Territorial reform: Heated debate at the ‘Laws’ Commission, Korreshi clashes with Manja

Heated debate took place in the Laws Commission during the discussion of the administrative-territorial reform.

Opposition deputies Saimir Korreshi and Gent Strazimiri asked the Commission to review all the positions conveyed by local government, and to also administer the opposition’s initiative before the review of the draft law is completed.

Korreshi criticized the way, according to him, the majority’s initiative has been proceeded with, ironizing with the expression “pilaf” the short time taken for its review.

“Albania has endless problems. These municipalities have a problem, they have addressed Parliament, not Mazniku. They have addressed the Parliament of the Republic of Albania. […] What about the earlier letters? These territorial reform people know nothing, and we at Laws are asleep too,” Korreshi said.

He asked that the municipalities’ positions be taken into consideration by the Commission, also raising questions about the different deadlines for handling the initiatives.

The chairman of the Laws Commission, Ulsi Manja, replied by declaring that the opposition’s initiative has also been conveyed to the municipalities under the same procedure.

“The Secretary General has informed me that your initiative has been sent, just like ours, to all the municipalities. With the same procedure, as you requested. You have deposited a draft law and asked Parliament to send it to all the municipalities,” Manja declared.

The clash continued with Democratic deputy Gent Strazimiri, who asked that the review not be closed without also administering the opposition’s initiative and without hearing the positions of local government.

“The Constitution has closed your mouth, it has tied your hands and feet with its articles. You should have closed this meeting back when I told you. The municipal councils have expressed themselves in writing that they do not want it,” Strazimiri said.

Manja replied briefly: “Don’t listen to him, we will listen to him”.

Strazimiri insisted that they should also wait for the opposition’s initiatives and that the two projects be reviewed together.

“You must wait for our initiatives to arrive too, for them to be put together. You say that by the 8th this is over. You are in violation of the Constitution and the law,” he said.

Afterwards, Strazimiri also mentioned the number of municipalities that, according to him, have expressed interest in the issue, declaring that the 15 municipalities have now become 16, after the inclusion of Krujë Municipality as well.