THE FAILURES OF THE 1ST PRESIDENTIAL YEAR

2023-07-24 11:20:00, Opinione Ervin Karamuço

THE FAILURES OF THE 1ST PRESIDENTIAL YEAR

Illustrative photo

If the citizens of the capital want to orient you in their city, for the block of the main institutions on the boulevard, they use, among other things, a wrong term for the location of the office of the President of the Republic. The slang of the day usually calls it "the Presidency". Meanwhile, this term in the constitutional doctrine has a different meaning and is addressed simply and only to the mandate of the President. Although we often point out this mistake among colleagues, today is the day to deliberately submit to the majority.

The office of the President of the Republic opened today on the eve of the first anniversary of the presidential mandate of Mr. Begaj. During this year, the new head of state was presented very differently from his predecessors, offering a special institutional profile.

The Constitution, with its changes throughout these years, has greatly reduced and limited the powers of the President. Initially, the political decision-makers justified themselves by avoiding authoritarianism, then by avoiding the overlap of political-institutional powers/conflicts with the executive, but with the retrospect you see today, it seems that this was simply a game of invisible forces to really rule the country, regardless of who is its first.

Occurring in these very fragile presidential balances, the presidents of our state have found it very difficult over the years to position themselves sufficiently balanced between their constitutional powers and the role they should really have in the political-institutional life of the country. Because of this constant existential dilemma overlaid with resentment and ambition disproportionate to other powers, some Presidents have erred on the side of right, appearing quite different from public expectations.

Based on the previous presidential elections, the impression was naturally created that even Mr. Begaj would start his mandate with dilemmas and insecurity, with the fear of making a mistake. The steps with which he started the presidency showed that he had decided to walk on the points he considered the strongest, from his previous career. After 1 year, anyone who has closely followed the activities of the President, has noticed that his main priority is focused on national security.

National security and the challenges that accompany it, due to their sensitive and discrete nature, are issues that are not directly and easily identified by ordinary people. Based on the frequent meetings of the National Security Council and the dense meetings that Mr. Begaj has had this year with high defense representatives either in the region or in NATO, you understand indirectly that he has defined a clear vision, which is based on these 3 main pillars:

1. Guaranteeing the construction of a sustainable national cyber defense;

2. Continuous lobbying of regional security issues and of Kosovo in particular, addressing you recently to the Secretary General of NATO for its membership in the Euro-Atlantic alliance;

3. Modernizmin dhe rritjen e buxhetit të mbrojtjes të Shqipërisë dhe shtimin kontributeve në NATO në partneritet të fortë me SHBA.

Përmendet shpesh nën zë një mbledhje e Këshillit të Sigurisë Kombëtare, ku kryetari i shtetit u shndërrua me të drejtë në komandant të përgjithshëm të forcave të armatosura ( funksion që e merr vetëm në rast lufte), për të parandaluar rreziqet serioze që i kanoseshin vendit tonë nga Irani. Masat dhe ndërhyrjet që u zbatuan më tej nga organet e sigurisë, patën rezultatet e duhura dhe ajo situatë u tejkalua.

Për të mbetur tek çështja e Iranit, krahas rreziqeve të influencës ruse në ballkan dhe politikave malinje kineze, Presidenti Begaj do të hyjë në histori si funksionari që drejtoi sytë edhe nga Policia e Shtetit, duke kuptuar rëndësinë e këtij institucioni për rendin dhe sigurinë publike, pas dëmeve të sulmeve kibernetike vitin e kaluar. Dekorimi së fundi i një prej oficeri të lartë të Policisë së Shtetit që dha kontribut të rëndësishëm në parandalimin e sulmeve kibernetike është një ogur kuptimplotë mbi promovimin e vlerave institucionale dhe motivimin e punonjësve të shtetit.

Perhaps the role of Mr. Begaj, often expressed within a moderate and measured profile, may have an impact in the future in other fields as well, but currently the main field that he was rightly dedicated to remains imperative and vital for the fate of our country and the region in general.

The president still has a few more years left in his mandate and let's hope that beyond any prejudice, underestimation or unfair insinuations in the address of his figure, he will continue to dedicate himself to the true things that have value for the national interest and security and for the needs of every citizen of this country./ CNA