TIRANA, May 3 – The president of European People’s Party, Joseph Daul and Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn have warned the Democratic Party-led opposition that boycott of parliament and elections are not in line with European Union standards.
Both EU officials held a conference call with members of the Democratic Party in the parliamentary group meeting and called on Lulzim Basha and its colleagues to return to the negotiations table and discuss the compromise offer made by the two European Parliament envoys David McAllister and Knut Fleckenstein earlier in April.
“The Democratic Party must constructively contribute towards a solution leading to its participation in the upcoming parliamentary elections and to maintaining calm and restraining from any kind of violence,” Daul said in a press release issued Tuesday.
“The registration and the participation in the upcoming elections of all parties is indispensable. I also reiterated that any boycotts of elections or of the Parliament are by no means in line with the standards of the European Union or of the EPP,” he added.
The opposition parties in Albania have been boycotting parliament demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama arguing that he will use drug money to manipulate the elections.
The EPP president called on Albania to engage in a stronger fight against drugs which according to him is ‘crucial for Albania and EU.” Daul urged European Union to strengthen the monitoring of the implementation of an action plan set by the government for 2017-2020 for the fight against cannabis cultivation and trafficking.
In addition, Daul believes that European Union must provide additional support to Albania for the completion of the aerial survey of all Albanian territory in order to identify cannabis plantations and monitor their destruction.
