TIRANA, July 10 /ATA/-By Maela Marini/ – Prime Minister Edi Rama stated Friday that Socialist Party supports an electoral system of open candidate lists to offer every voter the opportunity to elect the preferred political subject and express also the preference for the candidate MPs on the party lists.
In a live media communication, PM Rama dwelled on the Socialist Party’s position regarding finalization of the electoral reform process before the Parliament’s summer recess.
“This is a position that has already taken form following a long and delayed process of the electoral reform. You know the reasons behind these delays and the reform has been forwarded to the Assembly of Albania in a process in full compliance with all rules and procedures of Parliament, as a point-by-point reflection of the agreement we have reached with the extra-parliamentary opposition and the initiative of the parliamentary opposition,” Rama said.
Rama said that “the ruling Socialists have decided to support the open lists system and the decision reflects the conviction that the opening of the lists coincides with the desire of a very large majority of Albanian citizens who go far beyond a ruling majority or an opposition.”
“The decision goes beyond what was to be the simplest solution and seemingly the most comfortable one for a big political party, as well as for me as the leader of the party, which in this case should send everyone the message that the open lists system has never been my priority, but it has always been SP’s top priority to reflect the society’s ambitions and interests,” Rama said.
The government head said that “to consider opening the lists as a problem and to consider this as a violation of integration, this is nonsense.”
Rama said that “finding a correlation between this process and trying to raise then a general outcry that something criminal against the country’s integration interests is being committed by breaking the June 5 agreement, is completely unfounded.”
“The June 5 agreement won’t be violated by SP and the only problem we face here is the parliamentary opposition. We will keep insisting to convince the initiators of the electoral system changes not to insist on the election administration issue. They oppose the agreement stipulating that election administration and the vote counting process to be done by the representatives of political parties. I have also opposed this solution, but this is the great concession we have offered so that the extra-parliamentary will have no alibi to claim and pretend for guarantees. It is a participant in the process and the game rules have been written and will be enforced jointly,” Rama said.
/r.e/u.sh/
