power and institutions. The constitutional changes realized some time ago, were based on this will, for what repented, at least those who didn’t get the power. In the name of this will were investigated, fired or lynched leaders of important constitutional institutions.
The Elections’ College has made some decisions about the elections of June 28. Let’s assume for a while that the idea of opening the ballot-boxes without having an effect on changing some mandates in the actual Parliament was a fraud. If the Elections’ College made a decision that is contrary to the facts, it’s even worse with the truth hiding in those ballot-boxes. It wouldn’t be any great surprise, for we all curse the justice system from the morning to the evening. In this case, if the decision is wrong, it causes problems to the Albanian democracy, and in this case, the “mistake” of the Elections’ College has to be considered as seriously punishable guilt. We’re all little and powerless toward the truth. Even the Popes of Rome have shown themselves to be little as after many centuries have apologized for the medieval inquisition, rehabilitating the so-called heretics. The case of the Rosenbergs in the USA is an other case showing the American justice apologizing, though it unjustly condemned them many years ago to the chair. Yet, it was the destiny of single people, but in Albania’s case, it is the destiny of a system. There are two ways: either to repair this system, or to change it with another system. We’ve experienced the communist regime, and we’ve thrown it away in 1990. Is the today’s system improper for us and we’re trying to throw it away in exchange of a new one? Only this can explain the strange consecutive systematic violation of the elections in this country, of endless worthless argues.
After 20 years, the Albanians has to boast only for Dushku of Lushnje, or Ruzhdije of Fier. They’re just two villages in Albania which have become symbols of problematic ballots in our country. While the Dushku mechanism was easily verifiable even from outside, Ruzhdija was covered (apparently) by the Prosecution, after the investigations. Today it is called Ruzhdije, for it could also be the name of a town, like Shkodra, for example, of a municipality like Kelmendi, or a village like Bushat. The mechanism found out by the Prosecution in Ruzhdije is being used successfully from many years now in many ballot-centers. The commissioners compromise between them even for money or the promises of a job. The “loosing” commissioner goes home “for lunch” or to smoke outside the ballot-center. In that moment, his colleagues sign, seal and put as much votes as they need in the ballots. After a while, the colleague comes back and notes a participation of 20-25% higher than 30-60 minutes before and the voters’ list signed by emigrants or even his relatives, and at the end of the process makes everything legal signing. The “loosing” commissioners can step-back even by threats, but this happens very rarely. We’re confident that the same way was followed even in Shkodra’s region, what might be considered even by the Prosecution, after Ruzhdije.
After the agreement in the ballot-centers, comes the agreement of the counting groups and then that of the Regional Elections’ Commission, where agreements are more expensive. After closing everything quietly with the signs and seals, it is send in Tirana to the Central Elections’ Commission, where the political majority continues to make the law at any time. At the end there comes the Elections’ College sealing everything in unchanging way. All this mechanism begins and ends in corruption, influence and interests exchange, reaching the peak with the deformation of the electors’ will to keep or remove from power those who weren’t elected. Until today, the politics has been selling to the people “Dushku”. Today it is serving “Ruzhdije”. You choose which one you like!
Blerti Delija

