Taulant Balla: PD walked out of the Conference of Chairpersons without hearing us out!

Parliamentary group leader Taulant Balla spoke to journalists at Parliament’s headquarters after a meeting of the Conference of Chairpersons. Balla said that the Democratic Party (PD) representative, Jorida Tabaku, walked out of the meeting without hearing Parliament Speaker Niko Peleshi’s response, or his own, to the concern she had raised about the territorial reform committee.

Balla also said that electronic vote counting would be much needed and that Berisha’s opposition to it was premature.

Taulant Balla: Only Tedi Blushi was there at the scheduled time, along with a lady who kept coming in and out. She presented the PD group’s position, which I did not understand. I hope they will reconsider by Thursday. They say the mandate of the special committee on territorial reform was not extended. She left without hearing either the Parliament Speaker’s response or mine. The request was not submitted within the required deadline, and there was no joint agreement between the committee’s co-chairs. That committee concluded its work, even though the parties came forward with two proposals. The Socialist Party (PS) MPs presented a new map with 46 municipalities; the MPs proposed 100 municipalities. On Thursday, the division into 46 was approved. First we voted on the map, then from September onward we worked on the four main pillars of the legal framework for local self-government. What functions will we transfer from central government? The opposition itself has been very actively involved. Come to the committee and let us discuss it. Do you want us to transfer the administration of education, so that school principals are appointed by mayors? The other issue is local finances. The fourth was the question of regions. When they were not in Parliament in 2020, we passed the law on regions. We have also established services organized at the regional level, including the healthcare system and education offices. Some MPs have said it is not functional. Let us discuss it. I have told them that we will come forward with a proposal to put the work to a vote. They are welcome to join us.

They took it to the Constitutional Court in 2014 too. The Constitutional Court has set out the criteria that such a reform must meet in relation to the Constitution. I am convinced that the procedure followed by Parliament complies with the Constitution. Let them take it there. Is there any decision made here that they do not take to the Constitutional Court? You remember what they did with the Ombudsman.

The PS strongly supports the use of technology. Just a few elections have been enough to confirm that producing the result immediately after voters have expressed their will is the right thing to do.

The prime minister has said that we need to find a solution when counting takes days on end. I believe the response from the gentleman who currently leads the PD is premature, given that the PD has agreed to this in several elections, and neither side has complained about the security or quality of electronic counting. In 2025, electronic counting took place in Vorë and Administrative Unit 10. Mr. Berisha has his own mind, and no one can change it.