Lisandër Hoxha opposes talks with the Socialist Party on the Electoral Code: We have called Rama an election thief; I don’t believe he will last until May

Lisandër Hoxha, a member of the Democratic Party’s National Council, has spoken out against the opposition taking part in talks with the Socialist Party on electoral reform. He said negotiations with the governing majority are impossible as long as Edi Rama remains prime minister.

In an interview on News24’s “Minuta e Parë,” Hoxha said citizens cannot face what he called the power of billions from corruption and drugs on their own. For that reason, he called for support from international partners, particularly the United States. Hoxha welcomed US statements and assistance to Albania, while claiming that the government had received no congratulations from the United States after the May 11 elections.

Hoxha linked the end of Albania’s political transition to Edi Rama’s departure and the formation of a national technocratic government that would investigate politicians’ assets. He said citizens do not want to overthrow the parties, but to change the political model and investigate the assets of every official, from the first to the last.

On electoral reform, he said changes to the Electoral Code would achieve nothing without measures to freeze the financial assets that, in his view, distort elections. Hoxha warned that an agreement between the two main parties would not bring about the desired change if it failed to address the role of money and criminal groups in the electoral process.

He recalled that the opposition has accused Rama of stealing elections and called him an election thief. For that reason, Hoxha said, it cannot now claim that the problem lies with the Code and that cooperation between the parties is the solution. He added that an effort, once begun, must be carried through to the end.

Mentioning Damian Gjiknuri, Hoxha explicitly opposed meetings with representatives of the governing majority. He said the opposition should talk only to Socialist lawmakers who speak out against Edi Rama. He cited Marjana Koçeku, who has become an independent lawmaker, and expressed hope that other Socialist Party lawmakers would also distance themselves from the prime minister.

Hoxha also questioned whether the demands of the protesters give the governing majority, the opposition or parliament a mandate to make these changes. His answer was no: he called for no meetings with the governing majority until Edi Rama resigns.

With protests underway, Hoxha described the electoral reform talks as sending the wrong signal. He said the parties could discuss a legislative package, including changes to the Electoral Code and the Constitution, only after the political battle to remove the prime minister had ended. He said Democratic Party and Socialist Party groups could vote on the package after Rama’s departure, but the battle is now at its peak.

Hoxha said he does not expect Rama to remain in office until May and that, in his view, the matter of the prime minister is settled. He claimed that governments around the world have declared Rama “persona non grata” because, he said, Rama was caught stealing and endangered the security of Albania and NATO. In Hoxha’s view, Rama cannot continue as prime minister, and holding talks at this stage creates the wrong impression.