Attending the meeting were representatives of central and local government. Discussions focused on implementing integrated waste management and its impact on tourism development.

Deputy Minister of Tourism Marinela Prifti highlighted the significance of developing sustainable tourism and the aim of transforming Albania into a year-round destination.

Prifti also said that waste management remains one of the main priorities to guarantee quality and competitive tourism.

The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports considers this inter-institutional cooperation as an important step of advancing sustainable tourism to bolster both environment and economy. /r.e/a.f/p.s./

Speaking in a press conference, Berisha warned that the Parliament will get transformed into the “temple of freedom” and that the political struggle will get intensified.

Asked if the opposition will return to the table of territorial reform, Berisha said that, “The Parliament will get transformed into the temple of freedom of the Albanians, the same it is in the Constitution”.

“Our battle continues in the Parliament, around it, outside it and everywhere. I say, we have never been so well-prepared and let’s start our battle. After taking judicial power with the Constitutional Court, PM Edi Rama has taken over even the Parliament”, Berisha said.

Berisha assured that the opposition will not boycott the Parliament, but we will fight inside the Parliament with all our its strength, with all our support.

However, Berisha stressed that the DP will not participate in any of the committees in which reforms were negotiated with the drugs ruling majorities.

“But, we will not boycott the Parliament; we will wage war and battle there, just like in the square, on the streets, in strikes, in demonstrations, in all forms”, he stressed. /m.m/a.f/p.s./

Speaking to reporters, Balla said the opposition must be the first to reflect on the conduct expected of all lawmakers in the 140-seat legislature.

Asked about the main opposition Democratic Party’s recent decision to stop cooperating with the ruling majority following the election of the Ombudsman earlier this month, senior SP official said national interest should come before political instructions.

“Parliament has 140 members elected by the people and each of us, before any political order, must answer to Albania’s interests,” he said.

Balla noted that Albania was at a decisive moment in its bid to join the European Union, outlining the government’s timeline for accession.

“We aim to wrap up accession negotiations by 2027, followed by ratification, in order to complete EU membership within this decade, by 2030,” he said.

He said the governing SP and its parliamentary group would not accept conditions, threats or what he described as blackmail through obstruction of parliamentary work.

“There will be no conditions or threats against the Socialist Party through boycotts of committees or votes,” Balla said. “If they choose not to come or not to vote, that is their choice. We will do our job.”

He said the ruling party remained open to dialogue with the opposition.

“Our readiness to sit down with the opposition on any issue remains unchanged,” Balla said.

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Lawmakers voted 113 in favour and three against the establishment of the Electoral Reform Committee, which will draft legislative amendments and review recommendations from the OSCE/ODIHR regarding the 2023 local elections, the upcoming May 2025 elections, and earlier polls.

The committee will also consider input from electoral institutions, parliamentary parties and civil society organisations, and will draft a new law on political party financing.

The committee will include 16 members – seven from the ruling Socialist Party (SP), seven from the opposition Democratic Party (DP), and two representing the Alliance for Change and the Freedom Party. It will be co-chaired by one member from each of the two main parties.

Parliament also approved, by 115 votes to three, the establishment of a Special Committee on Administrative and Territorial Reform. It will include 16 members eight from the SP, six from the DP, and one each from the Alliance for Change and the Freedom Party – and will operate for nine months, with the possibility of extension.

The committee on territorial reform will review of local government laws and institutions, the redesign of administrative boundaries, and strengthening the financial and administrative capacity of local governments. It will assess local finance systems, propose measures to improve fiscal decentralisation, increase local revenues, optimise spending and enhance financial management.

The committee will also examine the quality and accessibility of local public services, ensuring alignment with the EU acquis and regional cohesion policies. Its work will involve broad consultations with local authorities, civil society organisations and international partners.

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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./

During the session, lawmakers are expected to approve the minutes from the previous sitting held on September 24, during which the composition of the legislature’s standing committees was adopted – a move that will allow the parliamentary committees to officially begin their work.

In the September 24 session, Parliament approved the decision “On the appointment of members to the standing committees of Parliament” with 94 votes in favor, 3 abstentions and 1 against.

Lawmakers also passed a separate decision “On the appointment of substitute members to the standing committees” with 87 votes in favor, 4 abstentions and 2 against.

/u.sh/

The Assembly approved 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”.

In the plenary session of September 16, the Assembly approved the amendments proposed by the ruling majority in the rules of procedure of the Parliament, with 79 votes in favor, 0 against and 0 abstentions.

The amendments, among other things, foresee the transition of the Assembly with 11 permanent Parliamentary committees.

The opposition opposed the decision and took it to the Constitutional Court. According to the opposition, the amendment to the rules of procedure of the Assembly should not have been passed through an accelerated procedure, but through a normal Parliamentary procedure and with the agreement of the minority in the Assembly.

The Assembly consists of the Socialist Party Parliamentary group, 83 members, the Democratic Party Parliamentary group, 35 members, the Alliance for Change Parliamentary group, 7 members. The Freedom Party parliamentary group has 7 members, while 8 MPs are outside the Parliamentary groups. /p.s./

The motion, introduced by the ruling Socialist Party (SP), was approved with 79 votes in favor and none against or abstaining. The changes increase the number of parliamentary committees from eight to 11.

The Socialist-led majority will chair seven of the committees, while the remaining four will be led by the opposition.

Opposition lawmakers boycotted the vote and left the chamber, accusing the majority of violating the constitution and parliamentary rules.

The newly approved committees are:

Committee on Economy, Employment and Finance (chaired by the ruling SP)

Committee on Legal Affairs and Public Administration (SP)

Committee on Internal Affairs and National Security (SP)

Committee on Education, Science and Sports (opposition Democratic Party)

Committee on Health and Social Welfare (Democratic Party)

Committee on Natural Resources, Infrastructure and Sustainable Development (SP)

Committee on Human Rights and Public Information Means (Democratic Party)

Committee on Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (SP)

Committee on Culture, Tourism and the Diaspora (Democratic Party)

Committee on European and Foreign Affairs (SP)

Committee on Civic Initiatives, Cooperation and Institutional Oversight (SP)

Parliament also approved, with 79 votes in favor and none against, the nominations for deputy speakers and members of the Parliamentary Bureau.

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Speaking to reporters, Bardhi said that the decision by the Conference of the Chairs of the parliamentary groups to hold online meetings “runs counter to the parliament’s regulation and it is an attempt to silent the opposition.”

“On behalf of three opposition parliamentary groups, I would like to inform the public over an unprecedented action committed by the minority that has usurped parliament’s Conference of Chairs to silent the opposition. Pursuant to the Assembly’s regulation, the sessions of the parliamentary committees should be held online only in the event of extraordinary emergency situations. The committees’ meetings are much more important than the parliament’s plenary sessions if the parliament operates in a democratic state. Over the past eight years, we have seen a parliament acting as a notary of the government’s corruption practices,” Bardhi said.

The DP lawmaker said that “the decision is unacceptable, it totally lacks transparency and it is designed to hide the government’s corruption practices from the public eyes, just like they have done in the past eight years, when Parliament served merely as a notary of these corruption actions.”

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