The strong earthquake that shook Albania on Saturday afternoon remains the main news of a weekend in which we were expecting new developments in the solution of the political crisis. But neither Rama’s declarations from Shkodra, nor those of Basha from the protest tent managed to give an answer to whether there will be elections in June or not. The next 48 hours will be decisive, because this evening will be the deadline for the registration of electoral subjects that will participate in the elections.
Beyond this deadline no party can be part of the electoral process, which now already seems one of the most inpredictable ever in Albania. The political crisis and the unconditional demand of the opposition to only enter the elections under a caretaker government still hasn’t been resolved even though the last three days there were rumors about a meeting between the two sides.
Their feverish attempts outside the public eye are still far away from a common ground while the remaining time promises to be very short to make elections with or without caretaker government possible.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Rama remains unshaken in his position. Even though the majority leader declares to be ready to sit down at the negotiation table he doesn’t seem to withdraw from his claim to enter the elections no matter what, even without the PD and its allies. His declarations from the last few days and hours “bite” his main ally LSI, whose leader still strongly supports the idea that without opposition there cannot be elections.
Now that the deadline hangs a Damocles’ sword over the situation, rhetoric about dialogue no longer bring the hope that a last-minute solution could change the situation for the better. The only political dialogue that would work today is the one between Lulzim Basha and former PS deputy Koço Kokëdhima, both with strong political positions against Rama.
In any case there could still be a solution. If Rama pulls back the creation of a caretaker government or government of trust would automatically postpone the election date. Whereas if he would remain steadfast the elections would be held with the opposition in the best case (and negligible) scenario, and in the worst (but likely) case with a “nominated” opposition.
In all these variants, the absence of a common language, not only between the two large parties but even of the LSI, the factor that determines the legitimacy of the electoral process would bring into an unprecedented situation somewhat similar to Albania after the 1996 elections.
The hours that are left are enough to organize a meeting in which the parties discuss proposals, pull a bit from their recent claims and find a way out of the crisis that has been holding Albania and its political system hostage for nearly two months.
Today but also the next weeks will once again be a test for the political class and the way in which it manages the electoral crisis, but also the new president. And at the same to outline the new or old pre-electoral alliances, for which the coming hours will be crucial too.
