Rama, Meta ‘clash’ at European Socialsit meeting

PRAGUE, Dec. 8 – Main opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama and leftist Socialsit Movement for Integration head Ilir Meta were both present at the summit of the European Socialsit parties meeting in Prague, Czech Republic.
That is normal as both parties belong to the leftist wing in poltiics.
But in Albania they are not in coalition or together.
After the June 28 parliamentary election, Meta’s LSI joined the goveninrg coalition of Prime Minsiter Sali Berisha of the Democratic party. The LSI has four lawmakers and the Democrats, together with their allies, have 71 while the Socialsits and their ally have 65 to make up the total number of 140 seats in parliament.
Rama and Meta had been quarreling with each other since last year, after the constitutional amendments on the electoral law.
That continued further on when Meta held a hunger strike in parliament last year to protest against the deal between the two main parties on the electoral law, which, he claimed, tried to push aside the samller parties.
Their friction continued and the two leftist parties did not join a coalition for the June poll.
Following that Meta’s number served Berisha well to be able to create the government and also pass many laws in the parliament.
The Socialsits are boycotting the parliament and asking for a recount of a number of ballot boxes, something which is opposed by Berisha and Meta saying that would break the law.
But the lack of the Socialsits MPs in parliament means that many much-needed reforms and laws, espcially for the country’s integration process into the European Union, cannot be passed.
Besides the two leftist parties are now quarreling everyday accusing each other of differetnt things.
That was also noted at the Prague meeting where Rama left the room the moment that Meta started his speech.
Their quarrel continued back home where the Socialsits said that the European leftist parties had supported their request for opening of the ballot boxes. The same day Meta’s LSI came out to say that the European parties did not explistly say that but only the idea of the transparency for the vote count.
The LSI also has said they are to run alone but on the side of the Democrats during the local elections in two years.
The friction between the two leftist parties is also noted at the meetings of the local authorities in other towns where often they have been in coalition.