President Warns Vote Stealers of Punishment as in Middle Ages as Majority’s Changes to Electoral Code Back to Parliament

Since the death penalty is prohibited in Albania President Ilir Meta has said  that whoever touches a vote should have his hand cut off as in the Middle Ages.
In a statement for the press in Korça, southeastern Albania, on Friday the head of state, who had earlier returned to Parliament for reconsideration the amendments to the Electoral Code made by the majority, commented on the harshest sentences applied in the Middle Ages, when thieves were punished by amputation.
“All the attention of Albania and Albanians will be on the elections. Albania will be a country that has hope, belonging not to 5 oligarchs who take the soul of this country,” he said
Speaking of the hard economic situation, he said it has never happened that public debt and poverty increase at the same time. “Debt is not taken to help people in need, but it is taken for PP, which has no price,” Meta said adding that revenues are going down.
But he hoped that general elections will establish the rule of law.
“After April 25, Albania will enter a new era, in any case. Both will be the biggest and most punishable crimes: touching the Constitution and stealing the vote. Even the comma of the Constitution will not be affected anymore,” said President Meta.
In the meantime the head of state
has returned to Parliament for reconsideration the unilateral amendments to the Electoral Code made by the majority in Parliament.
Meta said that Albania is going to the new elections with a new Electoral Code having unilateral changes according to which the competition rules favor the ruling party. Further on he said the the amendments violate the principle of equal vote and due process as well as the right to vote and be elected.
The amendments to the Electoral Code were made by the majority without the consensus of the non- parliamentary opposition which has denounced them as a violation of the June 5 Political Agreement between political forces. The accord was struck due to the mediation of the US, EU and British Ambasadors who praised that as an important step.
Asked about her opinion on the events after June 5 climaxing with majority’s unilateral act of making the changes it wanted the
US Ambassador Yuri Kim had the following answer in an interview on TV Klan on Thursday evening: “What happened beyond June 5 goes beyond June 5, but I do not see it as a violation of June 5.” /argumentum.al