Opposition: Our propositions for territorial reform

MP Jorida Tabaku who has served as Vice Mayor until recently, was careful to specify since the beginning that the goal of this reform is not the map, but the decentralization, a concept that goes against the path followed by the government.

“The territorial reform should start with the decentralization, it should continue with legal law amends in the local government, and it should conclude with the territorial changes. The map is not the purpose, but it is the final product of a logical process that has started with the elements I mentioned”. Tabaku declared.

Top Channel has learned that the most important part of the draft-resolution that will be approved in the last meeting, with participation of representatives from 386 local units, will be the proposition of experts, who so far have suggested to divide the country into 88 or 100 local units.

Another important point for the opposition is the Parliament’s political consensus, which should be the basis of every decision for the territorial-administrative reform.

“Not only because the Constitution is affected, but the consensus should be the minimum for every reform that affects a governing mandate for more than four years. The territorial reform might affect the next 25 years, and maybe more. The parliamentary experience is that political cooperation has realized some important reforms”, Tabaku explained.

The position supported by the opposition in this resolution is allowing communities to hold a local referendum for changing the local borders, which means that for the Democratic Party it is not a priority the time when the reform will be over. But it is for the government, which aims to organize the next elections based on the new map.

For the opposition, the key of success is not the time, but the will to cooperate in good trust.

“We cannot impose the government’s agenda. The territorial reform has been one of the government’s objectives, but on the other hand, I can say that there is another option, which is that we can agree on a date for when it can enter in effect. It is all up to the political will”, the Democratic Party MP declared.

The DP leader, Lulzim Basha, also Mayor of Tirana, met the other opposition allies to agree on a joint stance.

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