MPs continue hunger strike, Assembly goes on with sessions as usual

Ten Members of the Albanian Parliament, who have started a hunger strike protesting against some changes to the Electoral Code, failed an invitation of Parliament’s Conference of Chairpersons to empty the hall of the plenary sittings and continue their hunger strike in other premises. Yesterday, the Parliament continued its sessions in the presence of the ten MPs who are in hunger strike since four days.
Previously, they had asked for the interruption of today’s session, which started with two hours delay because of the strike. Meanwhile, the majority and the opposition had declared that the work of the Assembly should go on as usual. After the 60 minutes dedicated to open discussions, the agenda of the plenary sitting was followed, adopting several bills.
Yesterday by midday, Speaker of the Assembly Jozefina Topalli declared that the work of the Parliament should go on as normal. Inside the hall, down beneath the seats dedicated to the Ministers, aside the pulpit, the ten MPs lined up together. Outside the agenda of the session, MP Luan Memushi asked for the interruption of the plenary, and for avoiding acting like there was nothing wrong happening. After a meeting held yesterday in the morning, the Socialist Party parliamentary group had declared they opted for the normal continuation of the agenda of the Assembly.