FLASH
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The Democratic Party Parliamentary Group has sent a letter to the Diplomatic Corps in Tirana after today's plenary session. The document, signed by Gazment Bardhi, speaks about the unprecedented situation that occurred today during the plenary session.
In this letter, the DP accuses the majority of violating the Constitution, the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, and every norm of democratic practice during today's session, where the approval of the political program and the new government cabinet was expected.
According to the opposition, the Speaker of the Assembly, Niko Peleshi, and the leader of the parliamentary majority, Edi Rama, obstructed the political debate and have a clear scenario to turn the Assembly into an extension of the Council of Ministers.
“We note with deep concern the continued weakening of the role of the Assembly as the highest decision-making institution in Albania. Today’s developments demonstrated a plan orchestrated by Prime Minister Edi Rama to openly provoke the parliamentary opposition and reduce the Assembly to a simple extension of the Council of Ministers, thus eliminating parliamentary oversight over the majority and the laws presented for review and approval.
"Therefore, we feel it our duty to inform the diplomatic community accredited in Tirana about these serious developments, which seriously endanger parliamentary democracy and constitutional order in Albania," the DP's letter states, among other things.
DP's letter to Diplomatic Missions and Foreign Representatives in the Republic of Albania:
Honorable Excellencies.
We are writing to you to bring to your attention the unprecedented situation that occurred today during the plenary session of the Albanian Parliament, called for the approval of the political program and the new government cabinet, to which you were also invited as a participant.
For the first time in 35 years of political pluralism in Albania, the Constitution, the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly and every norm of democratic practice were violated in such a flagrant and divisive manner. Through unconstitutional actions and in violation of the internal rules of the Assembly, undertaken by the Speaker of the Assembly and the leader of the parliamentary majority, the political debate of the citizens' representatives was deliberately obstructed, severely damaging parliamentary democracy and political coexistence within legitimate democratic institutions.
As representatives of Albanian citizens in the Assembly, we note with concern the daily erosion of the authority of the highest decision-making institution, the Assembly of Albania, and the attempt to transform it into an extension of the Council of Ministers, completely eliminating parliamentary oversight over the majority and the laws presented for review and approval.
The dynamics of today's events clearly demonstrate a well-organized plan by Prime Minister Rama to openly provoke the parliamentary opposition. Through these unprecedented actions, in violation of the Rules of Procedure and by overturning constitutional principles, opposition MPs were deliberately denied the right to a substantial and constructive political debate on the government program and cabinet.
We also note with concern the serious offense that Prime Minister Rama caused to the highest representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in our country, who participated in this solemn session, of particular importance for the beginning of any new legislature. In light of the delegitimization of the plenary session and in defense of the constitutionality of the process, the opposition deputies in Parliament requested that the solemnity of this plenary session be respected. In accordance with Article 97 of the Constitution, and in accordance with Article 110, paragraph 2 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, the opposition deputies repeatedly requested the President of the Assembly to allow the Prime Minister to continue his speech, after he interrupted it in an unprecedented manner to present a staged video message by the so-called "Ministry of Artificial Intelligence Diella". Throughout the history of Albanian parliamentary pluralism, the Prime Minister's speech during the plenary session for the approval of the political program and the composition of the government has never been interrupted for any reason.
Furthermore, the President of the Assembly, in violation of Article 48, paragraph 1 of the Rules of Procedure, did not address Mr. Edi Rama in his capacity as a deputy to put him in order when he deviated from the essence of the issue, namely, the presentation, through the staging of a video message by a virtual character, at a time when he should have continued without interruption the presentation of the political program.
In the context of the unprecedented inaction by the Speaker of the Assembly and the commission of these serious violations of the Constitution and the Rules of Procedure, the Speaker of the Assembly set a dangerous precedent for this new legislature by creating double standards in granting procedural rights. Mr. Peleshi granted the procedural right to the Speaker of the parliamentary majority group twice in a row, while denying this right, provided for under Article 49 of the Rules of Procedure, to the Speaker of the Democratic Party Parliamentary Group.
Thus, in an unconstitutional manner, the President of the Assembly approved a political order coming from the Chairman of the majority group, closing the plenary session with the approval of the political program and the new government cabinet without political debate, in violation of Article 97 of the Constitution and in serious violation of Article 110 of the Rules of Procedure.
The denial of the right to parliamentary debate, the repeated violations of the country's fundamental law and the violations of the internal rules of the Assembly clearly demonstrate a deliberate undermining of the constitutional order and usurpation of the legitimate decision-making authority of the democratic institutions in the country. In this unprecedented situation, we note with concern the undermining of parliamentary life, the denial of the constitutional right of deputies to political debate and, above all, the disregard for the sovereign will of the Albanian citizens, attempting to completely annul the highest representative body of their political will.
We note with deep concern the continuing weakening of the role of the Assembly as the highest decision-making institution in Albania. Today's developments demonstrated a plan orchestrated by Prime Minister Edi Rama to openly provoke the parliamentary opposition and reduce the Assembly to a simple extension of the Council of Ministers, thus eliminating parliamentary oversight over the majority and laws submitted for consideration and approval.
Therefore, we feel it our duty to inform the diplomatic community accredited in Tirana about these serious developments, which seriously endanger parliamentary democracy and constitutional order in Albania.
Please accept, Your Excellencies, the assurance of my highest consideration.
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