Albania’s political conflict deepens despite Mogherini appeal

Tirana, Albania | Tirana Echo – Only hours after agreeing to dialogue, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and Opposition leader Lulzim Basha revert back to conflict, despite appeals from EU top diplomat Federica Mogherini last night in Tirana, to find a way back to Parliament.

Only a few hours after the press conference with EU High Representative Mogherini, Prime Minister Rama said this morning that there can be talks as long as they can accept there will be no technical government.

“One thing we can talk about but not decide, is the fact that the Constitution is clear that the people decide once in 4 years and that contract ends when the people vote. Therefore the people decide” – said Rama referring to the upcoming June 18^th elections and hinting he will accept no call to resign.

However, during his daily address to DP militants at the tent of protest in front of the PM office in Tirana, opposition leader Lulzim Basha said there can only be talks which serve the creation of a technical government.

“There are talks, no negotiations – only dialogue to determine your departure and the creation of a technical government. We will not negotiate our participation in Government. We will be the opposition until the citizens can decide with their free and fair vote who will govern this country” – said Basha this morning, reminding the prime minister that there can be no elections with the current government in power.

Rama and Basha reverted back to their opposing grounds as EU High Representative Mogherini left Tirana to depart for Kosovo. Ahead of her arrival in Tirana yesterday, the two allies of the governing centre-left coalition PM Edi Rama and Speaker Ilir Meta signaled their will to sit down with the opposition, at a place of their choice to solve the remaining disagreements which could bring them back to Parliament.

The Democrats replied through a statement that “the opposition expresses its readiness for true dialogue with the representatives of the governing coalition in order to create the necessary conditions for free and fair elections through a government that would enjoy broad political support,”.

Today’s statements confirm that Mogherini’s attempt to bring both sides together to Parliament to vote on the next crucial stages of the justice reform, has failed and that Albania slides further into political crisis.

Parliament has called a special session on Monday to vote on the first preliminary names to fill the so called ‘Vetting’ structures which will begin scanning all judges and prosecutors of Albania’s corrupt justice system.

The opposition is boycotting Parliament while the EU has conditioned the opening of membership accession talks with the implementation of justice reform.