The Albanian Parliament voted only with the majority’s vote the Vetting
Law that will elect prosecutors and judges with 88 votes in favor and 1
abstained.
There were 89 MPs on the Parliament floor who voted the law in principle through electronic votes and then each article.
The opposition abandoned the room a few minutes before the voting, saying that they would not be part of a farce that aims justice system control.
The Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, said that the Vetting Law is the most important step in the justice reform.
“We are about to finalize a very important deed, the reform that makes way for a purge of the justice system, to remove those who have been withholding this country for so long. They have been withholding freedoms and rights. They have turned justice into a good that is sold and bought, that has put obstacles not only to every citizen, but to an entire people”, Rama declared.
According to him, those who oppose the justice reform are the ones who have justice problems. “They who want to hamper this important process are those who fear what comes after this reform”, Rama said, accusing the opposition of breaking consensus.
“We did everything we could for consensus, but there can be no consensus that goes against the international partners, as part of the EU integration process”, Rama said.
Rama warned that no politician will be able to avoid this reform, no matter how legendary he might be. “He will not be able to avoid justice through threats and by appealing one part of the population to hate the other part”.
“Venice recommends that these measures are not only necessary, but indispensable. No one wants to avoid justice. Justice may come late, but it never forgets”, Rama declared.
The former Albanian PM, Sali Berisha, declared that the justice reform session is being held in a time when the country is overwhelmed by crime. Addressing to Rama once again, Berisha accused him of putting criminals to the public administration.
He also said that Rama has told to an ambassador, (without specifying to who and when) that northern Albania has criminals and want to be led by criminals. “Such hate has not been seen even during the dictatorship”, Berisha declared.
As for the reform, Berisha said that the opposition has worked hard to preserve its standard, but the consensus is being broken by Rama.
Parliament Speaker Ilir Meta declared that Albania is late with the EU
integration obligations, and the Vetting Law and it should have been
voted long ago.
Meta invited the opposition to give their
consensus and leave behind many ugly events that have taken place in
this Parliament during these three years.
“Consensus was to avoid
any other ugly event in this Parliament. The opposition is concerned
about some election methods of the executive, and I am convinced that
would have been the concern of any other opposition”, Meta added.
However, he underlined that this should not stop the opposition from voting the law.
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