The clash over the €302 million loan agreement between Albania and the United States for the financing of military equipment has shifted to the parliamentary procedure. The Democratic Party says it supports the agreement in principle, but accuses the majority of trying to push it through in haste and in violation of the Constitution.
Opposition: in favor of the agreement, against the way it is being approved
In a position made public by the head of the PD parliamentary group, Gazment Bardhi, the opposition says it is not against the loan as a political and strategic agreement with the United States, but opposes the way it is being brought to a vote in Parliament.
According to the PD, the problem lies in the accelerated procedure being followed by the majority, which it says undermines constitutional standards and the role of lawmakers in reviewing an agreement with significant financial and political weight.
Allegation of an unconstitutional session
According to the opposition’s version, the plenary session called to approve the agreement is contrary to the Constitution, because Parliament cannot vote on a law earlier than one week from the start of its review.
The PD also claims that lawmakers have not been provided with the full text of the agreement or the accompanying report on the draft law, even though they are being asked to vote on it. This is the core of the opposition’s accusation against the majority and the way the process is being handled in Parliament.
Bardhi: lawmakers cannot vote without documentation
In his statement, Bardhi also criticized the practice that, according to him, was offered to lawmakers to familiarize themselves with the contents of the agreement only through a group reading inside Parliament’s premises.
According to him, this approach is unacceptable given the constitutional status of a lawmaker. He argues that parliamentary documentation must be made available to legislators and that, if confidentiality is required, this can be resolved through a written commitment by lawmakers.
PD announces boycott of the session
For these reasons, the opposition has made it known that it will not take part in the plenary session called on this issue. The declared position is a boycott of the session, not a rejection of the agreement itself.
The PD is asking for the agreement to be reviewed in line with constitutional procedures and put to a vote in the July 31 session. According to its statement, once lawmakers are familiarized with the full content of the agreement, the opposition’s vote will be in favor of ratification.
The debate that has opened is not related to the political orientation of the agreement with the United States, but to the way the majority is seeking to pass it in Parliament. The opposition is presenting this as another sign of the tension between the majority’s numbers and the constitutional rules that should limit their use.
In the absence of the full publication of the documentation for lawmakers, procedure remains the focal point of the political clash. This turns an important financial and military agreement into a test of parliamentary transparency and respect for Parliament’s rules.