The measure applies to Flamur Noka, Belind Këlliçi, Edi Paloka, Fidel Kreka, Luçiano Boçi and Besart Xhaferri.

Fourteen other DP lawmakers – Gjin Gjoni, Bardh Spahia, Albana Vokshi, Elda Hoti, Xhelal Mziu, Gent Strazimiri, Enno Bozdo, Kastriot Piroli, Kliti Hoti, Flamur Hoxha, Arjan Ndoja, Ivi Kaso, Zija Ismaili and Blendi Himçi – were not suspended but received formal warnings.

The Socialist Party’s request followed incidents in parliament a day earlier, when DP lawmakers blocked the parliamentary rostrum, used offensive language and threw objects towards members of the governing majority.

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The Bureau met to review appeals filed by the suspended opposition MPs and decided to prolong their ban from the original 30 days to nearly three months.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, main opposition DP lawmaker Flamur Noka said parliament had been “taken hostage” and no longer reflected the voters’ will.

“Parliament has been turned into a den of crime and drugs and is no longer an institution representing Albanian citizens,” Noka said. “Any opposition MP who speaks the truth and refers to facts and evidence about the criminalization of the state is declared an enemy.”

Noka said the extension of the suspensions breached parliament’s rules of procedure and the statute governing lawmakers.

He said the ban runs from December 23 to March 3, barring the lawmakers from entering parliament.

“Although our mandate comes from the citizens, Prime Minister Edi Rama wants to temporarily take it away from us,” Noka said.

He announced that the decision would be appealed in the administrative court.

Parliament’s Secretariat for Procedures, Voting and Ethics suspended the six Democratic Party lawmakers – Belind Këlliçi, Albana Vokshi, Klevis Balliu, Elda Hoti, Flamur Noka and Fidel Kreka – following disorder in parliament during the Dec. 18 session.

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The Secretariat for Procedures, Voting and Ethics met to review a request from the ruling Socialist Party’s parliamentary group, which had sought disciplinary measures against 29 opposition MPs over incidents during the December 18 session.

After deliberations, the body decided to suspend opposition lawmakers Belind Këlliçi, Albana Vokshi, Klevis Balliu, Elda Hoti, Flamur Noka and Fidel Kreka.

Secretariat chairman Ulsi Manja told reporters that the six MPs were sanctioned for “violent actions” during the plenary session, including damaging parliamentary equipment, lighting flares and throwing prohibited objects toward the speaker’s chair. He said the suspensions were reduced to 30 working days from the 60 originally requested.

Manja added that the remaining lawmakers named in the request would face a lesser disciplinary measure in the form of a formal warning.

DP lawmaker Flamur Noka rejected the decision, saying the opposition was carrying out what he described as a legitimate mission against what he called a “narco-state.”

During Tuesday’s meeting, DP lawmakers staged a protest inside parliament, holding placards in opposition to the disciplinary measures.

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The request, submitted to the Secretariat for Procedures, Voting and Ethics, calls for suspending several opposition Democratic Party lawmakers from committee work and plenary sessions.

SP parliamentary group spokesperson Erjona Ismaili said the session was marked by acts of violence, including the throwing of pyrotechnics and hard objects at the Speaker of Parliament and members of the Council of Ministers.

She said the incidents were “organised and premeditated” by leaders of the Democratic Party (PD) parliamentary group, naming MPs Gazment Bardhi, Belind Këlliçi, Tomorr Alizoti, Elda Hoti and Ledina Alolli, as well as DP figures Sali Berisha and Flamur Noka.

According to Ismaili, some MPs assaulted members of the Republican Guard, blocked the parliamentary rostrum and prevented ministers from speaking. She said video footage showed several MPs bringing and using pyrotechnic devices inside the chamber.

The Socialists are seeking 60-day suspensions for MPs accused of using pyrotechnics or damaging equipment, 30-day suspensions for Sali Berisha, Elda Hoti and Gazment Bardhi, and 10-day suspensions for a further group of opposition MPs, bringing the total to 29 lawmakers.

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In a statement after today’s 25-minute session of parliament, the ruling Socialists called on the Secretariat for Procedures, Voting, and Ethics to review actions by Democratic Party (DP) lawmakers Gazment Bardhi and Fidel Kreka, who allegedly attacked the Speaker of Parliament and members of the Council of Ministers with hard objects.

The incidents took place before a vote to approve the government’s four-year program and the composition of the Council of Ministers.

“The lawmakers’ behaviour disrupted the parliamentary session,” SP said, adding that Speaker Niko Peleshi proceeded to the vote under the rules of procedure despite the disruption.

The parliament approved the government program and ministerial appointments with 82 votes in favor, while the opposition abstained. The session lasted just 25 minutes after the opposition blocked the podium, preventing Prime Minister Edi Rama from completing his presentation.

Tensions escalated over the opposition’s objection to the appointment of Diella as Minister for Artificial Intelligence.

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Three main opposition Democratic Party lawmakers, namely Gazment Bardhi, Flamur Noka and Bledion Nallbati were received a 60-day ban, while 20 other MPs will be suspended for 40 days.

The Secretariat’s meeting lasted over three hours and was marred by clashes with opposition MPs who walked out of the meeting and attempted to block the proceedings.

The disciplinary measures come after Monday’s session, where tensions flared as opposition MPs, protesting against the government, set chairs on fire outside parliament.

Despite these measures, the Democratic Party has vowed that protests will continue and threatened to disrupt parliament’s next plenary session set to convene on Thursday.

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The parliamentary majority has demanded that the main opposition Democratic Party lawmakers Edi Paloka and Petrit Doda be banned from attending Parliament for disrupting the plenary session on February 8.

Opposition MPs blew whistles and occupied the podium preventing normal proceedings of the session from happening.

In its request, the SP said opposition lawmakers blocked the podium and caused chaos by preventing the meeting’s normal proceedings.

Paloka set a copy of parliamentary rules of procedure on fire and blocked rostrum.

The Secretariat is expected to make a decision.

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In a letter forwarded to Parliament Speaker Lindita Nikolla, the DP lawmakers from Bardhi-Berisha faction, three Freedom Party MPs, and lawmaker Agron Shehaj required that the Committee’s composition be changed, stating the Assembly has the obligation to reflect the three Constitutional Court rulings on the legal formula on calculation of the number of parliament members and the vote of Albanian nationals leaving abroad.

The request reported by media has been also sent to ambassadors and the Chair of the Socialist Party’s parliamentary group.

“Taking notice that the ad hoc Committee for electoral reform held only two inaugural meetings and failed to address the responsibility tasked by Parliament and failed to meet the work deadlines approved by the Committee itself, Albania held elections without approving any legal change and without addressing any of the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations in 2021,” opposition lawmakers said in their request.

In their petition, lawmakers noted that none of the Committee co-chairs from the ruling majority and the opposition had officially convened the Committee, had failed to inform parliamentary groups and Parliament itself over any objective reason that has blocked the Committee’s work.

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