TIRANA, May 6 /ATA/ – Democratic Party (DP) leader Sali Berisha said on Wednesday that a recent report by the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee would serve as a blueprint for the main opposition party’s future work.
Speaking at a meeting of the party’s parliamentary group, Berisha said the DP would base its programme on the report, focusing on merit-based integration, which he said is repeatedly emphasised.
He also praised a fact-finding mission by Members of the European Parliament, who recently visited Albania to assess the political and institutional situation.
“Let us be realistic: this excellent report is not our achievement. We have done our part, but it is the work of those who came on a mission with the most serious assessment of the situation in Albania,” Berisha said, adding that the report, drafted by socialist MEP Andreas Schieder and amended by other groups, was adopted unanimously.
Berisha said the report highlights problems with elections, noting that while the legal framework is generally deemed suitable for competitive polls, it identifies serious shortcomings in implementation, including an uneven playing field, misuse of state resources, pressure on voters and allegations of vote-buying.
“The framework allows for competitive elections, not that elections themselves were competitive,” he said, adding that the report points to “persistent failings” and blurred lines between state institutions and party structures.
Berisha described the report as “the most legally grounded and accurate characterisation of the electoral farce in Albania.”
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