TIRANA, Jan 22 /ATA/ – Main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said on Thursday it supports Albania’s accession to the Board of Peace but criticised the government for fast-tracking ratification of the agreement “without respecting constitutional procedures.”
Taking the floor at parliament’s session, the chairman of DP’s parliamentary group leader Gazment Bardhi responded to remarks by his Socialist Party counterpart Taulant Balla, saying lawmakers had heard no convincing argument for the urgency in completing the ratification process on the same day the draft law was submitted.
“In ten minutes of remarks, there was no explanation of why this historically important draft law must be reviewed and voted on within 12 hours after the bill was forwarded by the Council of Ministers,” Bardhi said.
Bardhi also said the public had expected an apology from the ruling majority for past statements about U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Many expected the Parliament Speaker to begin by apologizing on behalf of the majority, given that their leader previously referred to the President of the United States – who today is presented as a peacemaker – as ‘a disgrace to humanity’,” Bardhi said in a reference to Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Turning to procedure, Bardhi argued that the Socialist parliamentary group had requested an accelerated procedure before the draft law had formally been submitted by the Council of Ministers, calling this a violation of parliamentary rules.
According to Bardhi, parliament could instead follow a constitutionally grounded procedure that would allow the agreement to enter into force quickly without legal controversy.
“We support Albania’s membership of the Board of Peace and propose authorizing the President, in line with Article 84 of the constitution, to approve the law’s immediate entry into force,” Bardhi said. “This would resolve the constitutional deadlock, respect the constitution and achieve the same objective even faster.”
Parliament convened on Thursday in a plenary session to approve the draft law ratifying Albania’s accession, represented by Prime Minister Edi Rama, to the Charter of the Peace Board.
The Council of Ministers approved the agreement in principle on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
According to the draft, the Board of Peace is to be established as an international organisation with legal personality, tasked with promoting stability, restoring legitimate and credible governance, and ensuring sustainable peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict, in line with international law.
Under the Charter, membership is limited to states invited by the Board’s chair and begins once a state formally accepts the Charter’s legal obligations. Member states are represented by their head of state or government for a term of up to three years, renewable by the chair.
The three-year term does not apply to member states that contribute more than 1 billion dollars in cash to the Peace Board within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force.
The plenary session was requested on Wednesday afternoon by the ruling Socialist Party, which sought fast-track ratification of the agreement.
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