Albania: Nano, again

Fatos Nano is a permanent “enfant terrible” or “eminence grise” of Albanian politics. Not a politician, but rather a species of political animal, this thick-skinned bruiser has been a permanent fixture of the soap opera depicting Albanian political life since the heady days when he ably led his country to the verge of civil war.

This was after his government proved utterly incapable of offering a solution to the large percentage of the population in the south of the country who had lost their life savings in a pyramid saving scheme some accused Fatos Nano and his government of manipulating.

Nano wormed his way since to the leadership of the Albanian Socialist Party, becoming its President. This position, however, is always in the sidelines of the power express and while Prime Minister Ilir Meta was performing his duties, there was no way back for Fatos Nano, hated by many of the Tosk population in northern Albania, who nickname him “that Greek bastard”.

So, the only way to wheedle his slimy way back into the political showcase was to foster in-fighting…in his own party. Last December, he accused four members of Meta’s government of corruption, power abuse and nepotism, accusations which caused them to resign. Meta was unable to replace them in his coalition government because Socialists loyal to Nano had refused to take part, despite the fact that Meta was in his second term as Prime Minister, having been elected to his second term of office in a fair and internationally praised democratic election in June, 2001, taking office on 12th September of the same year.

The stage was set for a “coup de theatre”, Fatos Nano having created all the conditions for Meta to fail. Meta resigned on Tuesday, claiming that “During my mandate as leader of the government, I was subjected to irresponsible accusations and defamation by Nano. It is an unprecedented fact that the head of a party can attack a government and a Premier of the same party with such aggression”.

The reason is clear for whoever has followed the political career of Fatos Nano, for there is always an ulterior motive. Upon examination, one finds out that the next Presidential election in Albania will be in the coming summer. Nano prepares his campaign, a scam to become the champion of political righteousness in Albania.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY PRAVDA.Ru