Editor of Exit.al Neritan Sejamini spoke on Euronews last night regarding American Ambassador Yuri Kim and her views on the Albanian justice reform.
Sejamini said that six years have passed since the justice reform was launched and that it is superficial in its success. He said justice should “do its job” and be allowed to continue without it becoming a political issue.
“Today, after six years we expect to at least have some institutions down on paper….the reform has remained superficial,” he said.
He said that the Interests of the US government and embassy are one and the same: they want the reform to be successful, even if it’s just on paper. The reason for this apart from saving face is the fact that it will be seen to be bringing stability to the region. Sejamini said that regional stability is a key goal of the US, even though they are well aware of all the corruption and the erosion of democracy
“The US is interested in Tirana’s political stability because of regional stability. Other than this, they have no interest…They know there is no democracy in Albania and they know the problems related to Albanian politicians but they will never admit it because they are only interested in stability.”
Unfortunately, Sejamini said, justice is not at the core of the ongoing reform.
“The main goal of an ambassador is to serve the interests of his country. Everyone wants reform, the Prime Minister loves it very much. But the problem is who loves justice? They do not want justice. The government will make a paper reform as it has it all controlled,” he added.
Sejamini also added Albanians expect a lot from foreign diplomats and look to them for solutions.
“We forget that at the end of the day, they are diplomats and behave diplomatically.”
Kim gave her first televised interview yesterday, during which she said justice reform is a priority for the US government. She added that the “reform is not perfect but the basic elements are there.”
A recent survey carried out by the Institute of Democracy and Mediation found that the majority of Albanians surveyed feel the judiciary is corrupt, and one third believe the justice reform is not working. 60% said that the courts, judiciary and prosecution are susceptible to political pressure and will.
