TIRANA, April 30 – The Democratic Party (DP) convened in Tirana at the Palace of Congresses on Saturday the National Assembly, where it was decided that the election for its new chairman will be held on May 22, and until this date the party will be chaired by the Re-establishment Commission.
The National Assembly also announced the vacancy for the head of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party, dismissing the current head of the group, Enkelejd Alibeaj, who is a supporter of the former head of the DP, Lulzim Basha.
On the proposal of the Re-establishment Commission and a group of DP deputies, the National Assembly decided to determine the vacancy for the position of chairman of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party due to the absence of elected vice-chairmen of the Party.
Some 1800 participants attended the deliberations out which 1100 were delegates elected by the DP branches across the country and the other part were the current members of the National Council, delegates of the youth and women.
The Assembly charged the National Council of the party with the election and appointment, together with the vice-chairmen, of the chairman of the PD parliamentary group.
After reflecting on political activity and decision-making during its two terms in the opposition, the Democratic Party, through a resolution adopted in Saturday’s proceedings of the National Assembly, is committed to ending undemocratic practices and failed political approaches.
Former Prime Minister Sali Berisha in his speech in the Assembly spoke about the re-establishment of the Democratic Party, because he said “our cult is a free vote.” Berisha said that “today we are a real opposition, standing and ready for any battle”.
According to him, this Assembly will decide not only the fate of the DP, but also pluralism.
“We gather today proudly, because after a unique experience in the history of a political force in Europe, we had a second birthday. On December 11, 2021, with a historic Assembly, the DP was reborn, this party never dies. She lives and will live in the noblest ideals of Albanians. You joined and we re-founded the DP, as we wanted this party, as it was born, to remain the invincible advocate of the most accomplished conservative values. We were re-established because we wanted to resolutely defend the national interest of Albanians. We were re-established because our cult is the free vote,” Berisha said.
Speaking about the declaration “non grata” by the US, Berisha reiterated that the decision came after lobbying by George Soros and that there was no evidence against him as it is claimed in the accusations leveled by the State Secretary against him.
Former Speaker of Parliament, Jozefina Topalli, joined the work of the Democratic Party assembly as some other former senior officials who were dismissed by Basha during the past years leading DP towards failures in general elections since 2013.
In her speech, Topalli expressed her conviction for victory in the next elections.
“The last time I was in our party assembly was after the 2013 elections. We were used to being part of a party that won the elections and every time the DP won, we were able to make changes for the better. We also made mistakes and today I believe we all agree here. But we were in power, we were strong and a real opposition,” she told the participants in the Assembly.
Topalli said that they are aware that recovery is more difficult than the beginning, but, from experience she remembered that no matter how many obstacles someone has before nothing could stop most citizens who want change.
The Assembly adopted a resolution saying DP is determined to put an end to the non-democratic practices and the failed political approaches of the party. Some changes to the statute of the party were made and the members of the National Council were elected. The Council is composed of 150 members and the party head.
After the entry into force of the Statute and until the end of the election of the Chairmanship of the DP, the executive direction of the party will be performed by the Provisional Re-establishment Commission, whose mandate ends at the moment the Chairmanship is elected.
Basha, Alibeaj and their supporters in the parliamentary group did not attend the Assembly but two of them broke ranks participating in the deliberations.
Gazmend Bardhi, part of Basha’s group, called null and void the Assembly and its decisions in a post on social networks on Saturday. /Argumentum.al
