“MPs have opinions, but the decision is political”, Balla reminds Braçe and Sinaj of the Rules of Procedure on the Territorial Reform: Where

After the meeting of the Socialist Party parliamentary group, its leader, Taulant Balla, said the political decision is for the territorial reform bill to continue its parliamentary procedure as soon as its review in the Laws Committee is completed.

Balla stressed that MPs may hold different positions during the discussions, while denying that the two MPs who have expressed reservations, Erion Braçe and Vullnet Sinaj, have been threatened over their stance.

Balla’s statement: The parliamentary group’s political decision is that, as soon as this bill is completed in the Laws Committee, it will move to a parliamentary session. It enters this political decision-making, for which all MPs are required to be present and to vote.

Everyone has their own concerns. You rightly mentioned our colleague Sinaj, but it is one thing to have your discussions and another to have your obligations to vote for the parliamentary group’s joint decision-making. But the work must continue intensively in the Laws Committee, today and tomorrow, at maximum, in order to stick to the Assembly’s calendar.

– Has he spoken out against merging Selenica with Vlora?

I did not say that the SP’s political decision is for all MPs to vote in favour.

– Are there penalties for those who break ranks and vote against your political decision?

Read the group’s rules.

– Perhaps their vote will be against at Thursday’s session?

I don’t know today, but at parliamentary group meetings there are always cases where MPs express their opinion against and even vote against, but in the end it is that subsequent decision that counts, which is the political decision. And I believe all MPs know how important it is to move forward at this important moment, when Albania has never been closer to the European Union.

Next week we have another culminating moment linked to the next intergovernmental conference. Another chapter closes. This is a political awareness.

– Are you threatening the two MPs?

Absolutely not. They are among the two best MPs the parliamentary group has.