He said opposition MPs had addressed 53 questions to the reform’s initiator, but have received no answer.

“Opposition MPs addressed 53 questions to the initiators. Of those 53 questions, we received zero answers from the initiators. This says a great deal about the quality of the draft being brought to the plenary session for a vote today,” Bardhi said.

In his speech, Bardhi said that, according to the Constitutional Court, the consultation process must include residents of the affected administrative units and that the final proposal should remain open to changes based on suggestions from the communities.

Bardhi said that 15 municipal councils had adopted decisions opposing the proposed mergers, arguing that their positions should be taken into account.

“It is shameful for the chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs to come here and say, ‘I am summarising the court’s decision’, and then present a version containing statements that the Constitutional Court never made. The Constitutional Court said the opposite, and I am quoting it word for word, rather than offering the kind of summary we might want the decision to contain: ‘The hearing process must include, as a minimum requirement, the participation of residents of the local government units affected by the reform.’ Kavaja is not affected by the reform; Rrogozhina is, because it is being merged. Mati is not affected, but Klos is. Tepelena is not affected, but Memaliaj is.”

“And under this decision, you have a constitutional obligation to listen to their views. We cannot disregard citizens’ views in this process, and their views cannot be treated as a mere formality. The consultation must be effective. Effective consultation means going to ask people and, where their arguments are valid, reflecting them in the process, rather than making no changes at all.”

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