TIRANA, September 29 /ATA/ The Assembly met today in plenary session. The session began at 1:00 PM and lasted about two hours. In the end, the Assembly approved the three-week calendar, while the opposition boycotted the vote. This vote paves the way for the work of the Parliamentary committees.
During this session, there were also approved the minutes of the plenary session of September 24, where there was approved the composition of the permanent parliamentary committees.
Earlier, the Speakers Conference also met, where the Democratic Party submitted two requests: A Motion with Debate on the government program for the next four years and also the repetition of the plenary session where the government program was presented. The Speakers Conference did not reach an agreement on the program, which means that the program will go to the session for approval.
At the start of the proceedings, the Democratic Party MP Jorida Tabaku and MP Flamur Noka requested that there will be reviewed the Assembly program.
DP MP Jorida Tabaku stated that the Committee for Monitoring Independent Institutions is unconstitutional and in violation of the Assembly’s rules of procedure.
Tabaku added that the opposition has requested a motion for the Speaker of the Parliament, a debate on the government’s program and an interpellation on EU integration.
The head of the Socialist Party Parliamentary group Taulant Balla requested that the Rules of Procedure should not be violated by starting the session with a debate on the minutes.
The head of the socialist group said that what is happening in today’s session is unprecedented.
According to Balla, there was a very good discussion today at the Speakers Conference, but he requested that the Rules of Procedure be implemented in this session.
After this discussion, the Assembly approved the minutes of the previous plenary session with majority votes. The Assembly approved in the session of September 24 with 94 votes in favor, 3 abstentions and 1 against the draft decision “On determining the composition of the permanent committees of the Assembly”, and approved with 87 votes in favor, 4 abstentions and 2 against the draft decision “On determining the substitute members in the composition of the permanent committees of the Assembly”.
There were also debates on the second item on the agenda. The opposition expressed concern about the filing of 19 draft laws in one day. Democratic Party MP Ina Zhupa said that it seemed that the ruling majority had forwarded 19 draft laws within a day for discussion and without going through the debate.
On the other hand, the Minister of State for Relations with the Parliament Toni Gogu stated today in the plenary session in the Assembly that the review of the 19 newly filed draft laws is related to only one objective: the country’s integration into the European Union.
After discussions, the Assembly was called to vote and with the votes of the majority, there was approved the three-week work program, paving the way for the work of the parliamentary committees. /a.f//r.e/p.s./
