The political clash over the direct $302 million loan from the United States for defense shifted to the parliamentary procedure. After the morning session closed and another meeting was scheduled for 15:00, Sali Berisha said the Democratic Party supports the agreement, but will not vote for it if the majority pushes it forward at an accelerated pace.
DP: Support for the agreement, refusal to vote
The DP leader clearly separated the political position from the procedural one: the opposition, according to him, is not against the loan agreement with the United States, but against the way it is being pushed for approval in Parliament.
Berisha said Democratic Party lawmakers will not give their vote if the draft law is passed under an accelerated procedure, presenting this as a red line for the opposition.
Accusations of constitutional violations
According to the version presented by Berisha, the problem lies in the deadlines and in the way the agreement was placed on the agenda. He claims the Constitution does not allow it to pass under an accelerated procedure without a one-week deadline.
Along these lines, he described the majority’s move as an attempt to pass the law in an unconstitutional manner, shifting the debate from the substance of the agreement to the legitimacy of the parliamentary process.
Harsh rhetoric toward the government and police
In his statement, Berisha also used strong language toward the government and the police, speaking of restrictive measures against citizens and of a climate that, according to him, resembles a state of siege.
He directly accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of treating the Constitution as a “dead letter,” while also raising the claim that the NATO flag had been removed from the Parliament premises. These remain political accusations voiced by the opposition during the debate over the session.
The debate is over procedure, not the fund
Up to this point, the public clash is not unfolding over whether the agreement with the United States should be approved, but over the way it is being sought to pass in Parliament.
This makes even more visible a familiar practice in Albanian politics: the majority pushes through acts with major financial and institutional weight at a rapid pace, while the opposition uses procedure as the ground on which to challenge the legitimacy of decision-making.
In essence, the DP’s position is that the vote is being withheld not because of the substance of the $302 million U.S. loan, but because of the path chosen for its approval.
It remains to be seen whether the majority will move the agreement forward under the planned procedure, despite the opposition’s objections over the constitutional standard being followed.