Government Act, debates at Laws Commission

The same accusation was used by both parties at the Parliamentary Commission of Laws, where the Minister of Transports was invited to defend the law, together with the Minister of Public Works, Sokol Olldashi. The opposition MPs and Minister Olldashi had a harsh debate. The Socialists said that in two mandates, the government has not resolved the issue of the former owners, and neither that of the homeless occupants of their buildings. According to them, the current initiative is leaving hundreds of citizens without a shelter.

“Withdraw the normative act and give time to you, to the government and the Parliament. Let us discuss it and find a solution. Find a way, limit the expenses for your villas and find a home to these people, rather then sending them to the asylum,” Tahiri declared.

“Sheltering is a competency of the local administration. Don’t speculate with the government’s responsibilities. You remind the old people that will go to assylum, but you forget to say that there are great sponsors of your party, owners of high apartment buildings in Tirana and who still occupy the houses of legal owners, closed for your same and of those that keep them”, Olldashi declared.

According to Olldashi, the Socialist stance to this normative act is about the political stance held by the former owners. He accused them of leaving former owners live in bad conditions only because of who they vote. “This is not justice. This is not the state! You have double standards. Three years ago, your leader told one of the former owner representatives to go away to the party that had voted him, and that he had nothing to do there”, Olldashi declared.

“If you want to find a solution for the former owners, we are here and we are ready to give a solution, because it is not about the former owners. Keep this in mind and abuse politically with this stance”, Tahiri declared.

Besides the loud debate, the Normatice Act that predicts the liberation of 3157 occupied buildings was approved only with the votes of the majority.

SP against the normative act
 
The Mayors of Durres and Korca objected the government’s normative act. Naum Dako, the Mayor of Durres, declared that the act realizes an unilateral solution to the problem, while Niko Peleshi, the Mayor of Korce, says that the law just gives to the problem a temporary and useless solution.

“We are not against the former owners. We wish they take their buildings and enjoy them, but there must be a solution for the other part too. I think that when coming to power, the SP will give a final solution to this problem. We have our plans as a municipality, and the solution that we offer is to give free houses to the people who live in the houses of former owners”, Dako declared.

“We need a clear policy for the sheltering issue. What is being served to us today is just a makeup, because the zero interest loan was there even before, but the bank has qualified only four of 10 applications”, Peleshi declared.

Opposition leader Edi Rama Joined to Dako’s and Peleshi’s concerns.

“We cannot see this problem with the negligence of the government. We guarantee all owners that the SP is clear in its vision and program to recognize their rights that have been denied to them for 20 years”, Rama declared.

Totozani: Government act, anti-constitutional and discriminating

The Ombudsman considers as discriminating and anti-constitutional the Normative Act of the Council of Ministers for liberating the residences of former owners until November 1st.

“This issue needs a solution by the Albanian government, and according to the orientation of the Constitutional Court. But it should be resolved in such a way that the owners can enjoy their property and the current residents find a final solution that can be dignifying and not discriminating. The act falls against the Constitution”, Totozani declared.

According to Totozani, no study has been held for the number of homeless families that live in the residents of the former owners, since the associations give contradictory numbers. But the Normative Act, in full accordance with the Albanian Constitution is violating the legal security law.

The Ombudsman’s position was sent to the Parliament Speaker and the Parliamentary Groups.
 

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