TIRANA, April.17 – Sigmar Gabriel, the German vice-chancellor and foreign minister, called on opposition parties in Albania to end their parliamentary boycott and not to block the launch of judiciary reform.
During his visit to Tirana, Gabriel said that European Union member states including Germany couldn’t understand the Democratic Party-led opposition’s request for a caretaker government only weeks before the parliamentary elections scheduled for June 18.
“We do not fully understand why justice reform is being blocked. Nobody in Europe understands how elected lawmakers boycott parliament. This is absurd in Europe. Instead of doing their job, lawmakers gather in a tent and oppose the parliament although they are members of the assembly. We can not and should not accept these circumstances,” the German minister said at a joint news conference with Albanian counterpart.
“It is hard to imagine how a parliamentary minority attempts to change the situation through boycott rather than elections. It’s natural to perceive a certain kind of fear in regards to the implementation of justice reform which means that in the future they will not be able to pursue their interests,” Gabriel added.
According to Gabriel, “whoever boycotts parliament to hamper justice reform, damages the country and Albania’s reputation.”
Meanwhile, Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders has also urged Albania’s opposition to end its parliamentary boycott. In a joint conference with Albania’s foreign minister, Koenders reiterated the urgency of the implementation of justice reform.
“The vetting, judicial reform is absolutely key in the whole process of integration into European structures,” he said.
Opposition parties in Albania that have been protesting since February have announced their plans to boycott the polls until a caretaker government is formed to guarantee free and fair elections.
The Democratic Party has accused the Socialist Party-led government of using drug money to rig the elections.
The implementation of justice reform drafted by EU and U.S. experts has been hampered by the boycott, although it is considered crucial to Albania’s accession talks with European Union. As a result of the boycott, the parliament is unable to okay the formation of bodies that will vet the country’s 800 judges and prosecutors. The opposition believes vetting bodies could be subject to manipulation.
On Monday, Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha met with Gabriel and Koenders to share the views on the opposition on justice reform and said that the right wing parties were excluded and that the vetting process was being held by the prime minister. Basha insisted that free and fair elections are obtainable only through a caretaker government.
