TIRANA, March 16 – Democratic Party chairman Lulzim Basha started his official visit to the United States this week by holding meetings with U.S. congressmen and high officials of the Atlantic Council.
Free and fair elections, the implementation of the decriminalization law and the justice reform were high on the agenda of the opposition leader during his U.S. trip.
The DP chairman was received in Washington by the Vice Presidents of the Atlantic Council Damon Wilson and Fran Burwell, discussing the political situation in Albania and the latest developments in the country and in the region.
Basha considered as “unprecedented for a democratic country and a NATO member the fact that there are people with criminal records in parliament with the Prime Minister’s blessing, convicted for human trafficking, drugs and for willful wounding,” a press release of the Democratic Party read.
According to Basha, in Albania today there is no confrontation between Socialists and Democrats, but between an overwhelming majority of citizens on one side and a handful of oligarchs on the other, who have laid their hands on public properties and are the sole beneficiaries of public tenders and concessions.
“Albanians today face a huge challenge: to expel incriminated persons from decision-making and the administration, to guarantee free and fair elections and return hope in the country. This will not be easy to achieve as the group of oligarchs that rules the country will try to deform the voters’ will just like it did in 2015 by buying votes and intimidating voters,” Basha said.
“The guaranteeing of free and fair elections as well as justice reform are priorities for every Albanian regardless of party preferences,” Basha added.
The American officials shared the opinion that the Atlantic Council has to be present in Albania to closely watch the situation and to help formulate clear and long term solutions which provide guarantees for the future.
The DP chairman Basha also met at the U.S. Congress with the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on European Union Elliott Engel, Foreign Affairs Committee senior member Gregory Meeks and National Security Committee member Gus Billiraki.
Talks between Basha and the U.S. congressmen focused on the same opposition concerns regarding free and fair elections, decriminalization and justice reform, during which Basha asked for the support of the U.S. Congress.
Meanwhile, the U.S. congressmen expressed their support regarding the opposition’s commitment to free and fair elections and promised an increased attention of the U.S. Congress towards Albania.
