TIRANA – Any involvement in political activity during the communist time from November 29, 1944, Liberation Day, until July 2, 1991, when pluralism was established, should be declared by all those who will run for a parliamentary seat representing the Democratic Party (DP). This clause is part of the form that any DP candidate for lawmaker should fill out which will be assessed by the 5-member qualifying commission set up by DP.
“The candidate should tell if he has been member or candidate of the Political Bureau, member of the Central Committee of the Party of Labor of Albania (PLA), employer or collaborator of the former State Security, as well as part of the Interior Ministry or courts and prosecution of the communist time,” said the clause of the form as shown by Balkan web on Tuesday.
A large number of the founders of the DP have been members of the former communist party (PLA) holding senior posts. The veteran leader, Sali Berisha has been secretary of the PLA branch where he worked as doctor in Tirana Hospital for a long time lauded by his superiors for his zeal in carrying out party tasks, and it will be in question how the DP chairman, Lulzim Basha will handle this issue.
The other requests included in the new form to be filled out by the aspirants for a parliamentary seat include information on drug related issues, alcoholic dependence which might have had negative effect in professional performance, private life, and financial aspect.
In addition the candidate will reveal if they have ever been sentenced by Albanian or foreign court bodies.
The mental state is part of the form. The candidates should confess if they have ever seen a psychologist or psychiatrist due to their emotional or mind state or if they have been hospitalized because of mental disorders. Besides that they will reveal if they gamble or have been fined for not paying taxes.
The self-declaring form has many sections on candidates’ status including education and social and political activity.
It is reported that the Commission started work on the vetting process of 3,600 persons proposed by the DP membership for deputies and mayors on August 3.
According to confidential DP sources the vetting process will be complicated because it is not known how far the competence of the members of the ‘purity body’ can go because some elite members of the current DP leadership have been members of the PLA. /argumentum.al
