The meeting of the DP Parliamentary Group concludes/The decisions taken are made clear

2025-10-08 16:15:00, Politikë CNA

The meeting of the DP Parliamentary Group concludes/The decisions taken are made

Today's meeting of the Democratic Party parliamentary group has concluded, where several decisions were made. Among these decisions is the initiation of parliamentary proceedings to propose the dismissal of President Bajram Begaj for "serious violation of the Constitution."

The Parliamentary Group has also approved the submission of two requests. One of the requests is the establishment of an Investigative Commission on irregularities in the May 11 elections, while the other request is the establishment of an Investigative Commission on the cooperation between Prime Minister Edi Rama and the former agent convicted in the US, Charles McGonigal.

A decision was also made regarding the opposition's participation in the Electoral and Territorial Reform Commissions, whose establishment was proposed by the Socialist Party.

Full announcement:

I. The Democratic Party Parliamentary Group during today's meeting considered unacceptable the execution of parliamentary control mechanisms by the socialist majority, since the first month of this new Legislature, reinforcing the idea that Edi Rama seeks a mute Assembly where there is no discussion, debate, or presentation of ideas or alternatives.

This week alone, the majority, in violation of the Constitution and the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, has rejected 3 motions for debate, 1 request for urgent interpellation with the Prime Minister, and 1 request for a hearing in the Committee with the Minister of Education.

The motions for debate were related to important issues of public interest:

1- Government priorities in the Government program that advance Albania's European agenda;

2- Condemnation of the Serbian genocide committed in Kosovo, following the request of the President of Kosovo, H.E. Vjosa Osmani;

3- Finding legal mechanisms that provide certainty for the European Union to lift the blockade imposed on 112 million euros of aid for Albanian farmers from the IPARD 3 program. For this purpose, establishing a Special Parliamentary Committee.

The urgent interpellation with the Prime Minister was requested following investigations by the Italian media, which resulted, according to the intercepts of the Italian Antimafia, that representatives of the Albanian Government had met in Aruba with drug cartels, with the aim of finding mechanisms for money laundering in Albania. The Prime Minister of Albania was invited to provide clarifications on whether he had knowledge of this issue, whether the cartels mentioned in the investigation had obtained permits or licenses in Albania, as well as on the measures that the Council of Ministers has taken to fight organized crime.

II. Also, after presenting the findings of the experts, the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Party decided:

- In accordance with point 2, Article 90 of the Constitution, to initiate the parliamentary procedure for the proposal to dismiss the President of the Republic Bajram Begaj from office for "serious violation of the Constitution".

III. Following previous discussions, the DP Parliamentary Group approved the submission of two requests:

- On the establishment of the Investigative Commission for irregularities in the electoral farce of May 11, 2025.

- For the establishment of an Investigative Commission on the cooperation proven by American justice between Prime Minister Edi Rama and former US agent Charles McGonigal.

IV. Regarding the requests of the PS Parliamentary Group for the establishment of two Special Parliamentary Committees, regarding Electoral Reform and Territorial Reform, the DP Parliamentary Group assesses that the participation of the opposition in these Committees will be possible only if the work in them is built on the basis of guarantees of equality between the position and the opposition, of consensus in decision-making in the Committee and in the plenary session, of respect for the principle of transparency and inclusiveness, as well as of the engagement in the process according to the fields covered by the experts of the OSCE-ODIHR, the Council of Europe, the Venice Commission and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. Also, the Albanian Parliament should respect and expect, with the aim of making the OSCE-ODIHR Report on the general elections of May 11 part of its work./CNA