TIRANA, July 23 /ATA/ Tensions broke out in Albania’s parliament as opposition lawmakers blocked the podium, disrupting the presentation of reports by the Special Commission on Administrative-Territorial Reform.
The disruption followed procedural debates and the announcement that the Socialist Party and Democratic Party would present their respective reports on territorial reform. Opposition MPs gathered at the podium, preventing commission co-chair Arbjan Mazniku from delivering his remarks.
Parliament Speaker Niko Peleshi urged lawmakers to allow the session to continue and gave the commission’s co-chairs, Arbjan Mazniku and Luçiano Boçi, the opportunity to present the findings of their work.
As the opposition MPs occupied the rostrum preventing the report from being delivered, Peleshi called a five-minute break until it was cleared.
Debate over Administrative-Territorial Reform opened the parliamentary session after the opposition’s request to extend the Special Commission’s mandate by three months was rejected by the majority.
Socialist parliamentary leader Taulant Balla said the commission had completed its mandate, adding that the session would focus only on presenting its findings rather than approving a new territorial reform.
The opposition accused the government of rushing the territorial reform process, arguing that the commission’s work was incomplete and required further consultation. The parliamentary session continued amid political tensions, with clashes earlier reported between protesters and police outside the parliament building.
/sm/
