The opposition has accused today the Prime Minister Rama of not respecting the decriminalization law, by putting on the lists of candidates of the Socialist Party for the next parliamentary elections candidates linked to vote-stealing and criminal groups. The leader of the opposition, Lulzim Basha said today that the list of candidates in Durrës County of the Socialist Party is composed of individuals already mentioned in files dedicated to the manipulation of votes during past elections, or even with individuals linked with different gangs across Albania. “The candidates of Rama are Çyrbja of the file 339, Ndraxhi of the gangs of Shijak, or Rraja of the gangs of Fushë-Kruja. After 8 years, the only thing that Rama can offer is a facade. Beyond the facade, are the thieves of the money of the Albanians and the gangs,” said Basha.
During the day in the media was leaked also a conversation between the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Ditmir Bushati and Prime Minister Rama, where Bushati asked Rama to not put on the lists “persons related to incinerators, financial bloodshed, concrete washing machine, crime and PPP”. Although Bushati has been widely complimented by Rama for his role in foreign affairs, he was not part of the final list of the Socialist Party for the next elections, with the motivation that he did not contribute enough to the party’s interests in the last years.
Immediately after the Constitutional Court became functional again, it looked like the whole focus of the Albanian main partners, such as the European Union or the United States, shifted towards the need of having candidate lists with integrity for the next parliamentary elections. Even after the 11th meeting of the Stabilisation and Association Council between the EU and Albania, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission Borrell, reminded to Prime Minister Rama the need of having integrity lists. The Ambassador of the EU, Luigic Soreca, also said that considering that Albania is near the starting of the negotiations, the parliament must “undergo reforms in areas such as the fight against organized crime, corruption, and to so you must have high standards of integrity of the members of the parliament.”
