Braçe “takes over” the Rostrum and the Territorial Reform in Parliament, sharp criticism of the Reform and of Mazniku, speech against the dissolution of

Socialist Party MP Erion Braçe has delivered his speech from the rostrum of Parliament, where he spoke about his bond with the citizens who have voted for him over the years and about the territorial reform, which he has spoken against at the meeting of the SP parliamentary group.

His speech even went many minutes beyond the rules of procedure, almost twice the allotted time, and he had to speak for whole minutes without a microphone, refusing to leave the Rostrum even after several warnings from Deputy Speaker Kushi. The insistence of the Socialist MP, who has declared himself against the Territorial Reform, also drew attention and even exchanges during the session.

Braçe recalled his first election as an MP in Poliçan and his relationship with the residents of that area.

“I was elected an MP for the first time in Poliçan by people who not only voted for me, but sheltered me and treated me, when people who are still in this hall wanted me lost and failed.

For 17 years in a row, other people, also from Poliçan, Berat and Kuçova, gave me their boundless trust and honour to represent them in Parliament. Then in Kavaja, and so on.

I have lived with these people and I owe them gratitude. Whoever does not know gratitude does not know the bond with these people. It is neither emotional nor folkloric; it is a human relationship, and whoever does not have it will never understand it,” Braçe said.

Speaking about the territorial reform, the Socialist MP said that over the years “experiment after experiment” has been carried out with local government.

“With the territory and with power in this country, experiment after experiment has been carried out. I was in this Parliament when mayors became MPs and did both jobs.

Local government is the citizen’s government. The reform before us is a law that draws a new map.

The map tried many times is temporary and, as a reform, entirely insufficient. I have heard several times, especially this morning, that the map is the political possibility — more bluntly, the votes it creates. That is how it was in 2014 as well. The worst thing is that we are still there today.

Even this map, which will likely change, will take effect in 2031. The sustainability of reforms does not come from votes, but from principles. The principles have been violated; they have not been applied equally everywhere in the territory dictated by this map, and this was said openly and without hesitation,” Braçe declared.

Braçe stressed that the reform must have citizens at its centre, and not only the changing of administrative boundaries.

“With this map we change people’s lives, not boundaries,” the Socialist MP said.

“Do we take this fact so lightly? The changing of the lives of people who have made plans for their lives. I agree with the note of a colleague here that the people are represented by the sovereignty of an MP elected by vote.

So not at group level, nor at professional group level such as the parliamentary committees. Like the Economy Committee, whose criteria confirming this law are economic and financial criteria. Amid the river of information that was not shared with us in a year.

I am talking about competences, Arbër (Arbjan Mazniku). I heard you refer to the competences of the municipalities, which they have not fulfilled. Inaccurate competences. There are 46 competences in the municipalities today; these competences were transferred without a budget, or with an insufficient budget,” he went on to say.

After his time expired, Braçe refused to vacate the rostrum. Parliament’s Deputy Speaker, Evis Kushi, twice called him to order and warned him of a reprimand, after which the Socialist MP sat down in his seat.