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Readers of "Pamphlet" we invite you to follow the noon informative edition, where among other things we highlight:
'Smart City' surveillance project
Peleshi rejects DP's request for interpellation with Rama
In today's parliamentary session, Parliament Speaker Niko Peleshi announced that the interpellation with Prime Minister Rama, urgently requested by DP MPs on "Smart City", is not accepted.
"I have responded to the rejection of an urgent request for an interpellation from the DP parliamentary group. From its review, it results that the object is not directly related to a concrete action or inaction of the Council of Ministers, but is based on media reports, investigative shows and claims from third parties. The request does not meet the constitutional nature and purpose. The request for an urgent interpellation is not accepted," said Peleshi.
'Smart City' project, alarm bell for mass surveillance in Albania
At an official ceremony in Abu Dhabi in April 2024, former Interior Minister Taulant Balla signed a memorandum of understanding with the company 'Presight AI', part of the G42 group based in the United Arab Emirates.
The agreement foresees the installation of an advanced network of cameras and radars in Albania's main cities, which promises to increase public safety and transform traffic management through contemporary technologies, including artificial intelligence.
However, the agreement, classified as secret by the Albanian government, has raised concerns among human rights activists and privacy experts, who warn of the potential for abuse and lack of transparency in projects of this type.
The involvement of the company 'Presight AI', part of the 'G42' group that is facing accusations of links to the Chinese government and human rights violations, has added to these concerns and raised serious questions about the security of personal data and the sovereignty of the information that will be collected by the system.
Party financing
OSCE sets 'red lines'
OSCE/ODIHR has published an urgent opinion on the new draft law "On the Financing of Political Parties" in Albania.
According to the document, the ODIHR emphasizes that the draft law creates a more detailed structure for the income, financing and expenses of political parties.
One of the main innovations is the creation of the Electronic Reporting Platform, which aims at the real-time publication of financial data.
The draft law also envisages strengthening the role of the Central Election Commission in auditing and monitoring party finances. The ODIHR also recommends stronger restrictions on cash transactions, as well as strengthening internal and external control mechanisms.
Meanwhile, a 5% fund of the public grant is proposed to be used to promote gender equality and youth participation in politics. Despite positive assessments, ODIHR warns that the draft law does not sufficiently protect against indirect financing and “fictitious donors”, which can be used to circumvent legal limits on donations. Experts also call for more transparency on the beneficial owners of donor companies, clear rules on political loans and proportionate sanctions for financial violations.
According to the report, the success of the reform will depend on strengthening the CEC with resources and investigative powers, while the opinion comes at a key moment for Albania's European integration and the fight against corruption.
Orban's oligarch seeks 'salvation' in the Balkans
After meeting with Rama, Gellért Jászai lands in Montenegro.
Viktor Orban's loss of power in Hungary seems to have set in motion the economic network he built over the years.
One of the most powerful men in this scheme, businessman Gellért Jászai, is attempting to shift and expand influence in the Western Balkans, using Albania and Montenegro as a new base for strategic investments.
Jászai, the main shareholder of the 4iG group and the owner of "One Albania", has held meetings in Tirana and Podgorica in the past few days for major projects in telecommunications, "Data Centers" and digital infrastructure.
His moves come at a critical moment for 4iG in Hungary. New Prime Minister Peter Magyar has threatened audits, investigations and the termination of state contracts for companies that were empowered during the Orban years through political connections and state favors.
Among them is 4iG, the company that in just a few years turned from a modest business into a telecommunications giant worth billions of euros.
'It acts like a criminal structure'
Artan Hoxha: AKSHI, a parallel government that controlled the state
Journalist Artan Hoxha calls the AKSHI "the parallel government of Albania," arguing that the public has never understood the real weight of this institution in controlling the state's strategic systems and influencing national security.
According to him, through financial power and influence in the media, AKSH built an untouchable image, while behind the scenes it operated as an instrument for political, economic and media control.
Hoxha went further, describing the AKSHI as the "most industrial form" used by the government to steal Albanian taxes and build an unprecedented symbiosis between the state and the criminal world.
For more, click on the 12:00 news link.
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