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Deputies of the Democratic Party met with the European Parliament mission, which conducted an official visit to Tirana, as part of gathering facts on the concerns that the opposition had previously raised in Brussels and Strasbourg.
The EP fact-finding mission was led by David McAllister, one of the MEPs who also tried to resolve the 2017 political crisis in Tirana, an effort that, with the intervention of the US at the time, was finalized with the famous Rama-Basha agreement. McAllister and the 8 MEPs were content with meeting with Gazment Bardhi, Jorida Tabaku and Albana Vokshi, avoiding a conversation with the Democratic leader Sali Berisha, who, since being declared “non grata” by the US and the UK, has avoided every meeting with internationals visiting Albania.
However, DP representatives, according to the official announcement, have listed all the accusations and their positions in relation to Prime Minister Edi Rama.
During the meeting with the EP delegation, representatives of the DP Parliamentary Group expressed their appreciation for the European Parliament report on the general elections of May 11, which found a lack of equality between the parties in the elections and the interference of organized crime in them. According to the Democrats, this report is an alarm bell for the elections in Albania and it is necessary not only for the European Parliament to follow this issue, but also to establish that without a Technical Government to guarantee non-interference of the state in the elections and to prevent the involvement of organized crime in them, Albania cannot guarantee the standards for free and fair elections.
"The distortion of the elections brings serious consequences for the democratic functioning of the institutions in the country," said the DP representatives at the meeting.
They highlighted with concern the regression that Albania has made in recent years in the fight against corruption and organized crime. At the meeting, the Democrats raised as a concern the case of Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku and the political protection that, according to them, the majority is giving her.
"During these weeks, Prime Minister Edi Rama has undertaken a campaign of obstruction and attack against justice institutions, aiming to intimidate them and hinder investigations in specific cases," opposition representatives said at the meeting.
They further emphasized that "legal proposals to grant more immunity to corrupt officials go against the EU's demand for an uncompromising fight against corruption and impunity."
Another issue addressed by opposition representatives at the meeting is the government's cooperation with organized crime, as well as the lack of a real fight against money laundering in Albania.
Although the Special Prosecution Office has cracked down on some of the criminal organizations in the country, none of the leaders of these organizations have been arrested and continue their criminal activity peacefully, under the protection of the Government and the State Police.
They assured MEPs that the Albanian opposition remains committed and fully supports Albania's European integration process, based on measurable achievements and meritocracy.
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