TIRANA – The changes to the Criminal Code, which were adopted on Thursday by a plenary session of Parliament, have been ‘harmonized’ with experts of Parliament, President and parliamentary groups, has said Prime Minister Edi Rama.
“We have had a long but useful meeting of the National Security Council to address this need on time, and we have discussed even with the President to avoid obstacles or proceedings delay,” Rama told journalists outside of parliamentary hall after his speech on Thursday. According to him, it has been achieved a conclusion which addresses also the legitimate concerns expressed by other factors, but the legitimate necessity of this moment, too. Rama revealed that they were ‘harmonized’ through the experts of Parliament and of the judicial office of the President and other parliamentary groups.
Asked about the stance of opposition head Lulzim Basha, the PM admitted that there had been debates at the NSC meeting held on Wednesday by saying: “If there were not debates, then why the meeting was held. We did not gather to see each eye to eye and just smile without speaking to each other. We gathered to discuss and debate and exchange opinions, which naturally are not similar on different aspects.”
In a comment on the controversial changes he said a vacuum had been filled in to the Criminal Code, which, according to him, is the only one in Europe without anything in written on the epidemic situations in Albania.
Rama said preparations were being made for the gradual exit from the lockdown but cautioned that no one should think that the virus is gone. “This is why we should guarantee the opening. Let’s protect the people and facilitate a process which has influenced on families and national economies.
In the meantime it is reported that President Ilir Meta had addressed earlier a letter to the Speaker, Gramoz Ruci and Prime Minister Edi Rama on the changes to the Criminal Code. The letter noted that the new provisions should be clear for not violating the principle of legal certainty of the people./argumentum.al
