Balla calls for the Democratic Party to return to electoral reform: Four priorities and criticism of protests in Parliament

Socialist Party Parliamentary Group leader Taulant Balla has called on the Democratic Party to end its boycott of the Electoral Reform Commission and return to discussions. Speaking to the media after a meeting of the Conference of Chairpersons, he listed four issues that, in his view, should form the basis of the reform. Balla warned that, without an agreement on involving the public administration in the electoral process, the government could intervene through secondary legislation.

One of the proposed measures is to depoliticize the Central Election Commission through a 3-1-3 formula. Under this arrangement, three members would not be nominated by political parties, while the remaining members would represent the parties.

According to Balla, attention should also be given to how the media cover election campaigns, in line with recommendations in OSCE reports.

The third issue concerns the involvement of the public administration in elections. Balla said that if the opposition does not agree to resolve this issue through legislation, the government will use secondary legislation and guidelines to address it.

Political party financing is the fourth pillar of the reform. According to the Socialist parliamentary group leader, the Socialist Party has prepared a nearly complete draft, drawing also on the practices of countries with conditions similar to Albania’s.

During his remarks, Balla also criticized the actions of some opposition lawmakers during parliamentary sessions, citing the lighting of flares and the throwing of water bottles toward the presiding officer. He distinguished between lawmakers he called “vandals” and those who, in his view, should take part in the parliamentary process.

He urged the opposition to reflect and attend the next session, where the budget will be discussed. He described it as the largest in the country’s history.

According to Balla, his appeal to the Democratic Party is to end its boycott and have the lawmakers he considers “reasonable” take part, rather than those who pull flares from their pockets in Parliament and throw bottles at the presiding officer. He stressed that such actions are incompatible with parliamentary rules and added that the largest budget in history deserves the opposition’s presence and respect.