Another parliamentary meeting was held outside the chamber, this time with majority MPs appearing online from private premises, offices and even from a car. In the Committee on Human Rights and Public Information, there was no physical participation from the Socialist Party, while the opposition chose to boycott the meeting.
The committee was held without the physical presence of majority MPs
According to the proceedings of the meeting, Socialist Party MPs such as Iris Luarasi, Ardit Bido, Piro Dhima, Ramion Kurti, Kiduina Zaka, Etleva Budini and Alma Selami took part online, without being physically present in the room.
The sight of an important committee operating through remote connections once again raises questions about the real standard of parliamentary functioning, especially when decision-making proceeds to a vote even under these conditions.
From home to car, the voting was done remotely
Iris Luarasi followed the discussion from home, while Piro Dhima voted on the articles in principle from a car. Ardit Bido and some of the other MPs joined from their offices.
The picture that emerged was of a committee conducting discussions and votes in a dispersed format, far from the usual institutional format expected in Parliament.
Luarasi spoke about the protests and the presence of minors
In her remarks, Luarasi focused on the violent protests in Tirana, speaking about the conduct of minors and of those taking part in the protest.
She said the right to protest is fundamental in a democracy and that any excesses by police officers must be investigated. Along the same lines, she raised concern about the presence of children aged 14 to 16 on the front line of the clashes.
According to her, in a situation involving stones, Molotov cocktails and tear gas, minors should not be used by anyone as a shield.
The opposition was absent and a call was made for a return to the committees
The meeting took place while the opposition had boycotted the committee. At the end of her remarks, Luarasi called on opposition MPs to return to the parliamentary committees.
This development also shows a tense functioning of parliamentary life, where the political confrontation is being accompanied not only by a boycott, but also by a normalization of remote meetings for issues that proceed as far as a vote.
The fact that a parliamentary committee is holding discussions and votes with MPs connected from home, office or car adds to the debate over the seriousness of the procedures and the standard by which representation in Parliament is being administered.
In the absence of a full presence in the room and with the opposition outside the process, the meeting left more of a sense of institutional improvisation than of normal parliamentary functioning.