Political debate continues on EU-mandated reforms

TIRANA, Oct. 18 – Albania received conditional candidate status from the European Union last week, and has to fulfill three major reforms: that of the parliament, Supreme Court and of the administration. These developments need a collective vote both from the government and the opposition or the laws, which require at least three-fifth of the 140-seat parliament, or they cannot be approved.
Tirana has a set-time until Nov. 20 to pass such laws or the EU’s Council of Ministers may decide against the candidate status offered from the European Commission.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha of the governing Democratic Party has repeatedly called on the opposition to vote for the three reforms and not block the EU integration.
The opposition Socialist party of Edi Rama has said that the European integration means more the application of the laws rather than their formal passing in parliament. And unless the government agrees to carry out the laws in the case of the local authorities in the Fieri district, it is useless for them to pass other laws. They claim that the Democrats have blocked the normal functioning of the local authorities in Fieri where the opposition won in last year’s elections. The Socialists say that about a dozen court verdicts have given the right to them to continue governing the district but the Democrats are blocking them.
The political friction was also noted Wednesday when Integration Minister Majlinda Bregu reported to the parliament commission. The opposition Socialist lawmaker Gramoz Ruci said that the presentation of the government work was more that of a political party representative rather than that of the executive.
The new members of the Central Election Commission took their oath in the parliament Thursday and may now begin work to prepare and manage preparation for the next year’s parliamentary elections, expected in June.
These elections have been set from Brussels as the big test to the country’s European future integration.