Berisha urges Rama, Meta to agree on the electoral code

TIRANA, Dec 17 – At a time when the parliament created again a commission to deal with the electoral code turned back from the president, Prime Minister Sali Berisha of the governing Democratic Party called on the main opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama and the other small Socialist Movement for Integration party Ilir Meta to resolve their disputes on the issue.
Berisha called on Rama to be consensual with Meta’s party that had 8-10 percent of the votes and it would not be wise to exclude such a party. He also said there was the possibility to reflect now again.
Meta has been a strong opponent of the new electoral code complaining it aims at wiping out the small parties from the next parliament.
That has served as a strong issue of dispute with the Socialists, who now say the parliamentary commission should simply resolve the timing for the president to decree the elections, as required by him.
Meta and his party say that is another opportunity to make other amendments in the draft and include their representatives at the counting electoral commissions.
The two parties considered Berisha’s intervention Wednesday as another diversion in an effort to attract the attention from other top issues like accusation on different scandals of himself and his cabinet members.
The new electoral code was passed by the parliament in November with the votes of the two big parties. President Bamir Topi turned it back saying it gave him no proper time to decree the next elections, very likely to be held in June. The president may turn a law back to the parliament only once and is obliged to pass it after the parliament votes it for a second time.