Parliamentary session disrupted by opposition

Parliamentary session disrupted by opposition

The final parliamentary session of the current legislative term has been marred by significant tensions and disorder. The session, which was scheduled to vote on the government changes that were announced by the Prime Minister during the Socialist Party Congress on Sunday  and elect a new Speaker following Lindita Nikolla’s resignation due to health concerns last week, has faced considerable disruption.

Why is this significant

Any illusions that the calm and consensus that marked last week’s agreement between the Democrats and Socialists on electoral code changes would last was shattered today by the opposition. The disruptions that began when the Democrats’ sudden demand for a six-hour debate on the new government ministers was refused by the outgoing Speaker have by now become a modus operandi for the opposition.

What happened

In refusing the request of the Democratic head of Parliamentary Group, Gazmend Bardhi for an unprecedented debate on the new appointments to the government, the outgoing Speaker, presiding over the last session before stepping down, asserted that she was following parliamentary rules and procedures. When her refusal was met with tensions and disruption she told Bardhi that he was excluded from the discussion, while Democratic deputies accused her of denying their constitutional rights to speak.

The situation escalated as some Democratic deputies occupied the podium and others created noise by banging on tables, reminiscent of the chaotic scenes seen in previous sessions of parliament, and municipal councils, where Democrats have resorted to anything from tear gas to throwing water and eggs and physical attacks against their colleagues, to disrupt the political process.

Bardhi directed harsh accusations at the Government and Speaker Nikolla, calling them “thieves,” “mafia,” and “liars.” Amid the chaos, he also confronted Nikolla with accusations of dishonesty, going so far as to accuse her of lying about the health condition that forced her to resign from the coveted position of Speaker of Parliament, which is the second highest position in the state hierarchy of Albania, after the President.

What’s next

It is as yet unclear whether today’s disruption was an effort on the part of the opposition to demonstrate to their hardcore supporters that there is no honeymoon with the Government – they had been accused of reaching a secret agreements on the Electoral Code with the ruling Socialists – or whether this marks the beginning of a long term strategy in the run up to the elections.


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