Author: Denis Tahiri
For 30 years, the myth of Albanian politicians is that of individuals with impunity. Even the state of the pandemic exposed their privileged treatment and in flagrant conditions when the receipt of a fine should have been equally punitive for them. Although it turns out that the violation of anticovid rules has often been made public by the politicians themselves through social networks, the authorities applied fines for sporadic political gatherings and not for every documented case.
The official data made available to the Albanian Center for Quality Journalism show that only 7 political protagonists received fines.
Although the State Police does not officially identify those who have been fined, ACQJ sources shed light on the names of politicians who faced the law enforcement. Belind Kelliçi, Edmond Spaho, led by the leader of the opposition, Lulzim Basha, belong to the camp of the democrats who are violators of anti-covid measures and administrative measures. Meanwhile, from the Socialist Party, only Blendi Klosi, Minister of Environment and Tourism, was fined. Also, Endrit Brahimllari received an administrative measure of 50 million old for organizing a gathering in Maliq of Korça. A party representative is also on the list of those fined by the State Police "New Movement".
Kelliçi was fined after showing footage of the political meeting held on February 15 and broadcast on an online media. This virtually discovered violation is confirmed in the fine sheet that was filled out by an officer of police station No. 6 in Tirana. But this activity that shows the abuse of anti-covid measures took place in the city of Korça, and legally a policeman of the capital has no competence to take administrative measures outside the territory and area he covers.
In a statement for the Albanian Center for Quality Journalism, Këlliçi states that the fine is still in effect. "Commissariat No. 6 left it in force, the Police Directorate also left it in force. I am preparing the file to take to court. I was fined by the political order of Edi Rama's kamikaze, Ardi Veliu", he says, not sparing political accusations. But the legal alibi that the lawyers are expected to use in court is specifically the lack of competence of an officer in Tirana for an administrative violation in another city, which makes the fine automatically invalid.
Meanwhile, for the former democratic deputy, Edmond Spaho, the fine has been reduced and there was no financial penalty against him. Asked about this issue, he said: "I complained and they canceled it with the argument that it was arbitrary. It was a fine with political motives."
The ex-deputy of the Socialist Movement for Integration, Endrit Brahimllari, was also fined 5 million new lek, who says he is ready to continue the process until the court. "I appealed the fine through my lawyer. I don't know if it has been canceled or not, but I will pursue the case until the court if necessary and I will also request criminal proceedings for those who ordered it, because it is political intimidation".
A fine of 5 million new lek should also be imposed on the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Blendi Klosi, who was penalized for violating the anti-covid measures. ACQJ asked several times for a statement from Minister Klosi, or from his office, but there was no comment. On the other hand, sources from the General Directorate of the State Police confirm that the minister has opposed the fine with the request for its cancellation. But until the moment of publication of the article, the commission had not yet made a decision.
Do as I say, but don't do as I do!
On March 25, the two largest parties in the country, the Socialist Party and the Democratic Party, would open the campaign for the April 25 parliamentary elections. The images that were transmitted were very different from each other. The Socialists opened the campaign in "Skënderbej" square with social distancing, while the Democrats in "Mother Teresa" square had hundreds of their supporters present, violating the restrictive rules for avoiding gatherings.
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But despite this contrasting moment from the rise of the electoral campaign, which was used for campaign jokes, tens of kilometers away from the capital of the country, the reality is quite different. The candidates of the main forces show that during the campaigns they hold in their areas, they shamelessly violate the rules established for the pandemic. Referring to an ACQJ observation, we are listing some of the most flagrant cases of violation of anticovid rules that have not only escaped the eyes of the police, but also the eyes of the parties.
On March 30, Taulant Balla, number two of the Socialist Party, would organize an electoral meeting, in Librazhd Center, where dozens of citizens would participate. It turns out that the anticovid measures that prohibit gatherings were not respected. Also on March 28, the head of the Parliamentary Group of the Socialist Party would participate in the distribution of new membership cards to the Socialist Party in Prrenjas, where even though masks were not missing, the gathering of citizens was noticeable.
