The December 18 National Assembly of the Democratic Party (PD) has voted to nullify the December 11 convention and to bar individuals designated as “non grata” by the U.S. from holding executive posts within the party.
Both decisions target former PD chairman Sali Berisha and the convention he initiated and led on December 11. The December 11 National Assembly sacked current leadership and reinstated Berisha’s position within PD’s parliamentary group.
Berisha was designated by the United States Department of State for corruption in May, a designation that cost him his membership in the PD’s parliamentary group and precipitated his clash with current chairman Lulzim Basha.
According to head of the convention, Jemin Gjana, some 5,004 members have participated in today’s National Assembly. They voted to nullify the December 11 convention and its decisions and barred anyone who has been designated by the US from holding executive posts within the party.
Gjana also said that the list of participants will be made public on Sunday, December 19.
The National Assembly is the PD’s highest decision-making body. It features 7,646 delegates that include members from the PD’s structures at all levels and across the country. The Assembly can be convened by the chairman or one fourth of its membership, and decides on the party’s statutes.
Berisha claimed that 4,934 delegates participated in the PD’s December 11 convention, 4,446 of which voted to oust Basha and current party leadership.
Assuming no overlap, the total number of delegates in both conventions surpasses the overall number of national assembly members.
