The Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Agron Gjekmarkaj, held a meeting with Clarisse Pasztory, Deputy Ambassador of the OSCE in Tirana, where political, institutional and electoral developments in the country were discussed.
During the meeting, Gjekmarkaj expressed his gratitude for the OSCE/ODIHR report on the May 11 elections, a report that documents the electoral phase and highlights serious issues such as the merger of the party with the state, the use of public resources, and violations of democratic standards.
He emphasized that efforts to undo parliamentarism are intensifying through the violation of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, the silencing of the opposition and the denial of the right to investigative committees. In this context, Mr. Gjekmarkaj underlined that if the opposition has the floor as a political tool, the majority has the cards and numbers to block it.
Gjekmarkaj also focused on the issue of justice, noting that the government, after having built a hypocritical rhetoric to defend justice reform, is today in a frontal attack on justice, holding it hostage and interfering in investigative processes.
He stressed that there are two clear standards: although the opposition has been critical of justice in certain cases, it has respected and implemented every decision of the judiciary, staying within the constitutional framework. As an example, the case of Mr. Sali Berisha was mentioned, where the justification for the arrest was considered unjust, but the Assembly convened urgently to lift his immunity and the decision was respected by him and the opposition.
On the contrary, today the government – according to Gjekmarkaj – is blocking investigations, violating the Constitution and the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, by refusing to convene the Council on Rules of Procedure, Mandates and Immunity, as is the case of Deputy Prime Minister Ms. Balluku.
During the meeting, serious concerns were also raised about the security of the personal data of Albanian citizens, especially regarding the issue of the National Agency for the Protection of Personal Data, where a person outside the state system, Mr. Ergys Agasi, has had a management and patronizing role over the entire system.
In conclusion, Mr. Gjekmarkaj expressed to Ms. Pasztory his conviction that only a transitional government remains the only solution to guarantee free and fair elections, as well as to unblock the hostage justice system — a necessary act to stop the serious compromise of the entire constitutional edifice of the country.
