Duka, accusations against the government and the CEC/ "They did not give PAA the post-election financing of 2023"

2024-09-17 19:53:00, Politikë CNA

Duka, accusations against the government and the CEC/ "They did not give

The chairman of the Agrarian Environmentalist Party, Agron Duka

Agron Duka, head of the Agrarian Environmentalist Party, accuses the Central Election Commission and the government.

In a press statement, Duka says that PAA has been denied the modest funding it deserves for the 2023 elections.

According to him, PAA should have received 3,544,462 Lek after the local elections, but this amount was not given.

Agron Duka informs that he has communicated with representatives of the CEC and they have stated that they do not have funds and that they are waiting for approval from the Ministry of Finance.

Full statement:

Through this statement, we would like to inform the public opinion on the discriminatory attitude that is being maintained by the government and the supporting bodies for the management of the elections, towards the Agrarian Environmentalist Party. While we have entered the election year and when the party in power has engaged every mechanism of the central and local government to work for its electoral campaign, PAA is denied even the modest funding it is entitled to according to the law.

The Agrarian Environmentalist Party of Albania competed in the local elections on May 14, 2023 and received an electoral result of 2.6% of the valid votes. Pursuant to Article 89 of Law No. 10019, dated 29.12.2008 "Electoral Code of the Republic of Albania", according to the calculations of the CEC, PAA benefits from a financing of 3,544,462 Lek.

But this legal obligation has not yet been fulfilled by the government.

We remind you that all other parties that have fulfilled the condition of benefiting from state funding, have received funding not only post-election, but also before the election.

Under these conditions, PAA has addressed the CEC, which accepts that financing is a legitimate right, but asserts that "we do not have sufficient funds to fulfill this obligation and that we have addressed the Minister of Finance with a letter No. 7189 Prot., dated 12.10.2023 "On the release of funds to political parties as post-election financial compensation".

Almost 1 year later, the problem is still unresolved.

PAA, in search of fulfilling this legal obligation, addressed Mr. Engjëll Agaçi, General Secretary of the Council of Ministers as well as Mr. Ervin Mete, Minister of Finance, when he was in this position. But again no answer!

This is an unprecedented act in the Albanian political environment. PAA is not a disposable party in the Albanian political scene. She has been a serious and dignified contributor for 33 years.

In conditions where the government legally and illegally feeds its political satellites, PAA considers this behavior, not a financial impossibility, but a deliberate anti-opposition stance. We publicly denounce this behavior and request the resolution of this problem as soon as possible.

We are only looking for what the law knows and gives us!

We consider this a clear violation of equality and political freedom. For this reason, we will turn to the court to request legal financing and compensation for the consequences that have resulted from not granting the financing on time./ CNA