Albania’s opposition Democratic Party has started procedures for a national referendum on the waste import bill approved last week with a slim majority vote.
The news was confirmed by DP Parliamentary Leader Edi Paloka who has today asked Parliament officially
“The Democratic Party requests a vote on a national referendum on the waste recycling law which threatens the future because of dangerous criminal groups who might exploit the law to bring toxic waste into Albania’ said Paloka today in Parliament’s Plenary in Tirana
Paloka said that Albania does not have enough capabilities to properly monitor the waste imported, which creates a huge vacuum for misuse.
The request comes at a time when national debate is being driven by a huge increase in cannabis plantations across the country, which the opposition has blamed the key police chiefs for not cracking down on the drug problem
DP argues that in a country unable to control its cannabis cultivation, it would be impossible to effectively control waste imports.
Several MPs from PM Rama’s own ruling socialists have also come out against the law. Rebel MPs Ben Blushi, Mimoza Hafizi and Alfred Peza have openly opposed the bill going against party ranks while the ruling coalition’s smaller partner the LSI has been lukewarm about throwing its support behind the bill.
Speaking today in Parliament, Mimoza Hafizi said that it is difficult to understand the Prime Minister, reminding Edi Rama that in 2013 when the government withdrew the law there was only 10% recycling and now that this figure has doubled, we decide to bring it back.
While Albania’s President Bujar Nishani has yet to have a say in the bil, the country is bracing up for civil society protests planned in the days ahead, which is a bitter reminder to PM Rama of the older chemical weapons massive protests 2 years ago, forcing him to abandon the initiative.
Copyright 2016 TiranaEcho.Com