TIRANA, April 30 – The country’s main opposition Democratic Party approved its new statute on Sunday, with its leader Lulzim Basha calling it “a novelty” and other DP members saying the changes translate to a power takeover by its leader.
Basha’s long speech at the DP’s national assembly focused on criticizing the Socialist government’s shortcomings, while also apologizing for past mistakes and calling supporters to unite around the party’s promised future achievements.
“We did not succeed in successfully crowning our historical battle to offer the country free and just elections. We did not succeed in separating once and for all the state from crime, we did not succeed in placing drug traffickers and their bosses in front of justice,” Basha said, while adding the DP is now ready to begin a new successful journey for Albania.
Concerning his critics, who said the new statute only serves the party’s leader, Basha said he prefers to ignore anger and personal vendettas from his place as the party’s leader.
“My hand will remain extended neither for show nor for pictures, but to jointly build our path to success, convinced it’s easier to build bridges than to dig up gaps.”
According to him, the changes in the statute ensure strengthened internal democracy and the inclusion of all DP members in the decision-making process.
They also add to the National Council’s competences and guarantees career prospects, while making sure membership evaluation is conducted based on a clear set of rules applicable to all DP members and lawmakers.
“We are extending the DP. Today, anyone can run at the DP. We are giving power to its members. No one can become a lawmaker unless he’s been chosen from the membership. We are increasing the request for accountability towards party leaders,” Basha said.
A big part of the statute’s opposers did not attend the DP’s national assembly. Jozefina Topalli, former DP vice president and head of the parliamentary group, wrote in a Facebook post that Basha’s statute was a failure due to the lack of true participation in the 2500-seat Congress Hall.
Criticism also came by the former head of the DP in the 90s, Eduard Selami, who said the problem has always been lack of internal democracy and disregard for the rules.
“This statute was never our issue, but is now becoming our issue. Mr. president, this is the worst statute the DP has ever had. Through this statute the DP will end up even worse, because it has turned the DP in one person’s service, its head. Withdraw this statute. Expand the DP. You have lost two times in a row,” Selami said during his speech.
Selami run against Basha in the internal party leader elections that took place in 2017, shortly after the DP had been defeated by the SP in national elections.
Back then Basha, who won by 91% of DP members that voted, was also accused for setting a rigged election from some of the party’s toughest critics.
Other DP National Council members, such as Edvin Kulluri and Edit Harxhi, had proposed an alternative statute, arguing that the DP cannot triumph following the Socialist Party’s example.
“Albanians won’t trust our demand to remove an autocrat like Edi Rama when the Democrats themselves behave arbitrarily.”
