TIRANA, 4 December 2023 –The Parliament of Albania has again been involved in tensions and incidents, as the opposition MPs have prevented the development of today’s plenary session, where it was planned to discuss the issues identified by the citizens.
Deputies of the Democratic Party of Albania (PD) and other opposition MPs blocked the pulpit with chairs and threw cigarette butts, causing a fire.
Tensions started before the beginning of the session during the control of the deputies by the employees of the Albanian Guard. A few minutes after the opening of the plenary session, the opposition MPs threw cigarette butts, meanwhile, they also clashed with the Guard employees.
The Speaker of the Assembly of Albania, Lindita Nikolla, at the opening of the session, addressing the opposition MPs, said that “they cannot undermine the activity of the Assembly of Albania”.
“Unfortunately, we have to open this plenary session in this situation of chaos, in this shameful situation, where the work of the Parliament of Albania is requested to be included”, said Nikolla.
Meanwhile, some of the deputies of the ruling party, the Socialist Party of Albania (SP), in the midst of tensions and incidents, spoke about problems identified by citizens in the areas they represent.
In the midst of tensions, the session, which lasted about 14 minutes, was closed by Speaker of Parliament Lindita Nikolla.
In a statement to the media today after the session, the former Prime Minister of Albania, Sali Berisha, who is recognized by the Assembly as a deputy outside the parliamentary groups due to the recent clashes in the Democratic Party, considered today’s session as a “session of shame”.
“Creativity of civil disobedience in defense of parliamentarism, in defense of constitutionality knows no limit”, said Berisha, emphasizing that they will continue their battle.
We remind you that the last plenary and parliamentary committee sessions of the Assembly of Albania have been affected by tensions.
The opposition MPs have emphasized that “the opposition is determined to defend its constitutional rights with all its strength with this battle in the parliament”, as according to them their rights are not respected and their initiatives and demands are not approved.
/Argumentum.al
