TIRANA, November 5/ATA/- The ruling majority and the opposition in Albania are still divided on the Electoral Reform.
While the majority appeals for co-operation and dialogue on electoral reform, the opposition considers the majority’s effort unilateral and does not recognize the Electoral Reform Commission.
The Socialist Party MP Senida Mesi told ATA that the electoral reform should not be a process of division, but of unity.
“The electoral reform is a process where the parties do not have to impose conditions on each other, but a process where the parties sit together and agree on a reform that is inclusive,” said Mesi to ATA.
On the platform of the non-Parliamentary opposition, Mesi suggested a solution from cooperation among political actors.
Likewise, Mesi didn’t consider revision of the electoral system as impossible.
On the other hand, the Democratic Party Secretary for Electoral Affairs Ivi Kasao said to ATA that the opposition has expressed the political will to adopt the electoral reform.
“The entire political class is now united to see the electoral reform as an important step. In this context, the united opposition in general and the DP are committed to an electoral reform that not only meets the expectations of our partners, but also provides some real solutions to the major election problems in our country,” said he.
The opposition has offered as a solution the five-point package, one of which is the assistance of internationals, the OSCE / ODIHR and the U.S.- EU.
“The 5-point package is all about expressing the will and total commitment to make this reform in the shortest possible time, and secondly, we have put forward our proposal for a legitimate forum that should not only address technical efforts of all parties, but also be the forum to adopt these solutions and be certified by our international partners, ” said he.
The opposition expresses its opposition to the Electoral Reform Commission, since in its view it is illegitimate, even with this format it considers biased.
Kaso emphasized that our stance is that this reform cannot be unilateral.
“We consider the Parliament that emerged from the 2017 Parliamentary elections to be illegitimate. Whereas in regard to our participation in the Electoral Reform Commission, we have said that we do not recognize the Electoral Reform Commission as a legitimate forum, because it cannot be so,” said Kaso to ATA./a.g/p.s./
