Lawmakers threaten hunger strike to protest new electoral code

TIRANA, Nov 6 – A group of lawmakers mainly from the opposition but also governing coalition partners threatened they will start a hunger strike to protest the make up of the electoral commissions excluding their participation based on the new electoral code.
Ten lawmakers of the Socialist Movement for Integration, Christian Democrats, Socialist Party 91 and other smaller political groupings sent a letter to President Bamir Topi not to decree the new electoral code.
The two main political parties _ the governing Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the main opposition Socialist Party _ agreed to reduce the make up of the electoral commissions to seven persons from nine, thus taking away two posts belonging to the smaller parties.
These smaller political groupings have opposed the constitutional amendments in last April accusing the two big groupings of trying to sideline them for the next general elections.
The April constitutional amendments also changed the voting system into a regional proportional one. The parliamentary commission working with the new electoral code has time until mid-November to present its final draft that is later to be approved by the 140-seat parliament dominated by the two main groupings.