Bylykbashi said the DP draft law envisages dividing the country into 100 municipalities, while the majority’s proposal foresees 46. He described the latter as a model that would aggravate the problems created by the 2014 territorial reform. The Democrat underlined that the new division must guarantee representation, local democracy and better citizen access to services.

Bylykbashi argued that the 2014 territorial reform contributed to Albania’s demographic, institutional and economic erosion. He said the Democratic Party’s proposal for 100 municipalities is based on community consultations, stressing that the number itself is not sacred but should ensure functionality and representation. He rejected the majority’s plan for 46 municipalities, insisting the focus must be on effective local governance rather than models dictated by the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers.

Bylykbashi stressed that the Constitution requires consultation with the populations of communities affected by territorial changes. He called for both legislative initiatives to follow the same procedure and be examined in parallel by the committee.

Bylykbashi underlined that the Democratic Party’s draft law is a concrete legislative initiative already filed in Parliament. He insisted that both proposals must be merged, follow the same consultation methodology and legislative procedure, and be examined together by the committee before reaching a full debate and article‑by‑article review.

Committee chairman Ulsi Manja stated that the opposition’s initiative will be addressed once the commission reaches the vote in principle. He added that proceedings will continue according to the agenda, with examination of the Socialist deputies’ draft law on the administrative‑territorial division of local government units.

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