A love story turning into a family tragedy

Still today the love stories can probably turn into family tragedies. Through the ages, since the Helen of Troy to the “Chronics of a predicted murder”, humanity has always tried to make of the human miracle of love a tragedy. Even though with the time, mentality has to change, the absurd is still a great challenge. About this dark aspects speaks better an occurring of a few days ago, on January 10, 2010. A tragic event happened in Kolovice e Re n.75, in the family of Adem Avdiu., where he was seriously wounded and his brother, Sabit Avdiu, was killed, after an attack with guns. This tragic event is an astonishing testimony of the insecurity of our life.
In this transition period of Kosovo, the youngest State in the world, many institutions representing the law, are not effective, not guaranteeing life, property and health. In this chaotic situation of mistrust, parallel power and the presence of the international factor as overseer, it is still far the day a Kosovar will feel safe in his home, in his village, in his town, in his country bought with blood and tombs. Like many other Kosovar families, the family of Adem Avdiu is a victim of old and new enmities, revenge and blood-feud, a phenomenon as a result of medieval customs codes among Albanians as a from of power. The Canon of Lekë Dukagjini has been, is and will be the law of the mountains. It will kill through blood-feud as long as the state of law and justice is missing. This was indicated a few days ago by a high official of the UN, during his visit in Albania, who evidenced this plague, giving the responsibility to the State which permits the Canon to overcome the law. Zejnije Avdiu, Adem’s wife, said to our correspondent there, that she wanted the public opinion to be sensible, quit the Canon and believe in the State of law, justice, in the independent Kosovo, in that independency guaranteed in these last days even by the French chief diplomatic Bernard Kushner during his visit in Pristine. Everyone’s effort is necessary in order to enjoy self-government and self-decision for the State of Kosovo. The rests of the past like the Canon and other old customs can only prevent progression and weaken the international engagement as an influent factor on determining the future of Kosovo and Kosovars. Always if there’s political will and with the engagement of everyone, something might change. “Let it be”, mother Zejnije says, “the victims of my house, the last of this killing wound. Let the murder of Sabit Avdiu and the wound of his brother, Adem Avdiu, the end of this after-conflict tragedy.” We have to save her son, Ilir Avdiu, his “prohibited” love, Valentina, the cause of this enmity. Yet, let’s unfold the development of this tragedy, to see how things went on to end with the gun taking away innocent lives. According to Zejnije Avdiu, her only son, Ilir Avdiu, emigrant in France, was engaged to a girl. The girl, called Valentina Avdiu (Nuhiu), was promised to the family of Jeton Krasniqi. Just like blood-feud, even engagement of girls since their birth is a custom of the past. A love engagement between to young people was not understood, even less comprehended. Though this wound is almost closed, in the rural areas this is still evident. It was right the broken promise that caused the family Krasniqi to get back the lost honor by shedding blood. Now the families Avdiu and Krasniqi are in enmity. The tragedy was born from love. This “crime”, considered as a human right coming from feelings, was the only “crime” of the family Avdiu, provoking a bloody crime opening a serial of blood-feud between the two families. Zejnije, the wife of Adem Avdiu, already knows how the story will go on. She wouldn’t believe that the love of the two might have this negative end. She doesn’t believe also that this would cause her son, Ilir, to find himself in this hell, to suffer, to leave his country and family in order to save his love and life. The family involved in this whirlpool of the medieval tragedy, in the 21st century, finds itself powerless toward this monster trying and being able to destroy their peaceful life. While the family of Jeton Krasniqi wants to regain the lost honor, the family Avdiu is facing the lack of power to endure and change the tragic course of the events. If Ilir Avdiu doesn’t leave Valentina, and their love, the destiny of their lives, the price has to be paid by all of them. A mother has to forsake her son and the son has to “deny” his parents, for the only guilt of choosing by himself the woman of his life.
Our correspondent visited the house of Avdi with Sheh Ruzhdi Shehu, member of blood-feud reconciliation. During the conversation, the mother of Ilir Avdiu brings a family album, holding it as the most precious thing, as she finds there all the missing family, her husband in hospital, her son in emigration. It is very hard for Zejnije to hide the fear of loosing her son. She, like many mothers, are in tears, loosing their hope because of the yesterday conflict and today’s peace. The journalist and the reconciler leave the house taking with them this mother’s pain, with the hope they’ll help to end the tragedy of this family. Although it is very hard, time has changed but people and their mentality is still old in these new challenges of Euro-Atlantic integration of Kosovo.
Albert Vataj

Will blood-feud ever end?

When will the phenomenon of blood-feud end amongst Albanians? The question, which seems to remain rhetoric, is becoming a “Damocles’ sword” over the head of the Albanians, even the youngest ones. It looks like this medieval phenomenon based on the Canon of Lekë Dukagjini, will accompany us forever through generations.
At the age of 20, Denis Shkelzen Salja, born on July 17, 1989, in the “Fahri Ramadani” district of Shkodër, faced the terror of this phenomenon. Denis is a victim of blood-feud, as the son of Shkelzen Salja.
It all happened on September 18, 2009, when Ymer Ymeri was wounded by Denis’ father, Shkelzen Salja. This was enough to start the Canon of Lekë Dukagjini, which considers all the male members of the family of Shkelzen Salja involved in blood-feud, becoming all of them the target of blind revenge.
As soon as the Association of Peace and Reconciliation Missionaries of Albania knew this tragic event, tried to intermediate for the families in conflict, but their efforts were fruitless, while the citizen Ymer Ymeri said he wouldn’t find peace until he avenges against Denis Salja, son of Shkelzen. According to Ymer Ymeri, everything is based on the Canon of Lekë Dukagjini, where the wounded family has to revenge killing “the best member” of the other family, who in this case is Denis Salja, not yet 21.
For this young man became impossible to continue staying in his country, as followed by the avenger, who advised revenge for the wound caused by Denis’ father. In serious danger,  Denis Salja had to leave Albania, without telling anybody about his destination, for revenge in the name of blood-feud follows even abroad.
Every day makes the situation of this phenomenon even harder, especially in North Albania. The State isn’t able to minimize the phenomenon, now known and considered dangerous even by the UN, which sent its representatives in Albania for this question.                                       
The Editorial Offic