What is happening related to the political conduct of the political elite of the country to elect the new President could just as well be described as Chicken’s Game.
Suppose that two farmers are deciding whether or not to repair river flood defences in their area. It costs $10 to undertake the repairs and they can either share the cost or do the work entirely on their own. If neither does the work, then flood damage to crops of $20 will definitely occur. If the farmers want to minimize risks then it will be best for them to undertake the work. And the very best thing is just to cooperate by losing $$ each instead of doing nothing and risk $20.
This situation is described as Chicken’s Game, taken from a game played by American teenagers in the 1950’s where two people drive towards each other down the middle of the road, trying to force their opponent to swerve at the last minute to avoid a collision. The Government and the Opposition are playing nothing less than this game, Chicken’s Game, worthy of any pair of 50’s adolescents. What is painfully obvious is the absence of any will to work together. Instead of a rational choice, the political parties in Albania are playing exactly the so-called Chicken’s Game, the outcome of which is known. If the Assembly fails to elect the President in the next three votes, the country will have early electionsŮthe parties will collide and confront one another via the ballot boxes. However, the version of Chicken’s Game the Albanian politicians play is somewhat different to the game the young Americans played back in the fifties.’ The young people in the American game put their own lives at stake, whilst in the Albanian version the interests of the rest of society are at stake. So little time remains for reflection. And now, this is no longer a question of the very low kevel of seriousness the political parties demonstrate for such a cardinal issues as the election of the President. Arrival at the start line of the Chicken’s Game is perilous. Early elections could launch Albania into a cycle of crisis, in appearance calm, but which could seriously damage the country’s stability. No one is sure now that any one of the parties or coalitions could manage to secure three fifths of the votes of the MPs to elect the President, without mentioning whether or not the country is ready to prepare for and conduct elections.
Last minute accords are another feature of Albanian politics during this transition period. Perhaps this is how the Albanian politicians will extricate themselves from the Chicken’s Game. Will there be a repetition of such an agreement? If there is to be an agreement, will the constitutional process of the election of the President be respected, a process that has already begun in the Assembly? And last but not least, if there is to be a last minute agreement, will this be an agreement with a solution or elections? In short, will the Government and the Opposition agree?
Should they be heading towards a normal election process in which respected candidates compete, or will they be racing towards a solution of the crisis, closing their eyes to who the candidate is?
