Today, during an Electoral Reform Political Committee meeting, MP Rudina Hajdari has proposed changing the legislation to make holding referendums easier.
Her proposal will be discussed in the following Committee meeting. If the Committee does not take it into consideration, then Hajdari will propose it to parliament as a separate bill.
The current legislation makes holding a referendum by citizen initiative practically impossible due to complicated procedures and a ban on holding referendums six months before or after local or general elections.
Following the Committee meeting, Hajdari spoke to the press, accusing the Socialist majority and the out-of-parliament opposition (the Democratic Party and the Socialist Movement for Integration) of making backdoor deals to the detriment of the Electoral Reform. She insisted the country needs a change in the electoral system, instead of superficial modifications that benefit political parties.
Hajdari also opposed the majority and opposition’s agreement to shorten the electoral period to April 15-May 15 and October 15-November 15, as this deprives Albanian immigrants, who usually return to Albania in June, of their right to vote.
She also accused the Socialist Party, the Democratic Party, and the Socialist Movement for Integration of trying to take more money from the state budget, via electoral changes to how parties and campaigns will be funded.
