“The territorial reform was not consulted with the group,” Braçe responds to Balla: No one who found me in the SP can expel me

Today’s meeting of the Socialist Party parliamentary group marked the first time the territorial reform was discussed. In an interview on ‘Studio Live’ on Report TV, Erion Braçe reveals this detail for the first time, stressing that it is happening only three days before the reform is voted on in the Assembly, and that it does not enjoy his support. He says that, despite the group’s occasional meetings, they never received any information about the new territorial division, which in his view has not been given the seriousness it deserves.

The MP explains that there has been no study of the draft law by the Economy Committee, no briefing of MPs, and the principles on which the reform stands have been violated.

Erion Braçe: The first meeting of the parliamentary group, and it is very late — three days before it is voted on — since discussions about the reform began, this is the first time there has been a discussion with the SP group. We have met several times and we have not received a single line of information about this reform. I am sorry, but the way this discussion has been organised leaves much to be desired. This is the most important reform, in quotation marks, of the whole mandate, and it should have received the seriousness, the transparency, the proper questions and answers, and should not have been left to a single day. In the parliamentary group I did not keep a personal position of mine. I am an MP for Tirana and I am affected as a citizen and as an MP, regardless of the fact that no municipality is being taken and merged, since Tirana is untouchable. I have no personal interest; my positions are matters of principle. The most important reform of the mandate cannot be treated in such a form. It cannot be that three days before it is voted on in parliament, the parliamentary group is convened to discuss it and only four people speak at the meeting.

— Why does this happen?

Erion Braçe: The gentleman you showed in the insert should explain it. It is his direct responsibility as chairman of the SP group to organise an inclusive process and to have the MPs within it. The first thing concerned the way the discussion was organised. The second is connected to the first. In two consecutive calendars, the Economy Committee was supposed to study this draft law. The overwhelming majority of the criteria that were discussed are connected to the economy, and success or failure is also connected to the economy. How can it be on the calendar twice and be removed twice? Both were acknowledged as important remarks at the group meeting, and the gentleman even apologised for the Economy Committee. As for keeping MPs informed and sharing information with residents in time, it was said that this is the responsibility of the political leaders. How can one come three days before the vote without putting a single piece of paper before the MPs? These are this gentleman’s responsibilities! The most important remark is that principles, not votes, hold the reform up. The principles are directly connected to people’s interests. Why have they been violated? Why is the same principle not applied in the same way? How can the violation of approved principles be overlooked? If we upheld those, we would uphold this too. This is no alibi. Neither political need nor the need for votes. If the reform is right and stands by its principles, the votes are there. When principles are violated to do political favours… what is the point? On what principle of this reform does the municipality of Roskovec stand within the borders it has had? I understood that it is not final; after a few years we will go through it again.

He had a clear reply for Taulant Balla and his words that whoever does not support the reform “should look at the rulebook.”

“No one can expel me from the SP — not this guy, nor anyone else who found me in the SP! I was there when they came to the SP! I have supported them beyond measure; they became ministers and now they lecture me about the rulebook!” Braçe said.

The new territorial division conflicts with several laws, Braçe continues, without abandoning the idea of a reform adapted to needs.

The reform should improve governance and delegate more powers from central government to local government. This process requires calm, the MP continued, again mentioning the ‘threat’ of the rulebook.

“When a function or power passes to the municipality, but you do not budget for it, you do not delegate state budget money, how will things be done? Only for rural roads, the value these people have transferred from central government does not reach even 40% of the manual that calculates maintenance. If you transfer functions without the respective budgets, how will they function? We are at a point where the functions municipalities must deal with need to be fixed, and this enlarging of some municipalities makes this worthwhile. I had a question and I asked it in the group, since today the prime minister, the deputy prime minister and a third of the MPs were absent. This whole process needs calm, not outbursts. Let them look at the rulebook to see what will happen to them! What will happen to me? It is a reform that should remain with this country and improve governance. Is the government ready to release power from the power it holds and hand it to local government? Is it ready to release education, human resources, the health service, agriculture to local government?” Braçe said.

The territorial reform requires at least 84 votes to be approved. After Marjana Koçeku’s departure from the group, the Socialists count 82 votes, which are expected to be joined by three MPs of Tom Doshi’s party. Besides Braçe, Vullnet Sinaj has also taken a position against it.