The Albanian opposition has agreed with the ruling Socialist Party to complete the electoral reform by March 15, 2020.
Today, the opposition assigned two representatives to negotiate outside of Parliament with the PS and opposition MPs.
Both the Democratic Party (PD) and Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) resigned from their mandates and left parliament almost one year ago. A few remained or filled vacant seats, creating a new parliamentary opposition. However, the ruling Socialists kept a parliamentary majority.
Oerd Bylykbashki from the PD and Petrit Vasili from the LSI will represent the opposition’s views in the meetings with the parliamentary majority and ‘new’ opposition.
“Four months have passed and this process has been dragged by the lack of will from the other side [Socialist Party (PS)]. We reconfirm our stance to start without delay and to complete as soon as possible the electoral reform. Oerd Bylykbashi and Petrit Vasili [were assigned] to agree on the approval of the electoral reform, standing by our suggestions in October,” PD leader Lulzim Basha said today.
This is a confirmation of opposition’s previous statements that it won’t recognize the commission on electoral reform but will push for a political consensus between parties on the reform.
Basha also re-stated the three opposition demands:
- Approval of electoral reform in a transparent, inclusive, and consensual way between political parties;
- Drafting of reform after discussions between political parties, outside of parliament;
- Approval of the draft-reform in parliament without changes, as agreed in political talks.
Following the assignment of opposition representatives, they had a meeting with the two co-chairs of the electoral reform parliamentary commission, Damian Gjiknuri and Rudina Hajdari.
The four representatives agreed on a “framework of cooperation”, which prescribes the creation of a “Political Council” with representatives from all sides, that will be the main body working on the electoral reform.
The council will complete a consensual draft of the electoral reform within two months, by March 15, 2020.
