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The Territorial Reform Commission and the Electoral Reform Commission have been considered two priorities by the Socialist Party since the start of the parliamentary legislature, while at the meeting of the SP Assembly on September 11, Prime Minister Edi Rama said that he would wait for the opposition to give its contribution, but would not wait indefinitely if the other side was not interested.
The Socialist Party submits to the Assembly the proposal for the creation of Special Parliamentary Commissions for Territorial Reform and for Electoral Reform. For both Parliamentary Commissions, which will have a defined term, the Socialists have considered the same formula in terms of composition, 17 members, divided among the parliamentary groups configured in the Assembly.
According to the SP proposal, the committees are divided into 9 members belonging to the majority and 8 to the opposition.
More specifically, the 8 members belonging to the opposition are divided into 6 for the Democratic Party, 1 representative of the Alliance for Change Parliamentary Group, and 1 representative of the Freedom Party Parliamentary Group.
The names of the deputies who will constitute the special committees will be proposed by the respective Parliamentary Groups and will be approved at the Assembly session.
The Territorial Reform Commission and the Electoral Reform Commission have been considered two priorities by the Socialist Party since the start of the parliamentary legislature, while at the meeting of the SP Assembly on September 11, Prime Minister Edi Rama said that he would wait for the opposition to give its contribution, but would not wait indefinitely if the other side was not interested.
Previously, Edi Rama has floated the idea of further reducing the number of Municipalities in the country from the current 61, while the opposition has requested that the number of local units be increased. This issue is expected to be discussed by the Special Commission, while this is the first time that the new Territorial division approved over 10 years ago is being discussed, while the opposition, led at the time by Lulzim Basha, boycotted the process.
Democrats have claimed that the territorial division was made for political purposes, favoring the Socialists in the new electoral map.
Also for the electoral reform, the special commission will be led by two co-chairs, one from the ruling party and the other from the opposition. The commission will be engaged by a group of experts that will be proposed by the parties participating in the commission, while the aim will be to reach a consensus for the approval of the proposals for changes to the Electoral Code. In cases where this consensus cannot be reached, the parties will turn to the OSCE/ODIHR to provide their expertise and to the Venice Commission.
In the case of the Electoral Code or electoral reform, almost every time there are elections, last-minute interventions have been applied, but these have been considered 'patches' to the Electoral Code and not a genuine electoral reform. It is not known whether this time, the Albanian Parliament will commit to a full reform, or will simply stop at the recommendations given by internationals every time an electoral process is concluded, whether local or national.
What does the document contain?
The Assembly decided:
1. Establishment of the Special Parliamentary Committee for Administrative-Territorial Reform in the Republic of Albania.
II. The Special Commission has as its object of activity:
a) to review the legal and institutional framework of local government;
b) to analyze and propose options for territorial redesign and strengthening the administrative capacities of local government units;
c) to analyze the current system of local finances and recommend measures for the financial soundness and increased sustainability of local self-government units, including strengthening fiscal decentralization, increasing local revenues, optimizing expenditures and improving financial management;
ç) to review the quality and accessibility of local public services;
d) ensure the compatibility of the proposals with the European Union acquis and regional cohesion policies;
dh) to develop a comprehensive, inclusive and transparent consultation process with local government units, their associations, civil society and international partners;
e) to present to the Assembly an analytical document with recommendations for further steps and draft legal proposals.
III. The Special Commission consists of 17 members, of whom 9 are representatives of the Socialist Party Parliamentary Group and 6 representatives of the Democratic Party Parliamentary Group, 1 representative of the Alliance for Change Parliamentary Group and 1 representative of the Freedom Party Parliamentary Group. The names of its members will be determined by decision of the Assembly.
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