Territorial reform, Berisha meets allies: the SP draft is one-sided and unconsulted; leaving the institutions serves Rama

Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha held a meeting with political allies on the territorial reform, declaring that the opposition will continue to oppose the majority’s project for reorganizing local government.

According to Berisha, the government broke off consultations and presented a draft with 46 municipalities, while the Democratic Party has proposed an alternative with 100 municipalities, leaving open the possibility of creating other units depending on whether the criteria are met.

“We engaged in the process not because we were not certain that Edi Rama would not engage in a real reform, but I will tell you here, there were two reasons why we engaged. First, there were many requests from citizens that we not abandon this reform and leave the Socialists a free hand. Second, the territorial reform is one of the two requirements of the European Commission in last October’s report, since the new report is now coming.

The consultations had not finished, yet he withdrew, presented the draft with 46 municipalities, removing another 15, all for his electoral purposes. We presented a draft of 100 municipalities, leaving open also the possibility of creating other units depending on the fulfillment of the criteria for their existence,” Berisha said.

The DP leader also claimed that the changes proposed by the government are contrary to the Constitution and to the European Charter of Local Self-Government, demanding broader consultation on the reform.

Berisha said that in some municipalities there have been protests against the changes and that even majority councilors have not supported their abolition.

“Of course Edi Rama continued with his project. It is contrary to the Constitution and to the charter of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, which require that these changes be made with consultation and referendum. But as you know, there is no chance that he will heed the referendum or the recommendations.

Badly wounded and hopeless, he now takes every kind of decision that interests him for his own skin. We, for the sake of public opinion, to clarify public opinion well on this point, have presented our law in parliament with 100 municipalities, a law which will undoubtedly be rejected by the Socialists. There are a number of municipalities that have risen in protest; in some of them even his own councilors have not agreed to vote for the abolition of the municipalities,” Berisha said.

Berisha said the opposition must continue the battle inside the institutions, arguing that its departure from Parliament would serve the majority. During the meeting, Berisha said the opposition faces two alternatives: to leave the institutions or to continue the political confrontation inside them.

“This is an opposition in a dictatorship. In these conditions the opposition has two choices, either to go outside the institutions, or to continue the battle inside the institutions. There is no condition for being in the institutions. None of its rights is respected. But abandoning the institutions is the best interest of the dictatorship. How you block him when he takes 83 mandates, I do not know. He has solved that problem; with 83 mandates he uses them for all the things he needs, laws of this nature. In elections he is blocked; if you do not take part in the elections, he held the elections as he held them,” Berisha said.

According to the DP leader, the majority has 83 mandates and can use them to pass laws without needing the opposition’s support. Berisha argued that, despite the difficulties the opposition faces, leaving the institutions is not a solution.

“You should also know one thing: when the mandates were burned, the gentleman executed the decision within 24 hours, when the legal space was 3 weeks. We are dealing with a man who wants the opposition outside the institutions at all costs. When you want, we will take the decisions and discuss them, but the opposition’s exit from the institutions serves only him. Here we are dealing with a regime that recognizes neither law nor Constitution. And so the only road here is protest for his removal. There is no other solution; we will be here,” Berisha said.