Bardhi: We are evaluating every possibility to have a union of the Democratic Party

2024-01-31 22:04:00, Politikë CNA

Bardhi: We are evaluating every possibility to have a union of the Democratic

The chairman of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party, Gazment Bardhi

The chairman of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party, Gazment Bardhi, says that efforts are being made to unify this political force, since the division so far, according to him, has made the opposition non-functional.

In an interview for the Voice of America, he said that he is evaluating every opportunity "for a joint political project, a joint project of confronting the corrupt government of Edi Rama outside the parliament." He did not give a direct answer when asked if he would recognize Mr. Sali Berisha, as chairman of the Democratic Party, in the event of a merger. "The fact that who already knows who in the Democratic Party is of zero importance as long as the issue of the legitimacy of the institutions of the Democratic Party is an issue that we are talking about is in court today," he said.

Mr. Bardhi said that he and the deputies who supported him will continue to demand the change in the composition of the electoral reform commission, while he again criticized the majority for blocking the establishment of investigative commissions requested by the opposition.

Voice of America: Mr. Bardhi, today's statement of the Chairman of the Central Election Commission, Ilirjan Celibashi, proves that the time slots to intervene in important aspects of the electoral reform are very narrow. But you are not allowing the normal development of the meetings of the Special Parliamentary Committee, insisting on changing the composition. Wouldn't it be better for you to settle this story between yourselves and bring about reform?

Gazment Bardhi: First, the reform has not been blocked due to internal problems in the Democratic Party. The Electoral Reform Commission was established by the Parliament of Albania in February 2022 and it has been two years since its creation, and we are witnessing that it has zero output, zero meetings and zero work for which the Assembly charged it precisely because of blocking the commission's work. The opposition MPs have requested the reformation of the Electoral Reform Commission. There is a request of ours from September 2023, that we insist not only to make the Electoral Reform Commission functional, but of course to hold accountable any member within our parliamentary group who has not exercised the responsibility that the group assigned to him as a member or co-chairman of the Electoral Reform Commission. I completely share the same position with Commissioner Celibashi that the electoral reform will have to be completed in time. So it will have to be done long before the elections. But, above all, it will have to be a reform that addresses the concerns of the OSCE-ODIHR, the concerns of the Venice Commission, but of course also the decisions of the Constitutional Court, including the vote of Albanian citizens living abroad.

Voice of America: However, your insistence, the demands that you have submitted to the Parliament of Albania, Mr. Bardhi, are not receiving a positive response so far. You say that you will not move from your position, on the other hand, we have the government which says that in the end it can implement the reform in other ways as well. What are you going to do? Is there a plan B, is there another way?

Gazment Bardhi: First, our duty is to do what is in the interest of the citizens, and in the interest of the citizens is a comprehensive, consensual electoral reform that really addresses the concerns that Albania has regarding guarantees for free and fair elections. We do not need an electoral reform that favors one party participating in the elections or the other party participating in the elections. We will have to set rules for an equal competition between political parties and have the opportunity to give the Albanian people uncontested, free and fair elections in 2025. This should be the main goal of the electoral reform. We are fighting for this in the parliament and we are certainly not ready to give up this battle as long as it serves the public interest.

Voice of America: Let's dwell a little on the battle in Parliament. Mr. Bardhi, for several months you have been obstructing the normal development of the parliament's work, while the majority is passing all the laws it wants in a few minutes. What are you achieving with this movement, because the same thing happened with the boycott of the parliament, then the elections, and you achieved nothing, and you were forced to admit that you were wrong, taking such steps.

Gazment Bardhi: First, we are not boycotting the Parliament. So, we are not using this tool, which in the past has proved ineffective, as far as opposition actions are concerned. But we are following the same path that the majority and the opposition are following. We are not obstructing the work of the parliament, it is the majority, it is the government, that is preventing the opposition from exercising those responsibilities and duties, that mission that the citizens have entrusted to it and that is guaranteed by the constitution of the Republic of Albania.

Voice of America: Yes Mr. Bardhi. But the laws are being passed in the end, even though you are resisting there?

Gazment Bardhi: We cannot act as if we are in the United States of America. We are in Albania and we know that a law proposed by the government is always approved by majority vote. Every rational or constructive idea of ??the opposition, the political culture in the country has been and continues to remain unfortunately even during this period, that if my political opponent says it even if the idea is good, valid or an alternative that serves him better good interest of the citizens, it is not taken into account.

Voice of America: However, Mr. Bardhi, you are also there to convey the position of the opposition.

Gazment Bardhi: It is important that first the cause for which we are fighting is right, it is legitimate, we are not fighting a battle for ourselves, we are fighting a battle to be able to serve the citizens and investigative commissions, that is, control over the executive is a service to the citizens, we are mandated for this and we will have to exercise it.

Voice of America: Will you change the object of the investigative commissions?

Gazment Bardhi: In what sense should we change it?

VOA: Rephrase that…

Gazment Bardhi: I was ready at every moment, from the beginning of this process, before they were rejected by the parliamentary group of the Socialist Party, to sit down in dialogue and find a wording of the object according to the assessment that my colleagues had. It was the colleagues of the Socialist Party who refused and I don't know today. I am the chairman of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party and I do not know what concern there is with the object of our requests for commission.

VOA: They say you have to change the facility…

Gazment Bardhi: Tell us how we should change...

Voice of America: Let's dwell on another argument, Mr. Bardhi. In a statement given by the Secretary of Re-establishment, Flamur Noka, who stated that between them and your group, the issue of unification, beyond the action in parliament, is a matter of days, and even your return from your visit here to the United States is expected. Specifically, what kind of union are we talking about specifically?

Gazment Bardhi: First of all, I believe that you are familiar with the fact that the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party has joined in a comprehensive action against the government in fulfillment of its constitutional mission and the mission entrusted to us by the citizens. This is in terms of the part in the parliamentary life. Of course, the Democratic Party throughout these two years has been divided, we have understood and each of us is aware that the division of the Democratic Party has not only weakened the opposition, but practically made it non-functional, so we are evaluating every possibility to have a union of the Democratic Party beyond what has happened so far with the parliamentary group, i.e. a joint political project, a joint project of confronting the corrupt government of Edi Rama even outside the parliament.

Voice of America: Mr. Bardhi, Re-establishment recognizes Mr. Berisha as chairman of the Democratic Party, will you recognize him as such in case of unification?

Gazment Bardhi: The fact that who already knows who in the Democratic Party is of zero importance as long as the issue of the legitimacy of the institutions of the Democratic Party is an issue that is currently in court. In this sense, as long as we deal with the history of whether I know Mr. Berisha or Mr. Berisha knows me, or we both know someone else and so on, we will have to focus on what Albania needs today. Albania needs a Democratic Party as long as it is the largest opposition party that is united, that needs an opposition that fulfills its mission and certainly needs an opposition that presents the citizens with a team and an alternative to become believable.

VOA: How are you going to do that?

Gazment Bardhi: There are all possibilities if each of us overcomes personal interest, overcomes ourselves and thinks who is the best for the country, the best for Albania, the best for the Albanian citizens./ VOA