Zhupa urges Braçe and Sinaj to vote against territorial reform, clashes with Socialists in committee

During a meeting of the Culture Committee, Democratic MP Ina Zhupa made a special appeal to Socialist MPs Erion Braçe and Vullnet Sinaj.

“I have hope in a couple of colleagues in particular. I very much hope that a man from Vlora will keep his word and honor the pledge he made to the residents of Selenicë, so that you cannot reach 84 votes,” Zhupa said.

Her appeal came after Braçe and Sinaj voted against the new draft of the administrative-territorial reform at a meeting of the Socialist parliamentary group. The draft proposes reducing the number of municipalities from 61 to 46.

As she argued against the opposition’s merger of 15 municipalities, Zhupa became embroiled in a debate with the Socialists present on the committee. They reminded her that the Democrats had not attended the previous day’s meeting of the Laws Committee, where the bill on the new administrative-territorial division was approved.

“The 225,000 people affected do not want this. What does the Constitution say? Communities must be consulted. What do you do? You ask only Arbër Mazniku,” Zhupa said.

Socialist MP Briseida Çakërri accused the opposition of seeking to obstruct the process: “The opposition had only one goal: to run down the deadlines and derail this reform.”

Ramion Kurti said: “You abandoned the committee on territorial reform.”

After around an hour of discussion, the meeting continued with a hearing involving representatives of the Market Surveillance Inspectorate and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport regarding the copyright law.