Albanian coalition partners get their ‘guns’ out in mutual accusations

Tirana, Albania | Tirana Echo – Albania’s coalition partners SP and LSI have entered into a ‘cold war’ style of mutual accusations as the country’s political deadlock deepens further with the opposition democrats in their 46th day of parliamentary boycott.

Political exponents from both the Socialist Party (SP) and the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) have exchanged mutual accusations hours after SP chair and PM Edi Rama ignored LSI chair and Speaker of Parliament Meta’s offer to create a ‘government of trust’ and bring the opposition to the negotiating table.

MP and chair of the parliamentary economic committee Erjon Brace dismissed today any chances of a government of trust with DP elements in it.

“I don’t share power with Sali Berisha. Neither on the table, nor through elections, or after them. I have one vote in Parliament and it has been granted to me by the many people who voted in 2013, in order to support and vote a Government of the Socialist Party,” said Brace this morning.

Another socialist MP Ledi Shamku has sarcastically dismissed chances of another government ahead of elections.

“A government of trust?! My grandfather used to read to me the tale of the Fox and the Cat of Pinocchio. I would never vote a government of trust which ignores the vote of those who trusted me with it,” said Shamku on her Facebook.

Comments follow days of exchanges between LSI parliamentary group chair Luan Rama and former socialist minister of interior Saimir Tahiri who was dismissed last month after months of allegations of links to drug cartels in the country.

Tahiri said firmly on Sunday that the socialist party does not want a “coalition to gather votes only, but to govern our citizens. the SP will win, even if it goes it alone, even with everyone against, the SP will win“, said Tahiri in a clear message to LSI’s leadership which had been critical of his affairs as minister of interior.

However, former minister of justice and controversial exponent of LSI Ylli Manjani reacted today on Twitter criticizing pro-government political analysts.

“A tent cannot get rid of a prime minister – say analysts close to the government. If the prime minister cannot convince a tent, how can it convince its people?” writes Manjani who last night after LSI’s decision to call for a ‘government of trust’ twitted that there’s no more dilemma “elections without opposition would be dictatorship. First elections, then coalitions. Now it’s the turn of the government, not the LSI.”

Others such as minister of finance and socialist senior figure Arben Ahmetaj tried to calm down the rising tensions and play down fears of a coalition crack.

“The alliance will have a second mandate and efforts within it to bring political actors closer are welcomed,” – said Ahmetaj in a clear attempt to treat the latest exchanges on a positive note.

Another MP close to PM Rama, Dashamir Peza joined Ahmetaj adding this government “is a government of trust because it has received the necessary votes in parliament. I don’t think the alliance is in crisis regarding its internal issues“.

The Socialist Party and the Socialist Movement for Integration have been governing Albania since September 2013 after several years of battling against each other, which led to the LSI forming a coalition with the Democratic Party in 2009.

Socialist chair Edi Rama has made his invitation for the continuation of the center-left coalition public but LSI chair Ilir Meta said last night “the LSI is open to reaffirm its coalition with the SP ahead of the next elections, however, if the socialist leadership will not show its will to guarantee free and fair elections for the opposition to be part of elections, the LSI cannot be part of such a coalition which would be a farce“.

Albania is scheduled to have general parliamentary elections on June 18th and elect a new President by July this summer.

Deadlines for the registration of electoral subjects at the Central Elections Committee expire on April 8th while the opposition democrats and other parties have entered a parliamentary boycott refusing to participate in the elections until the resignation of PM Rama and the creation of a technical government.