February 23 (SeeNews) - Albania's main opposition Democratic Party (PD) boycotted the parliament's plenary session on Thursday, holding a separate sitting in Tirana's central square instead and calling for the resignation of the government, videos posted on Facebook show.
A day earlier, PD leader Lulzim Basha declared that the party will boycott parliament and will press for the resignation of the coalition government of prime minister Edi Rama, claiming the cabinet is unable to hold free and fair elections later this year.
"From this tent, I invite every deputy which is not connected to crime, without a criminal record, to come tomorrow in this hall of the real democracy, because this is the Albanian Parliament," Basha said, according to a press release posted on PD's website.
PD members and deputies have been holding protests and camping in Tirana's central square since Saturday, demanding the appointment of a caretaker government which would ensure fair and free elections on June 18.
The PD boycott will prevent parliament from establishing special bodies in charge of vetting some 800 judges and prosecutors. The Vetting Law adopted last year introduces evaluation of the professional preparation, moral integrity and level of independence from organised crime, corruption and political power of Albanian judges and prosecutors.
The Democratic Party had strongly opposed the Vetting Law, claiming it is unconstitutional and therefore should be suspended. After referring the Vetting Law to the Venice Commission, Albania’s Constitutional Court ruled in December that the legislation is in line with the constitution, thus paving the way for a thorough and comprehensive reform of Albania's judicial system.
"Cooperation of government and opposition is crucial for the country’s ambition to join the European Union,” EU enlargement commissioner, Johannes Hahn, said on Wednesday, commenting with regret the opposition's decision to boycott parliament.
EU accession negotiations should be opened following the first concrete steps in the implementation of the Vetting Law, EU told Albania recently.
The reform of Albania's judicial system, which has been discussed since 2014, aims to fight political appointments in the judiciary. To make the justice reform work, the parliament needed to adopt seven laws, including the Vetting Law.
PD has 50 seats in Albania's 140-seat parliament. Rama's coalition government comprises representatives of the Socialist Party (PS), which has 65 seats in parliament, the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) with 16 seats, and two smaller parties with one seat each. PD was in power from 2005 until 2013.