FLASH
Shkruar nga Klodian Tomorri
Durrës and Elbasan are not the only examples, but signals of massive voter turnout toward the strong are visible everywhere in Albania.
A few days before the elections, news was published in the media that two candidates in Durrës and Elbasan were under surveillance by SPAK, as they were suspected of being supported by crime. The news was about candidates Arkend Balla and Sara Mila.
The first was the most voted MP from Durrës with over 18 thousand 400 votes. The second was the most voted MP from Elbasan with over 18 thousand 600 votes officially. There are even rumors that Sara Mila collected about 30 thousand votes, but then they distributed them so that the work would not be too much of a nuisance.
One of the senior figures of the Socialist Party told me today that if more than 1 percent of those who voted for her knew Sara, that would be the 8th wonder of the world. Of course.
All of this is strong evidence of how well SPAK did in keeping crime out of the elections. And yet this is the least of the problems. The real problem is that these results are in a way an autopsy of open lists and democracy. This is the real problem.
Durrës and Elbasan are not the only examples, but signals of massive voter turnout toward the strong are visible everywhere in Albania.
People rightly demand open lists and direct democracy. But what happened with preferential voting in these elections exposes Albania to another major risk. With open lists, the mafia and crime could take over the Parliament within two legislatures.
It may take them several rounds of elections to get the hang of it. But after two terms, the largest parliamentary group in the Assembly will be the coalition of crime.
This is a major problem. Because it raises a big question. Can democracy be compatible with an environment where massive command voting is practiced?
Berlusconi once warned Western leaders not to harass Gaddafi, saying they would cause big trouble, as Libya, according to him, was a people incompatible with democracy. Time has proven Berlusconi more right than those who overthrew Gaddafi.
But Libya is not our problem. Our problem is this: Can democracy survive among a people who think with command and vote with their eyes closed? Maybe Enver Hoxha had smelled something.
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