The Honorable Phil Reeker/
Assistant Deputy Secretary of State/
Department of State/
Washington,D.C. 20520/
Dear Mr. Reeker:
I am taking the liberty of forwarding to you my translation of an informative article, written in Albania and published in the Albanian paper PANORAMA (April 14, 2013) The article is signed by Mr. Kosta Barka, a political leader of the Greek minority in Albania.
Mr. Barka, a former congressman and a former Minister of Labor and Social Services, enjoys a good reputation in his country. His article touches a delicate point in the politics of Albania, and it sheds light on a subject heatedly debated, even here in the United States.
Attached is the English version of the article, and my response.
Very truly yours,
Sami Repishti, Ph.D.
City University of New York, (ret.)
Human rights activist
April 30,2013/
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Kosta Barka.
Why the Greek Minority in Albania will Vote for the Democratic Party?
(from :PANORAMA ONLINE Newspaper, April 4,20113, (Tirana, Albania)
Lately, the Albanian political scene has become increasingly phantasmagoric!
The daily changes, some expected some not, are making the local political scene more interesting, and at the same time more inscrutable. Old and new resentments, old and new alliances, pragmatic compromises, so many political divisions, but also new unions and meetings among the protagonists; all the above is happening with a speed seldom witnessed before in the Albanian political environment.
However, as a political representative of the Greek minority , and of the Democratic Party (of Albania) (PDA), I would like to present, for the reader, a few arguments as to why the Greek minority in Albania will continue to vote for the Democratic Party, and why the DPA deserves the votes of the Greek minority in the forthcoming June 23 (2013) elections.
1) During its eight years in power, the PDA majority has applied the most favorable policies to assist the Greek minority that we have seen during these years of transition (from communism to democracy).The publicly declared purpose of the Government has been the improvement of the quality of life for the Greek minority; and, this has been done! All indications of the development and the wellbeing point to a substantial improvement compared to the figures of 2005. The Government has pursued favorable policies for the education of the Greek minority in their native language. Greek schools were open in Tirana, Himara and Korça, and they function normally with an open support from both the Greek and Albanian Governments. The education of the Greek minority is proceeding normally, in their mother language and in Albanian, in all areas where they live. The quality of instruction in those schools improves every day.(Of course, there are areas which need improvement, and the will to improve is there).
2) The Government has supported without any prejudice the Greek companies in Albania, and has respected the competition required by the laws of the marketplace. Greek companies have enjoyed all the facilities the Albanian Government has offered to other foreign investments. Their success could not have been achieved without the overall support and the favorable climate created for them by the Albanian Government and State. New Greek enterprises that have been transferred to Albania, or have transferred their operations in our country, due to the economic crisis, especially in some border cities in the South and South-East, have found all the necessary conditions, and legal and fiscal facilities to resume their activities. They are becoming important agents of industrial production, of labor market, and of the service sector. Hundreds of Albanians and local specialists as well, have found jobs in those companies.
3) The Government of Mr. Berisha has supported with any prejudice, the policies and programs of the Greek State and Government, favoring the Greek minority in Albania. Pension payments that Greek minority members benefit from the Greek State have not generated resentment, and have not brought any reduction in their benefits received from Albania’s social services. The Albanian legislation does not prevent the Greek minority members from receiving traveling passports, and benefits for those of Greek citizenship.
Being the first Albanian citizens to be “European” voters, the Greek minority has been an example of emancipation by participation and contribution to the culture of elections. I can say without any hesitation that in all the areas where the Greek minority lives, electoral campaigns are conducted peacefully, and the voting process as well as the voting administration, are transparent. For this, the Greek minority in Albania are effectively genuine “Europeans”, and the Government of Mr. Berisha deserves special credit.
The correctness of the Albanian Government in its relations with its neighbors and partners cannot be seen as submissive, give-in or slavishness. As in some cases, the normal pressure exercised by it to secure the rights of the Albanian emigrants in Greece, cannot be seen as interference, exaggeration or ill-will in its relations with its neighbors; it’s simply a cooperation for an improvement in the benefits, and the emigrants’ legitimate rights.
The DPA, and the present government, does not boast, or plays games with the Albanian emigrants in Greece. It does not deceive them, but it makes an fruitful effort to solve their daily lives’ problems. As it did for the education of Albanian emigrants’ children in Albanian language in the environment of the Greek schools, the Albanian Government discusses with serious elements, and not “the militants”; and, it has been doing it these last years, through agencies and Government specialized institutions. The Government of Mr. Berisha has intervened during these last eight years for the creation of favorable conditions in the movement across the two border stations, thus enabling the Albanian emigrants to cast their votes in Albania. The DPA does not make promises it cannot keep, but it offers conditions and possibilities for investing their capitals in Albania. It has a special commitment to resolve several problems that have emerged recently, such as the movement of children between the two countries. Presently, it is engaged in solving the problem of recognizing the citizenship’ s contributions to social services.
Mass voting, and participation in the Parliament of Albania of Greek minority’s deputies representing both the DPA (and the majority), terminated the so-called ‘artificial monopoly’ of representation of the Greek minority; it was a system which speculated with representation, while collecting benefits from it. Those involved should be ashamed of themselves whenever they face honest and decent members of the minority, those who build their lives and their future with knowledge, hard work, contributions to society and sacrifices. Such individuals did benefit, or better said did “exploit,” government positions and other representative assignments in non-democratic ways. The so-called “national garb” they so loudly claim was nothing else but a mantle that did not hide their inferiority, inability, the absence of voters’ support, and the emptiness of their statements and pictures seen in Facebook . They used it to compensate for the absence of popular support.
All these efforts which can end in imposition by the few, are fortunately rejected constantly by the voters, the public and the community of the Greek minority in Albania.
5) The DPA is an open partnership of principles, ideology, philosophy and humanism with the political forces of the Greek center-right. However, it has never happened that politicians and former Greek high officials tried to impose their will on the Albanian people and voters. Serious politicians, efficient and successful, address the voters not with stale appeals, but with personal examples, models, contributions.
In this context, even for the leaders of the Socialist International it’s not moral, or ethical, to interfere with Albanian voters. I think that in these moments, they have more serious problems to resolve in Greece; by this, I do not mean to say that they are responsible for those problems., and for the existing situation, since for this they already have been punished by the Greek people’s vote.
Greek minority voters, in Albania, right, left or in any other political spectrum do not need big brothers to make up their minds; they are emancipated and wiser than the politicians; this is more so for the failed politicians of the Left.
This is why the Greek minority in Albania has done -and will again- select to vote en masse for the DPA on June 23 (2013) general elections.
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My response to Mr. Barka:
April 30,2013
Dear Mr. Barka:
Thank you for your clear and substantive article. I wish many attentive readers could read it and become aware of your thoughts. Democracy in a country is not measured by the privileges of the majority, but by degree of respect for the rights of the minority.
I am proud to learn that Albania, my native country, displays a principled treatment of the Greek minority – and other minorities, as well. In this spirit, I sincerely hope that all Albanians living in Greece –permanently or as recent economic immigrants- will enjoy a similar treatment, for the benefits of peace and stability in that restless Balkan peninsula.
Sincerely yours,
Sami Repishti, Ph.D.
City University of New York (ret.)
Former political prisoner in Communist Albania (1946-56), and
Communist Yugoslavia (1959-60)
human rights activist.