TIRANA, June 13 – The opposition Democrats and the Socialist Party for Integration, the junior partner in the ruling Socialist Party-led coalition, have held talks in an effort to break the political deadlock on the long-awaited justice reform. Opposition Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha and SMI head and Parliament Speaker Ilir Meta met over the weekend to discuss the justice reform. Interlocutors did not come up with a conclusion, but unlike the meeting between Basha and PM Rama, this one was not considered a failure. “This meeting was valuable, as any other dialogue in an attempt to really seek all solutions,” Basha said.
The SMI chairman refused to respond to questions over his role on reaching a consensus or preserving the integrity of the process. However, when asked if he would support a draft of the reform without the opposition’s consensus, Meta’s stance was quite different to that of his senior partner Prime Minister Edi Rama.
“I am here to make sure that I will do everything in my power to guarantee a successful process. I am not here on hasty prejudice,” Meta said. “My objective has always been to provide an open transparent and consensual process that guarantees the standards of this reform,” he added.
Both Meta and Basha’s statements were almost similar when they were talking about the recommendations issued by Venice Commission. “The Venice Commission is the center of gravity for the consensus on justice reform,” Meta explained.
The opposition has insisted in solutions that would provide it with a fair representation in the new justice institutions. “Politics must not have its hands on the justice system. The Venice Commission has spoken. Democrats have accepted but the Prime Minister hasn’t. We want nothing more,” Basha added.
The opposition Democrats and the SMI ruled together from 2009 to 2013 when the party led by Ilir Meta decided to align with the Socialist Party in the new general elections which they won by a landslide.
