Topi calls for political consent

TIRANA, Sep 6 – President Bamir Topi made a message to the new parliament calling on all the political parties to use the assembly as the place of their debate and political fight, also saying their consent was necessary for the country’s further integration steps into the European Union.
The message was also his first reaction to the June 28 parliamentary election.
“On June 28th, on that remarkable day, the citizens of our country demonstrated an admirable political responsibility, maturity and wisdom through the massive participation and especially through the civil and democratic behavior with the hope and conviction that the representatives elected to the Assembly of Albania will embody their interests and will fight much better to protect them,” he said.
“The parliament,” he said, “is the national temple of the political debate where you must conduct the civil and constitutional engagement to further develop the pluralist parliamentary democracy in order to politically confront the vision, to publicly share the responsibilities and the reciprocal ruling majority-opposition respect and especially in order to hold a conversation with the people with the great political responsibility and to serve them during the upcoming four years.
“Albania should not lose any moment on its path towards prosperity. The Albanian people impatiently look forward for a better future,” said Topi.
In what seemed as a criticism to the ever-lasting domestic political fight, Topi called on them by saying, “we must work so Albania can definitely conclude the difficult years of the political transition and strengthen the sustainable foundations of a democratic society where the freedom and respect for values and merits could be transformed into the key of success and security for the future of our country. Only the joint will can transform the Assembly of Albania into a professional and constructive debate ground and not into an arena of futile political battle.”
Topi said that the momentum of integration into the European Union depends on the continuation of courage of reforms to build the rule of law, to secure the real political equality, to have a justice of European standards, to fight corruption and organized crime, to definitely solve the property issue, to institutionally improve the separation and reciprocal respect of the branches of power and their independence, and to draft laws that solve problems in a just, professional and effective manner.
Securing the life of our citizens, law and order, a quality education for our children, carrying out a contemporary reformation of the health system, facing the negative effects of the global economic crisis and the fight against poverty present some of the legal battles that the Assembly must win during its mandate, he said.
Topi called on the country’s politicians to remember that, “Ʀor very important national interests, the Euro-Atlantic cause and the future of the country can require from you to stand above the interests of the political parties you represent, but your conscience can be clear because you would not be betraying the interests of the citizens that have trusted and placed their future upon your hands by contributing this way for the return and re-establishment of the lost faith on politics and politicians.”
In another point stressed in his message Topi reminded the new parliament to, “ƣontinue to support the process of the democratic society consolidation in the Republic of Kosova and the process of new international recognition of its independence and will guarantee the continuity of good neighborly policies and will support the political cooperation and dialogue with the regional countries.”