Head of the ruling Socialist Party (PS), Taulant Balla stated that local elections in Albania “are over and completed on June 30”, thus ignoring both presidential decrees cancelling June 30 and setting October 13 as elections date.
Balla’s statement came after repeated calls by President Ilir Meta and opposition for the Central Election Commission (KQZ) to organize local elections on October 30, in compliance with the presidential decree. He added that the election process on June 30 was “a triumph of law and Constitution”.
Speaking from the headquarters of the PS, Balla stated:
“June 30 elections were an important moment when country’s citizens, law and Constitution won. I think we shouldn’t make the opposition behavior even more ridiculous […] Those elected mayors or members of city hall councils have taken up their duty or are doing so while we speak.”
Balla then focused on the necessity for an electoral reform in collaboration with the “parliamentary opposition”, which comprises of opposition MPs that refused to resign, as well as new MPs taking up seats left vacant after the opposition resigned from Parliament in February.
The so-called “new opposition” MPs have joined forces with the Socialist Party to pass several initiatives by the majority, including the dismissal of President Ilir Meta.
Balla stated that the PS was ready to address all OSCE and Council of Europe recommendations that would enable an Electoral Code for the 2021 general elections.
