After the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, also the German top diplomat arrived in Tirana to discuss the political situation. In a press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs Ditmir Bushati, German Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel, former chairman of the German Social-Democratic Party, reserved strong language for the opposition’s boycott of Parliament:
Here in Albania we are dealing with the judicial reform. That which makes Europe different from other countries in the world is the implementation of the law and the Constitution. The rule of law needs to secure and guarantee that at the end of the day there interest of citizens and not of different cliques is at the center of attention.
With great concern and without a clear understanding we see that the judicial reform is being obstructed. Parliamentarians that choose to boycott Parliament. In my country and in Europe that is absurd. Instead they meet in a tent creating an opposition against Parliament. In a few weeks there are elections. The minorities need to accept the majority.
There is a certain fear linked with the implementation of the judicial reform. For us it is important that the judicial reform is implement conform the Constitution and valid laws. We appeal to the government and Parliament to work for holding free and fair elections.
My advice for the opposition and the government is the implementation of the Constitution and the realization of the elections. Regarding the argument of Basha and his lack of faith in the possibility of free and fair elections I invite him to make the necessary propositions as to how free and fair elections can be managed.
The EU and the German will take those propositions under consideration. If the opposition wants we can do much more, but a boycott of Parliament is not the way to go.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Lulzim Basha has often repeated his propositions: the installation of a caretaker government to organize the elections and breaking the link between organize crime and the government.
