Duka, appeal to SP and DP/ The electoral law must be reformed, not patched

2024-06-20 12:51:00, Politikë CNA

Duka, appeal to SP and DP/ The electoral law must be reformed, not patched

Agron Duka, head of PAA

The Agrarian Environmentalist Party is seriously concerned about the delay, without reason and very evident, that is being done to the reform of the electoral system. After the embarrassing failure of the Special Reform Commission, which failed to change a single comma in its three years of existence, today another commission, known as the Dialogue Chair, was created as an attempt to continue the work of the previous commission. , is doing the same.

The commission, created by consensus among all parties, meets to examine completely peripheral issues, although necessary in relation to the elections, but has not yet touched anything essential as far as real reform is concerned.

Although the government started a round of meetings with the immigrants, no steps have been taken for their vote yet.

The Chairman of the Central Elections Commission, Mr. Ilirian Celibashi, a few days ago reminded the Assembly again that it had to undertake legal changes to pave the way for the CEC to build the infrastructure for the diaspora vote. This is not happening again!

"It should be clear that if the Assembly does not make the addition that the decision of the CJK requires, I regret to say that it will not be possible to conduct voting from abroad for the year 2025 and the CEC will have a role in this part" - this was Mr. Celibashi's statement just 10 days ago in the Parliamentary Committee on Laws, warning that even in 2025 Albanians living abroad will not vote.

We remind you that there is a decision of the Constitutional Court on this matter, which must be implemented. This does not depend on the will of the Socialist Party. Court decisions do not require political will, but are an obligation to be implemented.

"We, as the Agrarian Environmentalist Party, expect essential interventions in the Electoral Code, to allow pre-election coalitions and to open the lists, in order to create breathing room for small parties, and to give equal competition opportunities to new political entities.

We see a deliberate attempt to prevent substantial interventions in the electoral code, to give it only a few superficial patches and then sell it as reform. But this is not a reform. This is not a law that ensures fair, free and equal elections.

We call on the two parties that also hold the presidency of this commission, the Socialist Party and the Democratic Party, to take immediate and urgent steps to meet the constitutional deadlines.

We call on the international factor to exert its influence to democratize the electoral law, without waiting for the last minutes.

The standard of elections will depend on the electoral law. The current law was made to guarantee support to those in power and to punish others," the statement said./ CNA

Duka, appeal to SP and DP/ The electoral law must be reformed, not patched