Prime Minister Edi Rama has criticised internationals who called for the government to wait for the opinion of the Venice Commission before re-approving the electoral code.
In parliament yesterday Rama said that they are “deliberately misinformed” via inter-party communications.
He also said that the law is nothing new and is the same as what was passed a month ago. This is correct but since the initial passing of the law, the President refused to decree it and called on the Council of Europe’s Constitutional Law body to provide their opinion as to whether it’s constitutional or not.
Because the Opposition including the Democratic Party and LSI resigned from Parliament over a year ago, the law was passed twice by the Socialist Party majority, with no changes.
The first vote took place on 5 October and the amendments were then passed to President Ilir Meta. He refused to decree them and returned the law to parliament where he asked for changes to be made. Meta also sought the opinion of the Venice Commission who said they would only be able to give it, at the earliest in December.
Following this, Enlargement Commissioner Varhelyi, EU spokesperson Ana Pinsonero-Hernandez, various individuals and groups of MEPs, called on Prime Minister Edi Rama to wait for the opinion of the Venice Commission before doing the second vote.
Rama said he wold not delay the vote as there is a general election coming. He added he would listen to the opinion of the Venice Commission but only after the elections.
