Electoral reform still without agreement in Albania; 'The parties doesn't think about Albanians but just for their close interests'

 Albanian politicians meeting on Electoral Reform: Rudina Hajdari (the only female), Petrit Vasili (right), Damjan Gjiknuri (in front) and Oerd Bylykbashi (left).

 The electoral reform still seems to have remained at a crossroads, with the parties blaming each other for not concluding the process within the timeframe they themselves had set. Even Sunday's meeting, which ended in the evening, put an end to everything, despite the intervention of the representative of the US Embassy, ​​who first met with Socialist representative Damian Gjiknuri and Democrat Oerd Bylykbashi, to then sit down with two other members of the Political Council, Petrit Vasili and Rudina Hajdari.

From the statements made by the parties at the end of the meeting, the only thing that was clear was that the common language had not been found. As for the points that separate them, different versions were given.

"Despite the fact that the opposition made its proposals on key issues and offered consensus, the Socialist Party (SP) was not ready to reach a consensus on important issues, aiming to maintain its privileges.

The opposition does not give up guarantees for the vote and for an electoral process that creates trust and legitimacy for all actors in the game. "We are ready to continue the work to find this consensus and we are waiting for the SP to show readiness to take its steps towards consensus, as we have done the necessary concessions ", declared the democrat Oerd Bylykbashi.

But another panorama was offered by the socialist Damin Gjiknuri. "Today we have an almost completed framework, with all the recommendations of the ODIHR, but above all with some essential requirements that the opposition had turned into a condition in recent days. We have found the space and we will include them, but we cannot agree and reflect a good part of the requirements that were called preconditions, and with international witnesses, to start and change by coming up with new requirements", said. Gjiknuri, stating that very soon he will make public all the requests that, as he said, were presented by the opposition and that they have been taken into account.

On the other hand, Rudina Hajdari said that "neither side is working in the interest of Albanians, but the Albanian parties, the Socialist Party, the Democratic Party and the Socialist Movement for Integration are working for their narrow interests, for their clientele, they are not working for the interests of Albanians."