Strom Probleme in Albanien ohne Ende
Berisha witch-hunt to Rama
Tirana is living in energetic darkness, but according to previsions, it is going to face even darker days in the coming days. The reason is simple: Berisha is seeking to blame Rama for this situation.The Albanian Prime Minister is using all his power to attack the opposition’s head and indirectly the municipality of Tirana. But, lacking the necessary documentation and the courage to open a “battle” of arguments, Berisha is attacking the mayor with the argument of public works like roads and illegal constructions, while the truth is different. Blocking the works at Zogu I Zi crossroad shows one more time that at the by November, when the autumn of the political fight is getting over, for the citizens will start the bitter winter of fighting the mud holes and destructions. Therefore, it seems that in the first Berisha’s one hundred governing days, instead of constructions we will have only destructions and instead of law there is going to be forced only the political fight. The construction police is obstructing the workings in a key crossroad for facilitating the Tirana’s traffic, and on the other hand there hastily emerged some irregularities in the documentation, where everyone knows the clash between the two leaders will produce only loss and the one to suffer it are the citizens of Tirana who fed by pro and against arguments will keep wonder through the mud of Tirana until Berisha achieves to defeat Rama in the tables of politics or until Rama achieves to subdue Berisha’s anger. If the case is on the fight against corruption then the prosecution office should take it over, but if the politics’ rancour will replace the roads’ asphalt then the state’s machine will move backwards. “Zogu I Zi” became now the main arena of Berisha’s accusations towards Rama meanwhile the vehicles stand there in line for hours waiting the anger of “Berisha’s government” exponents soothes down. In the clash between two heads, where the inhabitants are the only losers, it seems that Berisha has jot found the right place to defeat his rival, because what is built in Tirana during the day Berisha destroys over night. These days, Tirana resembles to Rozafa castle, which was built by the master during the day and it fell down during the night. It is obvious the actual Prime Minister is squeezing its competences to attack the mayor, but this fight resembles to “Coffees” accusations and trials against former “block-men” after the blue leader got into power. If there is any concrete accusation, let’s do it. Take everyone to prison but the citizens have the right to move as human beings and they do not have reasons to suffer from the personal angers of the leaders. Also the duels that they have with one another, they do not have to hold them through road axis, but they should solve them on the rings of the prosecution office. Tirana’s citizens want just one thing; to not get dirty from the mud of the streets, which are becoming more and more everyday due to the holes that the politics is opening during the first one hundred days of Berisha’s governing.
http://sot.com.al/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=12550&lang=
Blackout 2005: Electricity crisis deepens
TIRANA, Nov. 2 – Albania’s power shortage deepened this week with drastic power cuts seen in the entire country, including the capital, were some neighborhoods were without power for an average of seven hours per day.
The government decided on Wednesday to allow state-owned Albanian Power Corporation to spent EUR 8.5 million in emergency funding to buy electricity in Romania and Bulgaria for the last two months of this year. The government used a direct procurement contract, which means the sale wouldn’t get bogged down in the tender process.
KESH and Albanian Minister of Economy and Energy Genc Ruli had earlier told the media consumers should expect drastic power cuts due to falling levels of production at home and inability to import electricity while demand soars.
Trouble importing energy
KESH says it is unable to satisfy domestic because it has been unable to import the needed electricity due to a series of technical and legal problems.
Ruli told a parliamentary commission last week that the energy crisis will deepen if Albania doesn’t find additional import sources immediately.
The Albanian government decided to purchase power anywhere it can, but the task is proving difficult because other countries in the region are also facing energy shortages, Ruli said.
The price of electricity has also gone up 30 to 50 percent since the beginning of the year, according to Ruli.
Importing energy was made more difficult by the fact that the current law says that more than one bidder needs to be present in order for the cooperation to buy energy from abroad.
Four previous tenders to buy electricity from abroad have failed in recent months.
Ruli said the previous government was partially to blame for the crisis because it did not plan to supply the country with electricity for the whole year.
Domestic production falls
Other reasons for the crisis include lack of water at the Fierza Hydroelectric Plant, lack of payment by consumers as well as lack of investments in the sector.
Fierza Lake, which also serves as a regulatory body of water for two more hydroelectric plants downstream, is fast approaching the level where production has to stop.
Domestic production was expected to get a boost with the end of repair work at Vau i Dejës Hydroelectric Power Plant, one of Albania’s largest. It had suffered damage after a fire there in June.
Ruli says the only real way to overcome ongoing energy crisis is to invest EUR 1.5 billion in constructing 10 new electrical plants
An ongoing problem
Power cuts due to technical failures or lack of needed resources to satisfy demand are a common occurrence in Albania, although things have improved in recent years.
Albanian businesses often cite electricity interruption as one of the main challenges of doing business in Albania.
Albania’s electricity demand increases by 10 percent annually, which has far outpaced the ability of Albania to produce electricity in its dilapidated hydroelectric plants.
KESH, a state-owned energy monopoly, will probably be privatized in 2006, and the first stages of the process have already started.
http://www.tiranatimes.com/11040501.html
Comments Off