TIRANA, May 7 /ATA/ Prime Minister and Socialist Party chairman, Edi Rama stated on Wednesday that the list of candidates for parliament in the May 11th elections is well-balanced.
In a televised interview, Rama said, “It’s a matter of principle that those who have received mandates from the Socialist Party in the past, or even just one mandate, are the ones who should confirm their mandate on the battlefield. And I believe everyone has understood this and accepted it. We haven’t encountered any resistance in this regard, in the best sense of the word.”
Rama emphasized, “We’ve had many discussions and haven’t encountered any resistance regarding what is best. We’ve presented the options on the table, and it didn’t make sense for those with more experience, stronger ties to the territory, and greater recognition among the people to remain in the closed-list territory.”
Meanwhile, Rama continued, it wouldn’t make sense for the younger candidates to enter the battlefield and be tested in such a tough and important match without having played any previous games.
“The list was harmonized, and I believe it was the right decision. But that wasn’t the main goal; the goal was for the party to bring in a substantial amount of fresh energy throughout the entire team—not only in the closed list but across the whole team, including the open list,” said Rama.
Rama highlighted that the party is the youngest on the field, with a goal of achieving a progressive gender balance. In the closed list, 52% are women, and overall, there are 71 women in the entire team. The aim is to ensure strong territorial representation.
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