TIRANA, April 24 /ATA/-By Maela Marini/ – The Socialist Party (SP) lawmaker Senida Mesi described the opposition’s decision to boycott the upcoming June mayoral elections as irresponsible and unprecedented, adding however that the move would not damage the electoral process.
In a televised interview, the Socialist MP commented on the SP’s preparations for the June 30 local polls, considering it totally a legitimate and transparent process.
“The opposition’s boycott of the elections doesn’t hurt the process. The government has assumed its responsibilities to ensure the most transparent electoral process possible. It is not within the government’s competence to decide who will participate in the elections and who will not. The government should only guarantee the rules of the game,” Mesi said.
In addition to the political parties that have been registered with the Central Election Commission within the deadline, Mesi said that “independent candidates have also respected important legal deadlines to run in the mayoral polls.”
Mesi described creation of the opposition coalition against the elections “a second political suicide” following the unprecedented decision by the country’s opposition parties to give up their parliamentary mandates en-block in February.
A day ago, the main opposition Democratic Party signed protocols to create a coalition with several smaller parties, including Socialist Movement for Integration, refusing the participate in the June 30 elections.
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