Berisha: SP is blocking the reforms

Regarding the accusations launched by Gazmend Oketa that the Democratic Party lacks of democracy, and that the Parliamentary Group meetings resemble to the former meetings of the Communist Political Bureau, Berisha answered that on the contrary, the democracy in the DP meeting exists and anyone can raise a discussion. The Prime Minister then accused Oketa for being silent in these meetings.

“As you know, the Democratic Party leader, except from when he is not in Albania, participates once a week in the Parliamentary Group meetings for discussing general issues and those of specific electoral areas. This is constant, for most of the meetings, except for the cases when there is any international protocol. In this context, at any meeting, most of the MPs raise problems. But MP Oketa has never raised any problem in the DP Parliamentary meetings, not now and not when he was in higher functions. It is not consistent for me to believe that the former Defense Minister was a coward that he raised issues in the Parliamentary Group meetings. MP Oketa has been regularly present until September or October, but he has never raised any problem, even when he was Deputy Prime Minister, Minister or MP. Hence, the causes of this divorce are to be sought elsewhere. No one has ever been asked why he raises discussions in the Parliamentary Group. All political issues have been discussed and will be discussed in the DP meetings. Oketa chose another way, and I am sorry for this, because he entered as the representative of a new generation, but he left like Namik Dokle, who was sacrificed for Ramiz Alia in 1991. Namok Dokle accepted to take only his vote. Now Oketa was sacrificed for Bamir Topi, to receive only his vote. Oketa shouldn’t have done this to himself”, Berisha declared.

As regards the election of the next President, Berisha reiterated that the President will be elected in full accordance with the Constitution.

“I value and cooperate with the international community, but in what is called international factor, in this and any country of the world, the rule of law is the standard that unites the free countries. In this context, we are more open to discuss all Parliamentary factors, the candidacies or the candidacy for President, in any circumstance, and we are decided to give to the country a President in full accordance with the Albanian Constitution. It would be ridiculous and not serious to replace our Constitution with other unpredicted forms. Our goal is to prevent an institutional crisis”, Berisha declared.

As for government changes, which would happen only when the Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI) would ask it, based on the agreement reached between the DP and the SMI for the governing coalition after the elections of 2009, the Prime Minister spoke about the consensus that was broken in the Commission of Laws in the last three weeks. For this he blamed the Socialists and the SP leader, declaring that he is implementing blocking policies for the reforms.

“The boys of the ‘Block’ know nothing else than blocking. It is extremely interesting the connection of the ‘Block’ and the blocking notion. We were working very well with the electoral reform. The OSCE contracted international experts for the reform, but Rama blocked it. Mr. Rama spoke about Albania, but Shesheli, a sworn enemy of the Albanians, did not block the reforms in Albania. Shesheli’s party is in Parliament, same as Slobodan’s party, which also did not block the integration and reforms in Serbia”, Berisha declared.

He spoke for the wages and pensions that on July 1st, as in every year, will increase in different categories.

When  asked if he felt threatened by the new party that is expected to be created by the end of March, and that might be led by President Topi in July, after his Presidential mandate will be over, Prime Minister Berisha replied shortly:

“Who is a threat? The party that voted for Edi Rama? Even his brother, Flamur, has voted and will vote for me. Ask him if you want. This includes everything”,  Berisha declared.

As for the critics of the Democratic Party MP, and one of Berisha’s close cooperators, Besnik Mustafaj, about the lack of democracy within the Democratic Party, Berisha declared that those are critics that come from a writer, and, according to him, the writers have their own reality.

The Prime Minister was also asked about the January 21st events, and he declared that personally he feels sorry for the victims and expressed his sincere condolences for them, but he reiterated that no one can take over the government through violence, in any free country.

Top Channel