15 October 2006

You have to be in Albania. And you have to be the Prime Minister's daughter.

Unhappy with local press reports questioning her recent wealth, Ms. Argitta Malltezi-Berisha stated that her assets, about $800,000, "came only from my work" in the Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Most U.N. staff will be puzzled at how can one save so much money in five years, whatever the salary.

Ms. Malltezi-Berisha's previous income was from a meagre salary as a teacher in the faculty of Law at the University. Her husband worked in the UNDP office in Tirana for three years between 1998-2001. Both joined forces apparently to lend a hand to UNMIK beginning in 2000 where, she said, the reported amount was "net income" from UNMIC alone from 2000 to 2005. Her father, Sami Berisha, a prominent Albanian political figure and former Prime Minister, took over the government again in July 2005. The family expressed appreciation for "our work with the U.N. in which my husband and I had the privilege and the unforgettable experience of working with UNMIK to build the democratic institutions of Kosovo."

Building Democracy and making $800,000 in five years. How lucky can you be?