Opposition participates in parliament, but doesn’t vote on bills

TIRANA, July 5 – The opposition Socialist Party declared last week that it would boycott all voting procedures in parliament. But SP lawmakers were seen present at the parliamentary session debating on certain laws, but leaving it when the voting started.
The opposition said they will not take part in any voting at all, including those asking for a simple majority or the three-fifth, 84 votes. They have also threatened holding new street protests in September when the parliament resumes the session after the summer vacations.
The Socialist opposition holds 65 out of the 140 seats in parliament.
That means practically that the parliament is currently not functioning properly.
It comes after the opposition in February ended its six-month boycott following mediation from the Council of Europe. They resumed it in late April together with a hunger strike which lasted for almost three weeks. During that period they also held numerous street protests despite efforts of mediation from the European Parliament, assisted from the European Commission.
They have brought no concrete results until now.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha from the ruling Democratic Party and opposition leader Edi Rama of the Socialists have been locked in a stalemate over the results of the elections, which Berisha’s party narrowly won.
The Socialists seek a partial recount of the ballots, claiming that the government’s alleged fraud in the counting process was to blame for their electoral loss. The majority insists that the opposition has exhausted all legal means for a recount to take place.