DP Parliamentary Group, letter to embassies/Complaint on Rama's proposed changes to the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly

2025-09-15 17:38:00, Politikë CNA

DP Parliamentary Group, letter to embassies/Complaint on Rama's proposed

The Democratic Party Parliamentary Group has sent a letter to nine embassies in Tirana, expressing concern over the changes proposed by Prime Minister Edi Rama regarding the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly.

According to the DP, removing the leadership of the European Integration Commission from opposition representatives harms the integration process and excludes the opposition from this process.

The head of the DP Group emphasizes that the unilateral adoption of changes to the Regulation, especially changes that affect European integration, harms the spirit of democratic coexistence, consensus and inclusiveness.

“On September 11, during the National Assembly of the Socialist Party, Prime Minister Edi Rama declared that a working group, composed only of members of the Socialist Party, had been working on some changes that should be made to the naming, composition and leadership of the parliamentary committees. No opposition MP was part of this working group, nor was he invited to be part of it. The unilateral proposals made by Prime Minister Rama included increasing the number of parliamentary committees from 8 to 11, as well as merging the Committee on European Integration with the Committee on Foreign Affairs. The new Committee on Europe and Foreign Affairs will be led by the socialist majority, a deviation from the long parliamentary tradition and democratic practice. In addition to the fact that these proposals were not presented through regular parliamentary procedure, but during the National Assembly of the Socialist Party, they completely ignore the models of the Western Balkan countries, in which each parliament has a committee dedicated to European integration, led by the opposition. (Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia). The main purpose of these committees is to ensure proper consideration of any draft law related to European integration, as well as to ensure a meaningful role for the opposition in the integration process. The Rules of Procedure of the Parliament guarantee the democratic coexistence of political parties and any amendment must be made through dialogue, consensus and inclusiveness. Any proposal must be reviewed by the Parliamentary Council on Rules, Mandates and Ethics, which consists of 10 deputies, in parity between the majority and the opposition. This configuration aims to ensure that any amendment is not approved unless there is an inter-party agreement. While this principle is important for all changes, it is particularly important for those changes that affect European integration, which is and should remain a matter of national consensus rather than party control. For these reasons, we kindly urge your Excellencies to take these developments into account and in your capacities as partners. "and dear friends of our country, to encourage the restoration of inclusiveness and consensus in the functioning of the Albanian Parliament. Preserving democratic traditions is not only a matter of domestic importance, but an indispensable requirement for Albania's European integration journey," the letter states. /CNA