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6 million for Berisha's "non-women", the DP will pay more than the total Albanian parties have paid in 20 years...
With 2 weeks to go before the May 11 elections, Sali Berisha has scored a super own goal. Not taking the example of Lulzim Basha and Ilir Meta, Berisha has signed a lobbying contract worth a whopping $6 million, which, according to the facts we will present below, is the most expensive in the history of Albania.
The DP has signed a contract with "Continental Strategy", the main goal of which is to remove "non grata" from Berisha. The contract is for 2 years and the DP will pay 250 thousand dollars every month. But this amount is higher than almost all the lobbying contracts that have been signed by Albanian parties over the years.
What is noticeable is that Albanian politics has historically attempted to "buy" US sympathy. All political forces have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to find support in Washington. But the question naturally arises, where did so much money come from?
The beginnings of lobbying
According to data obtained from reports by the Department of Justice, in 2007 it was the “Berisha” government that signed a $500,000 contract with the company “Euro Ridge”, which was run by Tom Ridge, the former Secretary of Homeland Security in the United States. Later, this “virus” spread to political parties. The strongest lobbying was carried out around 2009, which was also an electoral year. In this year, the SMI paid $154,298, the PD $120,000, the PS $82,250, while the “Berisha” government paid about $825,000. During this period, the PD led by Berisha signed a contract with “BKSH & Associates”. This firm ensured that PD officials, such as Berisha, Topalli and other names, had meetings with well-known figures in the US.
While the PS lobbied through “Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications”. What is striking is that the LSI has spent more money than anyone else on lobbying. At that time it was led by Ilir Meta and after the elections the famous Meta-Berisha coalition was formed. The LSI had an agreement with “Dutko Worldwide”. The PDIU is also on the list, which also lobbied at this time. The “Berisha” government at that time lobbied through “Patton Boggs”. On the website of the Department of Justice there are about 10 documents, contracts and correspondence on the government’s lobbying through this company, which benefited from about 825 thousand dollars divided into several payments.
Podesta's lobbies
During the time Berisha was in power, thousands of dollars were spent on lobbying, since the DP had another company and the government had its own company. Everyone remembers “Podesta”. In 2013 we are again in an election year and every time there are elections, lobbying starts because the parties think that by receiving US support they will win the elections. In 2013 “Podesta” received 360,000 dollars from the Berisha government. “Podesta” sent hundreds of e-mails, made phone calls and complained to the Americans about the electoral process, since the DP later lost the elections.
SP lobbies
As in 2009, 2013, there was no shortage of lobbying in the 2017 elections. The Socialist Party initially signed an agreement with “Ballard Partners”, for a one-year term. The agreement entered into force on April 1, 2017 and expired on March 31, 2018. The pact was reached between the Director of Communications at the Prime Minister, Endri Fuga, and the head of the company. The cost of this agreement was 20 thousand dollars per month or 240 thousand dollars per year.
The lobbies of the DP and SMI
As for the latest lobbying of the DP, it initially reached an agreement with “Barnes & Thornburg, LLP”, for 6 months and the cost of lobbying was 50 thousand dollars per month, i.e. 300 thousand dollars in total. Later, an agreement was signed with “Baron Public Affairs, LLC”, with a three-month term and a cost of 15 thousand USD per month, i.e. 45 thousand dollars. The next contract was with “Muzin Capitol Partners, LLC”, where there was a cost of 675 thousand dollars. This is the contract for which Basha was accused and has connections with the Russians. A criminal investigation was even opened against him.
Meanwhile, in 2019, the last contract signed by the parties was signed. It was the DP that reached an agreement with the company "Sonoran Policy Group LCC". In 2019, there was a deal of 40 thousand dollars. Meanwhile, in June of this year, the DP paid 30 thousand dollars to continue lobbying.
Regarding LSI's lobbying, this party initially signed a contract with "Global Security and Innovative Strategies, LLC", at a cost of $267,804 for 6 months. In January 2017, LSI also paid the lobbying company "McKeon Group' nearly $700,000, which includes cell phone and cell phone access.
If we add up the expenses of all parties, it turns out that there are about 4-5 million dollars spent in our country just for lobbying. Meanwhile, the DP throws away 6 million dollars with a drop of a pencil. / Pamphlet
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