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Even though he was punished once for the gatherings, the Minister of Environment and Tourism continued the campaign where gatherings of more than 10 people were not stopped again. On March 27, the minister held an electoral meeting in a closed environment in Dimal, in violation of the anti-covid measures that the Constitutional Court also put in place. Meanwhile, this meeting was also published on the social network Facebook, on the page of Minister Klosi.
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Meanwhile, Ulsi Manja, in the electoral meetings she has held, has forgotten the decision of the committee of experts that prohibits her from gathering citizens. Even for him, there is still no administrative measure, despite the public violation
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On the other hand, even the two largest opposition parties apply the restrictive rules imposed by the pandemic caused by COVID-19 to a minimum or not at all in the most extreme case.
The head of the Democratic Party, Lulzim Basha, just a few days after the opening of the PD campaign for the April 25 elections, where what stood out was the violation of anti-covid rules, would organize another meeting. On March 30, at an electoral meeting in the city of Fier, a large number of people gathered to welcome Mr. Basha, but at no point was physical distance respected.
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Like others, even Edi Paloka does not attach much importance to the anti-covid rules in electoral meetings. On March 27, Mr. Edi Paloka would participate in an electoral meeting held for the area of Manza and that of Ishmi, where from the photos published by Mr. Paloka himself on social networks, the violation of anti-covid rules is clearly visible.
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Also, the former deputies of the Democratic Party, Luciano Boçi and Gazment Bardhi, would violate the anti-covid rules on March 29. They participated in a meeting with the young men and women of Elbasan, where, in addition to the lack of physical distance, masks would also be missing.
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Even the Socialist Integration Movement, which is the third largest political party in the country, is not far behind for violating the anti-covid rules. On March 27, the leader of this party, Mrs. Monika Kryemadhi, would participate in electoral meetings in Belsh and Gramsh, where the gatherings of citizens were such that someone had to be fined.
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Not even the number two of the LSI, Petrit Vasili, in the electoral meetings he held, which he reflected in his public profile, did not apply the anti-covid rules. In a meeting in one of the electoral offices of the LSI, on March 27, it is clear that there are more than 10 people present and a large part of them without masks.
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All the cases mentioned above are cases to bring to the attention of the relevant structures that the anti-covid rules are violated publicly by political parties, it is enough to monitor their social networks and those of the candidates to understand that the fear of a fine of 50 million old lek, it has no effect on them.
Anticovid measures and fines only for citizens
After a year in the pandemic caused by COVID-19, many things have changed for society. Contacts with friends and colleagues are reduced, as are meetings with parents to avoid the risk of a possible infection. Businesses are limited for the most part to work with schedules recommended by the Technical Committee of Experts.
And while for politics, daily life during the campaign would be described with the famous American expression "business as usual". And when he talks in numbers, he clearly understands the weight that the word politician has for blue uniforms. Only 10 fines have been imposed on politicians who have organized gatherings in closed or open places, even though the cases of gatherings organized by politicians are much more, and they are even the ones who have made them public.
Ordinary citizens who have been found on the street without a mask have not had the same fate. On average, every day unofficially, the police claim that they fine 300 to 400 citizens without the protective barrier. 40 citizens were fined for violating the forced self-quarantine, 9617 other citizens were fined for violating the traffic curfew, and another 45 for walking in parks and green areas when it was prohibited. But there were also cases of blocking vehicles for citizens, where 41 vehicles were blocked by the police after violating the movement restriction.
Meanwhile, 554 bars and restaurants were fined for exercising the activity in closed premises, at the time when it was prohibited, or for not closing in the specified time slots. Another 155 for not closing the music after 20:00 and a total of 69 nightclubs, discos and lounge-bars have received administrative measures as they continued the activity even after the closing time.
But the lack of a protective barrier has cost Albanians more financially than any other violation during the pandemic. Except when they have been clustered around politicians and seem to have benefited from the privilege. Up to the moment of publication of the article, the number of citizens fined for not having an anti-covid mask is 68,256 citizens, where the capital city leads with 30,408 administrative measures.
Officially, the State Police announces that these fines have been sent to OSHEE, which has encountered difficulties in collecting a large part of them, as there have been problems in the data or those fined do not have a contract with OSHEE.
Asked about the number of fines returned to the police, the General Directorate of the State Police explains that "does not have an accurate statistic of how many fines have been returned by OSHEE, for completion, as this is a daily process".
