TIRANA, Mar. 12 – Albania’s Central Election Commission assigned on Monday parliamentary mandates to three Socialist Movement for Integration lawmakers and two Democratic Party lawmakers who refused to obey the opposition’s decision to abandon parliament by resigning their mandates.
The commission decided to approve the mandates of Edlira Hyseni, Ediola Brahan and Elda Hoti from the SMI lists and Lefter Maliqi and Majlinda Halili, who were DP candidates.
The commission postponed the decision for the next name from the Democrats list, Ligoraq Karamelo. Meanwhile, another DP representative from the Kukes list – Alban Zeneli – has started the procedures.
Currently, six representatives from the ranks of the opposition are present in the parliament hall. Four of them, all from the SMI, sworn in last week, joined Myslym Murrizi of the DP and Lefter Koka of the SMI, both of whom refused to resign their mandates.
Meanwhile, even well-known SP names, a good part of whom have also been ministers in different socialist cabinets, have accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of his governing and his reaction to the deadlock the country is currently facing.
The Albanian parliament today is de jure legitimate, but de facto disenchanted. Those MPs who have agreed to go there in the name of legitimacy, feel uncomfortable inside their conscience in the face of an opinion that is gaining more and more ground that the sooner a solution is found, the better for Albania. Such a parliament with such a composition should be undone through free and fair elections, through another system and another law, if we consider Albania,” leader of the Socialist Democratic Party in Albania Paskal Milo said.
Former Minister of Defense in the Rama government Mimi Kodheli said that the government should feel responsible for all the situations that have been created in the country, although it is not the only determining factor.
“The possibility of a civil conflict as it happened in ’97 should be eliminated. The country has many democratic ways to change the situation. It has become a tradition for the Left, after it comes to power, to cut off its social programs, and this has happened and is happening even in European countries. And these governing models have a negative impact on the life and well-being of citizens, something that causes dissatisfaction,” former Minister of Finance Arben Malaj said.
Mimoza Hafizi, a representative of the SP from 2013 until 2016, said recently this government has lost its morals.
“Until 2013, I had confidence in the Socialist Party, but the spirit of the Socialists is not represented in their governance anymore. I separate Rilindja from the Socialist Party,” Hafizi said.
However, the opposition’s resignation of mandates which has led the country to deadlock by leaving only the Socialist majority in parliament also caused rifts within the DP itself.
On Tuesday, DP lawmaker Rudina Hajdari – daughter of Azem Hajdari, leader of the 1990 student protests that led to the fall of communism and one of the first DP lawmakers, assassinated in 1998 – announced that she will continue to participate in parliamentary proceedings, opposing her party’s decision.
In an interview for the Voice of America, Hajdari said her decision is in line with the Constitution, while the DP’s decision is haste and inconsiderate of the public disorder it can cause.
DP representatives reacted right after Hajdari’s interview with VOA.
Secretary General of the DP Gazment Bardhi said Hajdari “no longer represents the DP in the parliament of crime and as a result she is also not a member of the DP’s National Council.”
He added her decision is a personal one and that it is not shared by the Democratic majority.
Bardhi said Hajdari was, is and will remain the Democrats’ symbol.
“His battle for freedom and democracy is more relevant than ever now that Albania is endangered by an illegal, criminal and corrupt government,” Bardhi said.
He also mentioned Hajdari’s son as one of the speakers during the opposition’s last peaceful anti-government protest which resulted with the majority resigning their mandates.
So far, 11 names from the opposition have refused to obey its decision to resign their mandates, and all of them have been dubbed “traitors” or “people who have sold their soul” from opposition representatives.
According to the opposition, those representatives who are refusing to give up mandates are part of the majority’s efforts to create an artificial opposition.
Opposition calls next anti-govt protest on March 16
The opposition has called its next national anti-gov’t rally on March 16, when it said citizens will speak up again in unison against the Rama government.
The opposition is accusing the Socialist-led government of having strong ties with criminal networks in the country and of ballot buying and for this reason, through its anti-government rallies, is demanding Rama’s resignation, the establishment of a caretaker government and early elections.
“The time for Albania to be like the rest of Europe is coming. The time when one man alone, with the help of crime, humiliated an entire population, after it stole its money and its votes, has come to an end. The protests squares roar with roars ‘Rama go away, Rama you are over, your regime is over. The parliament hall is for weeks now the carantine of crime and corruption,” Basha has declared.
