On Thursday, the ruling majority and opposition are set to debate over the new government\u2019s program. The Democratic Party is calling on PM Edi Rama to return to the Assembly in order to continue the discussions.<\/p>\n
19:25 \u2013 PM Rama mocks DP leader Basha<\/strong><\/p>\n Right after the DP leader’s speech in parliament, PM Rama went to the podium and began mocking his political opponent. According to Rama, Basha\u2019s speech resembled that of the election campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be telling the truth if I said that I had higher expectations of you, but sincerely how can you speak on behalf of the opposition, at a moment which even you yourself considered important, with a speech that was almost entirely copy-pasted from your campaign speech…\u201d, said Rama.<\/p>\n 19:19 \u2013 Basha on Open Balkan: Albania must support Kosovo\u2019s interests<\/strong><\/p>\n Apart from criticizing PM Rama, Basha also sought clarifications on the circumstances obliging him to support the initiative.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat motivates your disgust for the Berlin Process, initiated by Germany and supported by the EU? What forces you to invest so much in a parallel initiative created in Novi Sad, whose highest authority is Aleksandar Vucic. You don\u2019t care about regional cooperation\u201d, said Basha.<\/p>\n \u201cRegional cooperation should begin from Novi Sad, but Mitrovica. Albania has one duty: support Kosovo because what is not good for Kosovo is not good for Albania either\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n 18:35 \u2013 DP leader Lulzim Basha criticizes PM Edi Rama<\/strong><\/p>\n The leader of the Democratic Party Lulzim Basha said from the podium that the country\u2019s democracy has been \u201cassassinated\u201d, hinting at free and fair elections.<\/p>\n \u201cThe OSCE\/ODIHR report confirms the electoral massacre. It says that the party in power and the state have melted in one piece. You\u2019ve stolen citizen\u2019s data and established the criminal system of patrons. You\u2019ve used the worst organized crime groups to exert pressure on voters\u201d, accused Basha.<\/p>\n He also blamed the Rama government for the migration of citizens, comparing Albania to Syria when it comes to asylum seekers figures.<\/p>\n Basha did not see it as reasonable to comment on the new government program.<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t go over it, because it\u2019s like commenting on nothingness. The only program you have is plundering everything that is public or private, for your own interests, and for those of your clients\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n 18:15 \u2013 PM Rama justifies late arrival in parliament<\/strong><\/p>\n Prime Minister Edi Rama said he could not make it at 5 PM, as had been previously announced, due to his busy schedule, and appealed to the opposition to refrain from attitudes that hamper the progress of the session.<\/p>\n 18:00 \u2013 PM Rama arrives in Parliament<\/strong><\/p>\n Prime Minister Edi Rama arrives in parliament one hour after his supposed arrival.<\/p>\n 17:55 \u2013 DP lawmaker Jorida Tabaku says \u201cnothing new\u201d in Rama 3 government plan<\/strong><\/p>\n The MP of the Democratic Party Jorida Tabaku said that no major achievements were reached during the Socialist rule. According to her, Albania is seen today as a country where money laundering is \u201cblooming\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe informal economy is at 40%. Albania is considered a country for money laundering. Today only the honest is taxed. Small enterprises are under enormous pressure. He has plundered every public and private property\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n 17:48 \u2013 DP wants explanations why PM Rama is not present in the session<\/strong><\/p>\n The head of DP\u2019s parliamentary group Alfred Rushaj is seeking an explanation from the speaker of the assembly why PM Rama did not show up to the session at 5 PM, as it was announced.<\/p>\n \u201cYou said that the prime minister would come at 5 PM. This is a mockery of the Albanian people. Citizens need to know why the prime minister did not come\u201d, Rushaj said.<\/p>\n 17:30 \u2013 Plenary session resumes, deputy premier takes the podium<\/strong><\/p>\n The plenary session has resumed after being suspended two times. Deputy prime minister Arben Ahmetaj took the stand, stating that the third term will mainly focus on the development of society.<\/p>\n Ahmeti added that the earthquake and the pandemic dealt a strong blow to the second term of the Socialists. According to him, all jobs lost due to the pandemic have been recovered.<\/p>\n 17:20 \u2013 Plenary session suspended for a second time<\/strong><\/p>\n The deputy leader of the Democratic Party Enkelejd Alibeaj blocked the podium, causing the session to be suspended for a second time.<\/p>\n 17:00 \u2013 DP returns to parliament, PM Rama not present<\/strong><\/p>\n After a short break, the third plenary session has resumed, however, despite a request made by the Democrats to PM Rama to come to the Parliament, the latter has not shown up.<\/p>\n 16:30 \u2013 DP calls on PM Rama to return to the Parliament<\/strong><\/p>\n The Democratic Party wants to pause the session until the prime minister returns, while Lulzim Basha has refused to talk.<\/p>\n \u201cWe propose to suspend the session until the prime minister arrives. I demand to suspend the session and gather the conference of the leaders. I don\u2019t think that there are any other sessions more important than this one, which seeks to defend the prime minister\u2019s plan for the upcoming four years\u201d, said Democrat MP Alfred Rushaj.<\/p>\n More to follow …\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On Thursday, the ruling majority and opposition are set to debate over the new government\u2019s program. The Democratic Party is calling on PM Edi Rama to return to the Assembly in order to continue the discussions. 19:25 \u2013 PM Rama mocks DP leader Basha Right after the DP leader’s speech in parliament, PM Rama went […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":20439,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[153],"tags":[150,151],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n