TIRANA, Feb. 28 – The country continues to find itself in deadlock ever since the united opposition resigned its mandates, on an unusual Thursday that marked a cancelled plenary session and the second anti-gov’t rally for the week demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation, the establishment of a caretaker government and early elections.
While the second protest was entirely peaceful, police used tear-gas last Saturday on citizens seeking to enter the Prime Minister’s Office.
Meanwhile, the international community in Albania has only spoken against the opposition’s protests and mandates’ resignation, while not addressing the mounting allegations against Rama’s government.
First, news that the biggest part of the government tender to build part of the Great Ring road – a project already contradicted by the area’s citizens for violating their property rights – was awarded to a US offshore and its Albanian branch that had no legal or valid basis and was possibly supported by the Albanian government broke out.
Secondly, a VOA and BIRN piece revealed that important SP lawmakers and other officials are being currently under prosecutorial investigation for possibly participating in ballot buying with the help of the heads of criminal organizations in the country.
In addition to these scandals, during December, the Socialist government faced massive university student protests demanding an improved education system in the country by abolishing the SP’s educational reform, which they deemed unconstitutional.
The protests led Rama to completely reshuffle his government cabinet and replace his main ministers with fresh names – a choice widely criticized by independent experts, particularly as a number of Rama’s appointments either didn’t belong in the political sphere, or consisted of inexperienced, Kosovo nationals.
Opposition’s DP announces anti-gov’t rallies will continue all over Albania
Albania’s opposition Democratic Party publicly announced on Saturday it will be continuing its anti-government protests all over the country in order to remove Prime Minister Edi Rama from office, establish a caretaker government and call early elections.
“In this context, the Presidency’s first decision is to draft a calendar of popular protests spread all over the country and, of course, national protests in Tirana, for which, in the days ahead, the College of Presidents and the National Council of the Democratic Party will make the relevant decisions of the organization, calendar, dates, and mobilization of the entire country to continue the nationwide protests for the departure of the Maduro of the Balkans,” head of DP Lulzim Basha said.
Basha further added the DP is continuing its work to share the party’s vision, program and alternative with all interest groups, and particularly its economic program with its European and German allies.
According to Basha, the DP is looking to bring an all-inclusive decision-making process with its protests and its goal to make the country go through early elections, in order to take decisions with Albanians regarding healthcare, education, retirement plans and to get rid of the corruption it blames the Socialist government of participating in.
“So, this concerns another aspect, a combination of the wave of protests, with a wave of hope, vision and program for Albania and tomorrow,” Basha said.
Albania’s opposition collectively gave up its parliamentary mandates last Thursday immediately after its second anti-government rally for that week, leaving only the government in opposition.
Opposition leaders said the protests clearly supported its demand for Rama’s removal and his replacement with a caretaker government until early elections can take place.
Gov’t holds unexpected parliament session, opposition calls protest in response
The parliament session that was postponed last Thursday due to the opposition’s protests in front of the parliament building, took place on Tuesday, Feb. 26
This parliament session voted organizational structures of the High Prosecutorial Council and the High Judicial Council – both justice reform bodies – that was to take place last Thursday.
Immediately after the announcement for the plenary session, reacted the chairman of the Democratic Party’s resigned parliamentary group, Edi Paloka, who through social networks called it an “illegal meeting” of an “illegal parliament.”
“After they surrounded the building with barbed wire and blocked its entrance, they have begun gathering in secrecy. They are trying to call Thursday’s parliamentary session today at 5 pm. How long do you think they will last like this? Tik-tok,” Paloka said.
Meanwhile the DP, which on Sunday announced it will be organizing anti-govt protests all over Albania, urged all its structures to mobilize protesters and organize a protest that same day.
According to political experts, parliament cannot take place earlier than 48 hours prior to the date that has been announced during the plenary session.
The second biggest opposition party – the Socialist Movement for Integration – responded to the DP call for protest and urged all its supporters to protest in front of the parliament.
Opposition protest turns tense during out-of-order parliament session
A tense situation was created in front of Albania’s parliament on Tuesday evening, as the majority was holding its unexpected session inside.
A group of demonstrators attempted to break the line of police placed at the main entrance of the parliament’s yard, but were diverted from the use of tear gas.
Some protesters reacted by throwing stones at the police.
The opposition called the protest while an out of order plenary session was being held in the parliament hall. Several thousand supporters of the main opposition DP and the second-biggest opposition party Socialist Movement for Integration urgently gathered for the protest, as soon as the parliament’s presidency changed the date of the session.
This is the third rally the opposition holds in ten days, demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation and early elections.
DP chairman Lulzim Basha said the protests are aimed at removing an illegitimate and corrupt government.
Police were increased in number, and additional measures were noticeable, including internet interruption in the protest area. Authorities earlier claimed that internet was interrupted for security reasons, but the opposition said it was a new method of censoring protests and messages.
Earlier on, at the beginning of the protest, protesters clashed with two SP lawmakers who were late for the plenary session, but police was fast to protect them and lead them within the building.
