NCJ Number
184668
Date Published
2000
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This paper describes efforts to deal with corruption and to establish a stable and institutionalized civil society in Albania.
Abstract
Since as early as April 1991, when the first pluralist Parliament convened for the first time in post-war Albania, corruption has been a subject of political debate rather than a real legislative issue. This is why Albanian legislation contains no set of laws to provide the legal framework needed to limit the negative effects of corruption in a climate that favors its growth. The Albanian Parliament has never acted as a single unit to take action against corruption through the use of available mechanisms, such as permanent or temporary commissions. Consequently, the fight against corruption has so far remained a political issue, an undefined area of mutual allegations between the opposition and the majority that has provided opportunities for corruption to grow, rather than for its prevention. In January 1998, the Council of Ministers established a commission to draft institutional anti-corruption strategies. In August 1998, the Government established the Plan of Action against Corruption, which involved the assistance of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The plan envisages a series of reforms in the judicial system, in customs and the administration of public finances, in the civil service and in control bodies.