TIRANA, March 21 – The Socialist Party has decided to hold an internal referendum which will determine whether elections for the party chair are deemed necessary by its membership. The decision was taken by the party’s highest forum held last week in Tirana, while the date of the party referendum is set for April 9.
The Socialist Party congress also approved amendments to the party statute which received the backing of an overwhelming majority. There were only three votes against, among which that of Socialist lawmaker Ben Blushi, the strongest advocate for elections regarding the party’s leadership.
Blushi and his supporters consider the mandate of current SP leader Edi Rama as expired since 2013 and that the decision not to hold party elections since then constitutes a violation of party rules. Blushi himself hasn’t hidden his ambition to run for the party chair.
On the other hand, Rama and his supporters maintain that the chairman’s term in office is automatically renewed when the party wins the general elections, something which the Socialist Party did in 2013.
The Socialist highest forum seems to have institutionalized Rama’s stance in the new statute which introduced the norm that when the party is in power, the chairman’s mandate is automatically reconfirmed.
Meanwhile, party elections are to be held only when requested by at least 10 percent of delegates participating in the party congress.
For Prime Minister Edi Rama the holding of the referendum will lay to rest questions about his legitimacy as party leader.
“I propose a referendum to put an end to any alibis. Let us show that despite representing the majority in this chamber, we are not imposing ourselves to a minority within the party, but we are giving it the possibility to receive an answer through the secret ballot of all SP members,” Rama said.
Meanwhile, Ben Blushi considered the decision to hold a referendum but not party elections as a trick to escape competition within the Socialist Party.
“This statute takes effect for the next party elections and all other norms it sanctions. We are establishing a norm which annuls in 2016 elections which should have been held in 2013,” Blushi said following the party’s decision to hold a referendum.
Despite Blushi’s defiant stance, Rama said that Blushi will not be expelled from the party.
“The Socialist Party is a party which appreciates rebels, but it is also a party which has taken action whenever the rebellion has gone beyond our common principles and values. I would never want this to be the case,” Rama said when asked whether Blushi would be expelled from the party following his constant criticism.
In addition to approving statutory changes, the 1500 delegates attending the congress elected the 175 members that will compose the new national assembly of the Socialist Party.
