By Plator Nesturi
After the defeat in the parliamentary elections and the debate surrounding the campaign for the new party chairman, the DP needs a political battle to put itself in motion. It’s the most normal thing that an opposition can do. To learn lessons from failures and assume the fighting position if it still wants to remain a player in the political arena. And the DP did start its battle. And it didn’t start its battle by addressing the way the majority is governing, not even the laws and reforms that it is implementing or some case of abuse and outrageous violation. The battle that the DP has chosen relates to the election reform as the first incentive for this new parliamentary mandate, at a time when the next elections, the local government elections, will take place in two years time.
Nevertheless it’s a new incentive for a battle that was left unfinished during the last mandate. The amendments in the Election Code and the respective improvements have been an old task of OSCE-ODHIR, as part of the recommendations addressed to the political class. These obligations were not delivered in four years and here we don’t need to identify the true reasons why the law was not amended. It seems that that none of the sides were interested on the improvement of the electoral code and the stories of electronic ballot counting, and the vote of migrant workers were nothing else but a pretext to keep things as they were. As it has often been the case in the history of Albanian pluralism, the two main parties have never dealt specifically with the electoral system. In all cases, amendments in the electoral code have been part of a broader package of agreements that the leaders of the main parties have implemented.
If we consider this adjustment of the electoral code as a trend, could it be that in this case too, Basha is looking to strike a new deal with Rama? In an intricate debate within the DP, where Basha’s authority has been undermined more than ever before, he needs a movement where he will not only be confirmed as the representative and leader of the DP, but also as the figure that the opponent respects in the table of talks. The DP leader has said that the agreement with PM Rama reached before the elections is no longer valid, although his ministers governed for another three months with Rama. However, even if the agreement reached before the elections is no longer considered a valid agreement, this is no reason not to wish for a new deal, although the terms of reference may be the same.
Basha is yearning to be on the spotlight again, when he comes out following a meeting with the majority leader. And it wouldn’t come as a surprise if Rama fulfilled this little desire of his. A desire which will allow the leader of the DP to suppress the debate within his own camp through the image of the politician that imposes himself upon his opponent for talks and deals. This would also suit Rama, because with Basha in the roundtable and SMI outside of it, he reminds his former allies that the decision to leave the coalition left them defeated and lonely, because even in opposition, they remain exempted from Basha’s coalition.
Therefore, all the debates that have been going on so far, on new battles or the right of vote for expatriates, seem cynical when the scope is different. A meeting and a deal. It’s obvious that such incentives are being taken in a rush, because we still don’t see any projects on paper. What we here are mere statements. And the most absurd of all things was the idea to restore the majority system. A system, which although Rama pretends he doesn’t want, suits the SP and its electoral structure. It suits the “tough ones” which will pour money in the constituency and will oblige political parties to make deals with local gangsters.
However, it’s just an idea that was articulated.
What we need to wait and see is whether there will be another meeting between Rama and Basha and what will be the all-inclusive package of a new deal similar to the first one.
Note: The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Albanian Free Press’ editorial policy
