Territorial reform, Bardhi criticizes Socialist lawmakers: Instead of hearing citizens’ voices, we see MPs becoming spokespersons for Edi Rama’s decisions

The head of the Democratic Party’s Parliamentary Group, Gazment Bardhi, has reacted to discussions on changing the territorial map and merging 15 municipalities across the country.

Bardhi criticized Socialist MPs, particularly those representing areas affected by the reform, calling on them to take a position and listen to citizens’ concerns.

Bardhi described the issue as a test of political representation and MPs’ responsibility, stressing that citizens expect their representatives to speak out and take a position on decisions that directly affect their areas.

Gazment Bardhi’s full statement:

To understand how much and whom the Socialist Parliamentary Group represents, it is enough to see what is happening today at their parliamentary group meeting.

The merger of 15 municipalities is being discussed and, according to media reports, only two MPs have publicly voiced opposition to the initiative. It remains to be seen whether this opposition will hold at the time of the vote in the plenary session.

Divjaka, Patos, Rrogozhina, Maliq, Dimal, Cërrik, Prrenjas, Belsh, Klos, Poliçan, Memaliaj, Fushë-Arrëz, Këlcyrë and Libohovë are on the table in this reform to be merged. But among the Socialist MPs who received mandates to represent the citizens of these municipalities, silence is what stands out most.

Where is their voice? Where is their responsibility toward the citizens who voted for them? Where is their obligation to defend the interests of the communities they represent?

Instead of hearing citizens’ voices in Parliament, we risk seeing MPs become spokespersons for Edi Rama’s political decisions.

If an MP remains silent when the fate of the municipality he or she claims to represent is being decided, then citizens have the right to ask: whom does this MP really represent?

A parliamentary mandate is not the property of a party. It is the mandate of the citizens.

And citizens deserve MPs who speak out, oppose and take responsibility—not MPs who remain silent when decisions directly affect the communities that elected them.

This is a matter of representation. This is a matter of responsibility. And in the face of citizens, silence cannot hide behind party discipline.