On Friday, Prime Minister Edi Rama gathered the elected deputies of the Socialist Party to brief them prior to the start of the new parliamentary legislature in September.
Rama reiterated the commitments he made during the election campaign, which include the fight against corruption in administration and a new way of working with the Opposition. He also said that the party will not be held accountable if any officials have problems wiht justice.
“If someone is exposed by justice, it’s their fault. The shame is only ours if we don’t draw a red line immediately and state we will not be anyone’s shield. We are not responsible for why any individual fails his responsibilities. But we are responsible for the response by distancing ourselves from them” he said.
He claimed that the government and PS will investigate corruption cases themselves and will not wait for the Special Prosecution Against Corruption (SPAK) to do so. Rama added that a new law will be created so that instances of corruption can be reported on a self-government platform.
“We don’t expect SPAK to deal with every individual. We will be our own researchers and collectors of fact and evidence, imposing a new law on the [creation off a] platform of self-government.”
The Prime Minister also called on deputies to behave in an ethical manner and not fall for “provocations”.
He offered unconditional cooperation with the Democratic Party but also took the opportunity to refer to Sali Berisha, declared persona non grata in the United States, as a “decayed tooth that doesn’t intend to be taken out.”
