President Ilir Meta has been in Kosovo since yesterday where he participated in the Memorial to the victims of the Reçak Massacre.
During this visit he gave an interview to journalist Adriatik Kelmendi. In this interview, Meta spoke about the agreement reached on the Electoral Reform between the opposition and the majority.
Full interview of President Meta:
Journalist : The beginning of the year it was difficult for Albania. We are entering a year and we hope for optimism. One of the main concerns is the opening of negotiations?
President Meta: Without any discussion the year that we left behind was very disappointing, at least for Albania, but we cannot say that it was a lost year and we need to learn from our mistakes.
Regarding to this, I hope that agreement reached on the issue of electoral reform to be the beginning of a deep reflection and the establishment of a structured and sustainable dialogue on issues of common interest, which will help Albania’s European integration, but also that will contribute to another performance of the Albanians as a whole, in the governance plan and in the international affirmation plan.
Journalist: The electoral reform you mentioned and agreed on is predicted to reach compliance by March 15, will this time be successful?
President Meta: There is an agreement that we should conclude this process by March 15. I believe it will happen.
Journalist: There has been pressure on all the political parties that participated in the elections.
President Meta: Of course it has been the same for all political entities, so we are here because we share the same responsibility. The responsibility belongs to the majority, which seeks to exercise powers that go beyond the boundaries set by the Constitution for the government and that seriously undermine the balance and control of powers necessary for the democratic functioning of the state.
Journalist: We also mentioned the split in the positions regarding the elections held in Albania. Now the majority is pushing for the idea of having a dismissal for you too. Do you expect that they will succeed? How do you respond to them?
President Meta: The majority has only one alternative, I think, which is actually the real source of the crisis we have in Albania: the alternative of intimidating everyone and not exercising their responsibilities in a responsible, constitutional, democratic and loyal way .
Journalist: Are you saying that by attacking you, is a signals to others to be obedient, submissive?
President Meta: The majority knows very well that I cannot be dismissed.
Because I did not violate the Constitution, but even if a president could enact an act like the parliament issues a law or the government issues a decision, and is found to be incompatible with the Constitution, it is never a cause for dismissal, on the contrary.
Journalist: You have been pointed out that you are defending the interests of the opposition?
President Meta: They cannot accept that are responsible for this situation that should never have been: That in Albania to hold illegal, irregular elections and only one candidate for local elections.
In which country of the Council of Europe exist such a precedent ?!
Journalist: Are you saying that we have had illegal, irregular elections?
President Meta: How can I say otherwise ?! Only the President shall determine the election by decree. There is no other institution in Albania that can determine or decide on the issue of elections.
Only the Constitutional Court can debate the President’s decree and there were none Constitutional Court .
Journalist: Aren’t you worried?
President Meta: I don’t mind. What worries me is the wrong way of the majority. Let’s not forget that we have an Assembly with 122 deputies out of 140 which is the constitutional number of the Albanian Parliament! Let us not forget that 60 MPs have not simply left the parliament, but 183 MPs and candidates have also left the parliament
Journalist: But how did those candidates get in…?
President Meta: Those who entered were at the bottom of all party lists. And the level of representation is quite controversial. Moreover, the manner of replacement has been contrary to the Constitution and our laws. These are the reasons why in October, the German Bundestag increased the conditions for Albania.
We know that Albania can neither open the negotiations nor will it ever open, because free and fair elections are a basic Copenhagen criterion.
Journalist: You are the President of the Republic and you are skeptical that the negotiations will open in May?
President Meta: Negotiations can be opened if the conditions of the Bundestag will be addressed in a very quick way and not by dragging them. At this rate I don’t see any serious prospects in May./abcnews.al
