Oppostion leader meets Washington officials, expresses decriminalization concerns
16/03/2016 16:20
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The Democratic Party leader, Lulzim Basha, started a visit in the USA
with congressmen and officials from the Northern Atlantic Council.
The agenda of the Albanian opposition leader will focus on building a functional democracy and rule of law, such as the implementation of the decriminalization law, free and fair elections, and the justice reform.
Mr.Basha was received in Washington by the highest leader of the Atlantic Council. He answered to the interest of the Vice Presidents of this Council, Damon Wilson and Fran Burwell, updating them on the political situation and the developments in Albania and in the region.
Basha said that it is unprecedented for a democratic country, a NATO member, to have people with criminal records sitting in Parliament. “People sentenced for human traffic, drug traffic and intentional wounding with a firearm, with the blessing of the Prime Minister”, Basha said.
The DP leader said that Albania doesn’t have a race between Socialists and Democrats anymore, but between most of the citizens and a small group of oligarchs “who are taking public money, winning all bids and concessions”, according to Basha.
“The challenge of Albania today is to remove criminals from lawmaking and the public administration, to offer free and fair elections and to bring hope back to our country. This is not an easy task, since this group of oligarchs that controls the assets of Albania will want to deform the will of the Albanian voters, as they did in 2015, by purchasing votes and by threatening voters”, Basha said.
He said that the most important step in this direction is the implementation of the decriminalization law and the justice reform.
On the other hand, the US officials said that the Atlantic Council should be present in Albania to have a closer look to the problems and help formulating clear and long-term solutions that guarantee security.
Basha was welcomed in the US Congress by the co-leader of the Committee for Europe, Eliot Engel, the member of the Committee for Foreign Affairs, Gregory W. Meeks, and the member of the Commission for National Security, Gus Bilirakis.
Basha said that the assistance of the USA is vital for the present and the fuure of Albania. The US officials expressed their full support for the objectives of the opposition.
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