This Tuesday, the meeting of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party with the MEPs of the EU-Albania Joint Stabilization-Association Commission took place. The MPs of the opposition, Gazment Bardhi, Jorida Tabaku and Oerd Bylykbashi, have expressed their support for the European integration of Albania, but emphasizing the truthfulness of the reflection of the situation in the country.
According to Democratic Party deputies, the imprisonment of the opposition leadership, violating the principle of presumption of innocence, still without any decision of guilt by the court, only 6 months before the elections, violates the equality of the parties in the elections. During the meeting, the opposition MPs were stopped for denying the right of the opposition to conduct parliamentary investigations and obstructing the opposition in the Assembly.
The Chairman of the DP Parliamentary Group Gazment Bardhi denounced that the situation in the Assembly has reached the point where the meetings of the Joint Stabilization-Association Committee are held in the hotel, due to political punishments against the opposition and their obstacle to participate in parliamentary life.
“We follow the legal path for issues that we think are in violation of the constitution. We go to the Constitutional Court and win the cases, but the majority in the Parliament refuses to implement the decisions of the Constitutional Court. For example, for the mandate of a person very close to Edi Rama, Mrs. Olta Xhaçka, who is a former foreign minister, the majority refused to implement the decision of the Constitutional Court twice. On the other hand, the leaders of the opposition are in isolation, preventing them from exercising their political rights, even though there is no final court decision declaring them guilty. If they are declared innocent by the court, who bears the responsibility for the isolation of the opposition leadership just 6 months before the elections. We support justice, but it must be independent and act in accordance with the Constitution and the Law” – stated Bardhi.
Bardhi added that the major concern is the Government’s connection with organized crime.
“Recent revelations by Belgian and French authorities with Sky/EncroChat wiretapping alarmingly expose direct links between organized crime organizations and majoritarian leaders and law enforcement officials and testify to the influence of criminal organizations in the appointment of their people as deputies or members of the Government, as well as to influence and manipulate elections in favor of the Socialist Party. Criminal organizations are used to buy votes, to intimidate voters and to systematically manipulate elections,” said Bardhi.
Deputy Jorida Tabaku emphasized that the Stabilization-Association Committee will help the opposition to do its job better to monitor the SAA.
“Albania has started the negotiation process and the opening of the first cluster, and the opposition is an actor in this process, given that we supported it with facts and our vote in favor,” said Tabaku.
Also, deputy Tabaku criticized the majority for the lack of will to allow investigative commissions, recalling that these mechanisms are essential for the opposition and for transparency. “Unfortunately, we do not find the same will in the majority. A few years ago I led a Commission of Inquiry into the incinerators that uncovered a scheme that today has many people on trial, including a former deputy prime minister who is wanted internationally. Since that day, 9 commissions of inquiry have been rejected, which are a mechanism in the hands of the opposition,” added Tabaku.
Oerd Bylykbashi, for his part, emphasized that elections are a key point to understand the quality of democracy in the country.
We believe and have evidence that democracy has been hit at its foundation. The state is a full actor of the elections in Albania and this is in complete violation of the principles of the OSCE-ODIHR. There is no possibility for political rotation and the citizens are under constant pressure from the government with a patronage system” – said Bylykbashi. He also stated that the EU should address these violations, asking for concrete measures to prevent the manipulation of elections in the future.
The MPs also stated that the technical government is a vital solution in the conditions where the next elections may take place without a full electoral reform. “Without a complete and honest electoral reform, the next elections will not be able to ensure an equal competition. Therefore, we have reached the conclusion to demand a technical government” – declared the opposition MPs.
The opposition has emphasized that it will continue to seek the support of European citizens and partners in this difficult period, in order to preserve democracy and protect the public interest.
