TIRANA, Sept. 4 – The new parliamentary session began today with the absence of opposition MPs, while the Socialist majority voiced again from an early morning meeting the determination to move forward with its plans.
Observers assert that there is no sign of understanding among the parties on fundamental issues related to the judicial reform. So far, political parties are not tolerating anything other than their positions and narrow interests.
“We don’t have a platform for dialogue with the opposition from the government to this day. There are also no signs from the opposition of a historic deal in the function of reforms with the majority. Consequently, we will follow tradition, which is that during electoral years the situation is tense and conflict-ridden. Next year we have elections and the parliamentary sessions will be used by the parties to display very harsh rhetoric, protests and denigration of the political opponent, while rejecting any offer made by them,” said head of the Institute of Political Studies Afrim Krasniqi.
In addition to conflict-ridden politics, Albania is undergoing a critical situation in terms of public order and security. Observers say the situation is delicate with many victims and a few solved cases.
Only in the last two months we’ve had more than five victims of criminal events, as well as some burnt vehicles, two missing persons, a blast of TNT. Only during the last week two unprecedented attacks on media people occurred; in the first case the apartment of a very well-known journalist, Klodiana Lala, was attacked with an automatic weapon, and in the latter case a media employee was threatened in the middle of the day with a gun, face-to-face,” analyst and reporter of crime new Armand Bajrami said.
Krasniqi added the new parliamentary session should normally begin with the fulfillment of the EU recommendations until Albania can receive a positive recommendation. The most important challenge for Albania and all its factors, according to him, remains the implementation of the judicial reform.
“If political factors can embrace this process, for which so far the signs are negative, then all new justice structures can be established by next spring. This would be the best news for Albania. If by spring we don’t have the HJC, HPC, etc, this would be a big problem that could penalize Albania.” Krasniqi said.
While the political side has not focused its attention on the judicial reform enough, the entire judiciary system, prosecutors and judges, are focused on the vetting process and whether they’ll passing the vetting filter, dragging out their tasks of investigating crime and punishing perpetrators.
Bajrami said the state of the judicial system is chaotic with the gaps being created and so the veting should be carried out as soon as possible so that all prosecutors and judges can return to work.
“Moreover, the situation does not seem very promising because the core institutions of the justice system have been hijacked by the veto process. We have a non-existent Constitutional Court, a nearly-blocked Supreme Court. This creates a favorable climate for crime, which does not feel encroached and as if its punishment will be distant,” Bajrami said.
Consequently, the public opinion has its eyes on political actors again this new parliamentary season in the hope that something will improve in their economic, social and health situations, although more than a few people claim they do not expect much of them and are leaving or are preparing to leave the country.
