Albanian Speaker under attack from BIRN over foreign expenses, days after offering ‘way out’ of crisis

Tirana, Albania | Tirana Echo – Only two days after Albania’s Speaker of Parliament Ilir Meta offered a way out of the political deadlock suggesting a ‘government of trust’, media outlet Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) has attacked his party the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) over expenses paid to US lobbying firm Global Security and Innovative Strategies (GSIS).

BIRN, known of its often pro-government subtle stance, claims Meta’s party has not declared to the Central Elections Committee the full amount of $267,804 USD paid to GSIS for services performed in the US.

Official public documents show the Albanian king-making party which has used the company to arrange political meetings in Washington to support “the communications efforts of the Party and its leadership and will provide counsel on strategic issues relevant to the leadership of the Republic of Albania.”

BIRN points to public documents by the US Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (FARA) which confirm that the LSI has hired GSIS for a monthly fee of $30,000 USD, but claims that only a third of the annual amount has been declared in Albania at the Central Elections Committee annual party report.

While it is not clear whether the Freedom of Information Act of Albania has been respected by BIRN which does not attribute a reply to the LSI or the CEC on the case, a spokesperson from the party accused BIRN of being part of ‘Soros Media Network Fake News, which has not stopped attacking Meta and the LSI for over 12 years.”

However, it is evident that the government junior coalition political party has not denied such a contract existed.

In a March 2016 report by BIRN, the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) confirmed that the consultancy firm had been contracted after a decision of its Chairmanship which had authorized the party’s Vice Chair and current Justice Minister Petrit Vasili to follow on the implementation of the party’s agreement with Global Security and Innovative Strategies (GSIS).

LSI stated in a public response in March 2016 that “according to this contract, GSIS will advise LSI, its leaders and representatives on important issues in the interest of the country, such as justice reform, transparency, economic development of Albania, security issues and agricultural development”.

BIRN said at the time that the contract between LSI and GSIS will function on a ‘monthly basis’ while its payment was being supported by the ‘State budged funds, membership quotas and donations, in accordance with the Law on Political Party Financing of Albania.

LSI confirmed for BIRN in 2016 that it had programmed around $120,000 USD for a three month period while it would decide at a later time on its termination or continuation.

According to FARA documents the LSI has continued the consultancy until December 2016 while it has also made another payment of $30,000 USD in January 2017 to GSIS. In addition, LSI has also hired the McKeon Group, a firm founded by ex-Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), a former chairman of the House Armed Services committee, to make inroads with the incoming Trump administration, including coming to Washington for the inauguration, as reported by The Hill.

It is not yet clear whether BIRN exposes a real breech of the law or it has engaged on a personal attack on Mr. Meta who has been actively engaged in defusing Albania’s current political deadlock which could seriously put upcoming June elections at risk. The LSI is yet to respond officially on the issue.

However, BIRN raises the much debated issue of how Albanian mainstream political parties are accustomed to hiring US lobbying firms to carry out activities on US soil on their behalf.

The Democratic Party of Albania has long worked with the Podesta Group in Washington to lobby Congress and the US Government.

When in power, its leader Sali Berisha hired this company in 2011 to 2013, with a fee of 60 thousand dollars per month, paid with the money of Albanian tax payers, and often using its services to accuse the then leader of opposition Edi Rama. In March 2016 the contract was renewed by the new chair Lulzim Basha, who later visited the United States on a diplomatic trip.

In June 2016 Prime Minister Edi Rama was accused of paying money to the Obama campaign when in opposition, in return for a photo opportunity in 2012 to help him with his political campaign back home.

As a result of US investigations, New Jersey chauffeur driver Bilal Shehu, was sentenced in February 2017 to a year of federal probation after admitting he helped disguise $80,000 in foreign contributions to Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign committee in order to help Albanian chair of the Socialist Party Edi Rama attend a campaign event and get a photo with President Obama.

Bilal Shehu had previously pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in Newark to charges he “knowingly and willfully” made foreign contributions to the committee, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman.

PM Rama has also contracted former British Prime Minister Tony Blair who was named 4 years ago as an adviser to Mr Rama. Subsequently in 2015, Cherie Blair’s law firm Omnia Strategy won a lucrative contract in Albania while her husband Tony Blair was serving an adviser to Rama.

The latest investigation by BIRN points out to a muddled environment of party finances and transparency in Albania, and weak legislative framework on political party financing, especially during electoral campaigning. Proper monitoring mechanisms are yet to be improved while very little political will has been shown to change the environment.

The LSI, although accused by BIRN on non-disclosure of its US expenditures already public in Washington, has managed to position itself at the pioneering end of the race, causing discomfort of the two other large political groups the governing SP and opposition DP.

Last year, its leader Ilir Meta during a meeting with American Democratic Institute’s (NDI) Central and Eastern Europe Director Robert Benjamin said the “LSI is seeking to become a model of transparency in political financing and welcomed the NDI expertise in this field in order to jointly create a culture of political transparency and accountability in Albania in compliance with the highest international standards”.

Following that meeting, the LSI has become the first party in Albania to publish its budget and activities financing and payments.

The US based NDI has praised LSI’s commitment to enhancing the party’s transparency and accountability and concrete steps towards enhancing integrity and transparency in political financing, while it is currently assisting the party on a concrete cooperation program to provide best international expertise and practice on party finance in Albania.

However, despite LSI’s initial steps, other political parties have not taken any concrete actions in increasing party finance transparency and improving monitoring of the current legislative framework.

The OSCE has said that the “lack of integrity and transparency among political parties undermines the country’s democratic processes and damages its economy. It directly influences the country’s security and long-term stability.”