This morning the parliamentary group leaders of the PS and LSI, Gramoz Ruçi and Luan Rama, sent a letter to the Central Election Commission (KQZ) requesting an extension of the deadline both for the registration of political parties (April 10) and electoral coalitions (April 19, today).
In their letter, the two coalition partners argue that they need more time to “negotiate” with the PD about its participation in the elections. The PD and other opposition parties have failed to register for the elections and opposition Lulzim Basha has repeated stated that he will only participate if the elections are organized by a caretaker government. Prime Minister Edi Rama has insisted that the elections will not be postponed and that the Constitution will be followed to the letter.
Nevertheless Ruçi and Luan Rama now try to bend the rules:
The Socialist Party, the Socialist Movement for Integration and other parties of the Alliance for European Albania are in a continuous effort to negotiate with the opposition, to make the full participation of the entire political spectrum of the country in the elections for the Parliament of Albania on June 18, 2017, possible.
In this social-political context, which cannot be ignored by an institution in the country and even less by the Central Election Commission, we request from your side a position in relation to the possibility of postponing the deadline for the registration of political parties in the elections (art. 64 of the Electoral Code) and for the registration of electoral coalitions (art. 65 of the Electoral Code).
In our judgment, stretching the deadlines mandated by art. 64 and 65 of the Electoral Code with a few days, while it wouldn’t lead to any damaging consequence, from the other side would contribute to create openings to secure a process that is as inclusive as possible.
Neither the Electoral Code nor the Constitution offers the possibility or the right to the KQZ to extend the registration deadlines. In a response to the letter of the PS and LSI, PD deputy Oerd Bylykbashi stated on Facebook:
So today the PD and LSI have come out and say they’ll ask the KQZ to postpone the deadline for the registration of coalitions. What stupid fun! It is a preclusive deadline! It cannot be postponed! Period! Who obstructs you from registering as a coalition? No one.
That is a right not a duty. If the deadline passes, you lose the right. In the end you can run as individual parties, why worry?
