The Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Party of Albania has decided not to attend the plenary session scheduled for today in the Albanian Parliament.
This decision comes because the session call is considered illegal and in violation of the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, announced the head of the Democratic parliamentary group, Gazment Bardhi.
The Parliament stated that one of the agenda items for today’s session would be the vote on a resolution declaring Iran a state sponsor of terrorism. Following this announcement, Bardhi declared the boycott, arguing that the session was convened to serve the personal agenda of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
“The Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Party decided not to participate in Tuesday’s plenary session, an illegal session called in open violation of the Rules of Procedure, outside the normal day of Thursday, with Agenda: approval of the minutes and notifications.
This is not a normal parliamentary session but a meeting convened for the personal agenda of the Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament, without any officially approved or published agenda, and in violation of the minimum procedures guaranteed by the Rules of Procedure.
A parliament without an agenda, without debate, and without the opposition’s right to speak is no longer a parliament, but a prop for government propaganda – a personal shop that does not serve the public interest.
Instead of addressing the real problems of citizens and exercising oversight over the government, it has become an anti-democratic instrument serving the Prime Minister, obstructing justice in corruption investigations, and turning into a serious obstacle for Albania’s full membership in the European Union.
For this reason, the opposition refuses to participate in this parliamentary façade tomorrow and chooses to be where every responsible opposition should be: alongside the citizens.
Our priority this week remains meeting citizens across the country and mobilizing for the March 22 protest. Because the real problem in Albania today is a government that has become a national threat. Therefore, the opposition is determined to stay with the citizens and lead the fight for change, a zero-tolerance battle against corruption, and responsible governance in service of the citizens.”
