ISP: Findings and recommendations from the monitoring of parliamentary activity and the Assembly (2024)

2024-08-28 21:46:00, Politikë CNA

ISP: Findings and recommendations from the monitoring of parliamentary activity

The institution of the Assembly of RSH, based on the Constitution and our governing system, is the main representative and decision-making institution. The functions of the parliament are not only representative and legislative, but also supervisory and electoral. Despite the fact that it is the main political institution and the Assembly occupies an important place in the EU's annual reports on Albania, it and the parliamentary activity are monitored only by the staff of the Institute of Political Studies (ISP). Between the years 2016-2023, full monitoring has been carried out with financial support from Western partners. During the last 2023 session and the current 2024 session, parliamentary activity has been monitored voluntarily by ISP staff, without financial support from local or international partners. This is important to emphasize that ISP values ??periodic parliamentary monitoring as a vital need for democratic progress in the country and without this monitoring, de facto the main political institution (parliament) remains unmonitored. ISP will try to continue periodic monitoring in the future as well.

The ISP monitoring and evaluation system is based on all aspects of parliamentary activity. The ISP does not only monitor the statistical and formal part in the plenary sessions and commissions, but all the parliamentary activity inside and outside the parliamentary building, their initiatives and progress, the practices and problems of parliamentary functioning, the role of deputies in political life and electoral districts, rhetoric and the quality of parliamentary products, i.e. an in-depth and comprehensive analysis. ISP reports and statements are widely published in the media and the findings are used as sources of reference and political and media debate.

On the other hand, in the monitoring reports of the parliamentary sessions, the media and the deputies themselves show attention to only two technical aspects of monitoring, which are not essential: the classification of deputies according to the level of efficiency and the cases of "silent" deputies, who do not engage in committees or in speeches in plenary sessions. In fact, the findings and recommendations of the periodic ISP reports are the most important part, for which we would like to draw the attention of politics, institutions and the media. The main goals of ISP and in-depth monitoring are strengthening the integrity and democratic standards of the functioning of the parliament, strengthening transparency and accountability, returning the functions of the parliament to the established constitutional position.

This professional commitment, appreciated over the years by partners, the public and the media, is expected to sometimes encounter dissatisfaction or critical reactions from any politician, high official of the Assembly, MPs and political parties, which may have resulted in records negative in the findings of our reports. Important: even in this parliamentary session, the majority of deputies, including important political leaders of the groups, expressed appreciation for the monitoring reports and recommendations of the ISP.

The institutional reports between the ISP and the Assembly are correct, we address all our monitoring and research products to the leaders of the Assembly and deputies; 15 MPs from the three main parties, including the Speaker of the Assembly Mrs. Nikolla, participated during 2024 in ISP activities and roundtables related to findings and recommendations for the parliament. ISP ensured inter-parliamentary discussions and participation even in cases of their political conflict, as well as the staff of the Assembly participated in the tables/meetings or activities in our projects.

In general, the Assembly has always accepted our recommendations and had a reflective approach to deal with them, as well as based on them, it has made some improvements related to online publications (statistics, documents, financial data, etc.). Also, during 2024, ISP addressed to the Assembly several opinions on legal initiatives or annual reports (7 in total), as well as several monitoring reports (4 in total), continuing the professional and constructive commitment.

All ISP reports are available online on the official ISP website www.isp.com.al and on a page dedicated to periodic parliamentary monitoring www.deputetim.al./ CNA