Brenton Kotorri
1- Towards the Agency for Local Affairs
The Ministry started the month on July 6, with the first public activity, a meeting with winning candidates from June elections. The Prime Minister Edi Rama and the State Minister for Local Affairs Bledar Cuci, introduced the practical manual that will guide the new mayors in the transitory phase of the consolidation of new municipalities. We say presumably because this Practical Manual in fact is nothing more than an electronic presentation of the reform platform. It is ambiguous and even more confusing the speech of the minister:
‘’I will be personally engaged to guarantee an appropriate climate for a fruitful and efficient cooperation between us to push forward the reforms in the local government and to support you in implementing the promises and engagements towards your community.’’ If we read the sentence with the theoretical curiosity we will notice that it is completely made of words that Wittgenstein calls ‘’Empty Signifiers’’. ‘’I will personally be engaged’’ – when in fact Mr. Cuci can be engaged only in the quality of minister ‘’to guarantee an appropriate climate…’’ – how will he realize this guarantee? What does ‘’Appropriate climate’’ mean in this case? Appropriate in the political aspect? Economic? Social? Preparation of the public opinion? These contexts are not up to him nonetheless. And then the clichés continue ‘’fruitful and efficient cooperation’’ to ‘’push forward the reforms’’ etc..
On July 16 a second meeting with 26 new mayors was organized. During this meeting Prime Minister Rama attacked those mayors that were nor present and called this a lack of manhood to go to the Prime Minister’s Office. Of course the missing mayors are from the opposition party that with such acts are inciting an anti-democratic spirit of lack of cooperation and disbalance in local development. However, we have to remember that during the electoral campaign the Prime Minister called upon the electorate to vote for the left wing candidates ‘’in order to benefit more from the government’’. This attitude is as anti-democratic and immoral as the attitude of the opposition, but the Prime Minister has more responsibilities compared to the opposition, not only politically but judicially as well.
In an interview for A1 Report the minister declared that according to him the Municipal Police failed as a unit and therefore it should be disbanded. This means more unemployed. Secondly, the Minister declared that Mayors should have the right to give administrative orders to the police. This declaration is not foreseen in any of the articles in the constitution or any other laws.
Lastly, our suggestion would be that this ministry under conditions of fulfilling the mission for which it exists so far, should transform into a State Agency. This suggestion comes also keeping in mind that the number of employees is smaller than many other agencies. The budget is also smaller (no portfolio) and it does not have real competencies.
- al, stop to reports that don’t say anything
This month the operations hall of the online portal stopkorrupsionit.al published the monthly statistics. We say published even though the report was uploaded in an almost invisible spot of the website. Statistics suggest that in total (no reference to the timeline) we have 7189 reports from citizens. From these 1967 were refused, approximately 1/3 and 4003 cases closed. Nowhere is it clarified, despite the insistence of APPA in previous months what do these statistics mean. For instance, 1967 cases were refused. Why were they refused? Similarly 4003 cases were closed in favor of citizens. These statistics do not clarify how they were closed and what does it mean. What happened to the dencounced officials?
Until when will we have to wait for a response?
References:
Takimi i parë me të zgjedhurit vendorë, udhëzime për zbatimin e reformës territorial. http://www.ceshtjetvendore.gov.al/al/newsroom/deklarata-per-shtyp/takimi-i-pare-me-te-zgjedhurit-vendore-udhezime-per-zbatimin-e-reformes-territoriale&page=1
Takimi i dytë me bashkiaket e rinj.
Çuçi: Policia do të zbatojë urdhrat e kryebashkiakëve
http://www.shekulli.com.al/p.php?id=282077 https://www.youtube.com/ëatch?v=J0X8CLhYqxM
Raportet e stopkorrupsionit.al
http://www.ceshtjetvendore.gov.al/files/pages_files/2015.07.07_Raport_Stop_Korrupsionit.pdf
