TIRANA, Feb. 18 – In Albania, the Democratic Party’s parliamentary group unanimously responded to the proposal of party chairman Lulzim Basha to give up their MP mandates.
“Fully supporting the political solution provided by the united opposition for a transitory government, ready to take all the necessary steps that will guarantee free and fair elections and the unblocking of the European integration process of Albania by opening negotiations, through free, fair and early parliamentary elections, it was unanimously decided to burn the DP’s mandates in a parliament created by the votes of the crime and mafia in the manipulated elections of June 25, 2017,” Basha announced at the end of the DP group meeting, which lasted almost three hours.
Other allies from smaller opposition parties, as well as the second biggest opposition party Socialist Movement for Integration, declared on Monday evening they will be joining the DP in its decision, after SMI head Monika Kryemadhi visited DP headquarters on Monday for almost three hours.
“I think it is the obligation of each of us to respond to that voice and call of Albanian citizens, so we have a common attitude regarding the burning of MPs’ mandates,” said Republican President Fatmir Mediu.
Earlier, Basha said the national anti-govt protest which took place on Saturday clearly supported the opposition’s request for a transitional government until free and early elections can take place.
However, Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist-led majority has voiced no concerns over the opposition’s decision, while during the socialist group’s parliamentary meeting, Rama urged his lawmakers to focus on the upcoming local elections.
Recently, Rama’s government has faced serious allegations of having ties with crime and corruption after well-respected investigative media made a number of corruption scandals alleging the involvement of the government public.
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.
Such was the case of Ditmir Bushati’s replacement by the deputy Foreign Minister Gent Cakaj, a 26-year-old, Kosovo national who, after not being decreed by President Ilir Meta, is now the country’ acting foreign minister.
