The International Republican Institute (IRI) has just published the National Survey for Albania, where there is a high support of citizens for SPAK (Special Prosecutor’s Office), which continues to remain the most reliable institution in the country.
Most respondents expect more investigations and punishments of corrupt politicians, because corruption is one of their main concerns.
IRI Director for Albania, John Fluharty, said citizens support anti-corruption efforts to improve their lives. He said that the fight against corruption restores people’s trust in democracy.
The National Poll of the International Republican Institute (IRI) found that the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) is today the most reliable institution in Albania (76%), and then ranked police, army and religious institutions, while the least reliable institutions are the Assembly and political parties.
The study draws on responses from 1200 citizens aged from 18 to over 56.
The majority of respondents (59%) think that reform in the justice system is effective, while (70%) of them think that the efficiency of justice increased after the judges’ vetting and the establishment of the SPAK.
Nearly half of respondents (47%) think that the creation of SPAK is the best outcome of the justice reform, then vetting (27%) and (13%) the fading political influence over the courts.
After the judicial reform, citizens feel that the most important things to do now are fighting corruption, investigating and punishing politicians, as well as independence from government influence.
They trust the US (46%) and the EU (37%) to monitor new justice institutions, including the SPAK and the courts, sometimes less to the prime minister (7%), and only 1 percent trust the Assembly.
More than half of respondents (51%) from all age groups claimed that they would not support any party that supports laws to limit the work of SPAK in the elections.
Nearly 40 percent of citizens claimed that their rating for SPAK would improve if SPAK investigates politicians whom they have supported in the past
“For the third time in our surveys, SPAK is the most trusted institution in Albania, – John Fluharty, IRI’s Director for Albania. Citizens see hope in the work of SPAK, they see hope in fighting corruption that they had not previously. That’s really significant,” Said Fluharty.
