FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Thursday's plenary session in the Assembly took place in an atmosphere of tension and constant interruptions. Despite the situation in the hall, MPs approved changes to the government cabinet and voted on several draft laws.
The Assembly gave a vote of confidence to seven new members of the government. Albana Koçiu took office as Deputy Prime Minister. Toni Gogu was voted Minister of Justice, while Besfort Lamallari was voted Minister of Interior. Erjona Ismaili took the post of Minister of State for Parliament. Ferit Hoxha was voted Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Ermal Nufi took the lead in the Ministry of Defense. Enea Karakaçi was appointed Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, replacing Belinda Balluku.
Socialist Party deputies secured the majority of votes, while Social Democratic Party deputies also joined the vote.
Three of the new ministers, Ferit Hoxha, Ermal Nufi and Enea Karakaçi, watched the voting process from the Assembly boxes. They are expected to take the oath before the President in a ceremony scheduled for 10:00 at the Brigades Palace.
In the same session, the Assembly also approved decrees dismissing several cabinet members. Belinda Balluku was dismissed from her position as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy with 85 votes in favor. Elisa Spiropali was dismissed from her position as Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs with 83 votes in favor and 2 against. MPs also approved the dismissal of Pirro Vengu from his position as Minister of Defense with 81 votes in favor.
Prime Minister Edi Rama did not attend the session where the changes he proposed were voted on. Also absent from the hall was Belinda Balluku, who, after leaving the government, is expected to return to the ranks of the Socialist MPs.
The political debate also focused on SPAK's request for the arrest of Balluk. The opposition requested the inclusion of the report on the lifting of its immunity on the agenda. Opposition representatives argued that the deadline for reviewing the request is approaching its end. The chairman of the Socialist Party parliamentary group stated that the majority is within the two-week deadline for drafting the report and that the document will be presented at the session on March 12.
At the end of the session, a physical altercation was recorded between the leader of the socialist parliamentary group, Taulant Balla, and the DP deputy, Klevis Balliu. The session was temporarily suspended. After the incident, opposition representatives announced that they would request the expulsion of the socialist deputy from the Assembly.
Two question-and-answer sessions were also held during the day. MP Erion Braçe requested information from the Minister of Education on the completion of the works and the opening of the “Edith Durham” school in Tirana. He also held a session with the Minister of Agriculture on a public land area near the Seman River, for which there are claims for privatization.
The deputies approved four draft laws. Among them was the draft law on equal treatment of teachers, which received 81 votes in favor. The Assembly also ratified the loan agreement with KfW for the “Municipal Infrastructure V – Phase II” program. The draft law on the Supervision Agency in the System of Execution of Criminal Decisions and amendments to the law on state control of international transfers of military goods and dual-use technologies were also approved.
The session rejected two other bills related to national taxes and local government finances. The session closed at 20:55.
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