Political Dialogue on Electoral Reform in Albania Deadlocked

TIRANA – The two adversary camps of Albania’s political scene turned back to the stalemate as majority decided to adopt the June 5 accord on electoral reform and the constitutional changes to the electoral system which have been opposed by the united opposition.
“The June 5 deal will be voted by Parliament’s plennary session tomorrow.
The constitutional amendments will be voted on June 30,” said PM Edi Rama after the meeting of the Political Council on Wednesday, which was attended by its Socialist members and representatives of the parliamentary opposition.
The representatives of the extra- parliamentary united opposition did not attend the meeting after requesting that it could be held on Thursday afternoon or on Friday morning.
“The DP has nothing to expect from the Council regarding the issues it has raised,” Rama said announcing that nothing was touched in the content of the June 5 agreement.
“The reflection in the electoral law of the constitutional innovations is something else. And if the reflection will require that an article be added when there is one in the agreement that has nothing to do with it, it is absurd,” said PM who is also SP head.
In its response to such a development the united opposition warned that Prime Minister Edi Rama is leading the June 5 agreement reached through dialogue between the parties to destruction.The opposition’s statement called the unilateral act of the majority a dangerous act with unpredictable consequences for Albania’s stability.
The Political Council was established thanks to the mediation of the strategic partners of Albania – US, EU, UK and OSCE, as a forum for political dialogue between all parties in the country to implement the Electoral Reform.
“With a dirty game, prepared for a long time, Edi Rama is destroying the accord unilaterally,” said the extra-parliamentary opposition.
“Edi Rama is making changes to the basic elements of the electoral system, removing the pre-election coalitions as an electoral subject, changing the concept of administrative division of electoral zones and electoral organization, introducing new elements in the drafting of lists and the voting process by changing the rules of election administration,” said the statement.
In conclusion the united opposition guarantees all citizens that it will do everything so that PM Rama pays the heavy bill of consequences of this act on democracy, stability and integration of Albania rather than on Albanians and the country. /argumentum.al