The opposition of Taiwan…

By Ylli Manjani

An announcement by Sali Berisha that his opposition is against a tower at the park known as Taiwan, and that, for this reason, it will collect signatures against it, left me speechless.

The political opposition of a country where a single party keeps gaining electoral ground, despite its longevity and the scandals in government, apparently has the luxury of dealing with issues of urban aesthetics. Of collecting signatures against a tower.

At a time when the country we live in urgently needs a political alternative, the opposition deals with a construction in the centre of Tirana. And it does not hesitate to do a great service to the one that governs.

In these conditions, the government has all the luxury of relying on the narrative of development. Whenever the political opposition comes out against a new urban project, the government can say: “I am developing the country.” Even though the development of a country, of course, does not depend on a tower, however large or spectacular it may be.

But politics also functions with symbols. And people, in general, tend towards the new. Politics that goes with the new always wins. That is a fact.

On the other hand, construction carries within itself business, property, market, capital, investment and economy. These are precisely the concepts that a party claiming to be of the right should have in its DNA.

The DP, meanwhile, keeps appearing ever more against them.

Where is the right?

Albania has a screaming need to be governed, for some years to come, by a classical right. By a right of property, of the free market, of strong business, of the family, of individual responsibility, of a regulatory and fair state, and of a conservative society.

But where is this right?

How can a party call itself of the right when it calls the villa owner corrupt, the successful businessman an oligarch, the builder a drug dealer, and treats the landowner like a kulak?

What relation does this DP have with the right?

Let alone the cacophony on issues of the state and of justice.

When justice investigates Berisha, it is declared a criminal group. The prosecutors are scoundrels and corrupt.

When the same justice investigates the government, the prosecutors turn into heroes.

How can trust be built in a politics that one day clashes with justice and the next day lines up behind the interests of those prosecutors who, according to the opposition itself, have used abusive means to strike the opposition too?

One cannot demand a state governed by the rule of law only when it serves you.

One cannot demand a market economy by treating every investment as a political enemy. As drug business, oligarchy or corruption.

Nor can it be done for the fact that there are plenty of rich people, businessmen, builders, owners of villas and luxury apartments who are of the right and with the DP. Imagine a party asking for your support by telling you that it will take your property, your money and everything you have…!

Albania needs the opposition of Albania, not the opposition of the Taiwan park.

It needs a right-wing alternative that takes in hand taxes, wages, pensions, property, business, competition, education, healthcare, emigration, security, justice, the administration, energy, investments and the citizen’s relationship with the state.

It needs an opposition today and an alternative tomorrow, one that shows what it will do differently, not only what it dislikes about what the government builds.

Being against a tower is very easy.

Building a governing alternative is much harder.

And, since the word came up, about the Taiwan tower: the project was spectacular.

It had a difficult construction and, apparently, also considerable costs. But, said simply as a citizen and without turning architecture into a political programme, the project was very beautiful.

I hope it gets built.

But even more I hope that the DP starts doing the opposition Albania needs.

Not the opposition of Taiwan.