PRESS RELEASE
The Coalition for Reforms, Integration and Consolidated Institutions (KRIIK Albania) following all political and institutional developments, published on July 17, 2020, PUBLIC STANCE “The breach of the Political Agreement and the unilateral amendment of the Constitution, a very dangerous precedent for the democratic future of the country.”
Through it, KRIIK states that the political confrontation that is already endangering the Political Agreement of June 5, 2020, represents in itself the prospect of an even more dangerous course than the one that preceded the political agreement.
Over anti-democratic precedents layered over time, under a critical institutional context, another new precedent is manifesting itself, totally unacceptable for a democratic system, the violation, before even taking life, of the agreement and compromise of the political leadership.
Failing to urgently adopt the June 5 Agreement and the interference in this process of other agendas, which lack a full and comprehensive political agreement, is leading the country from one dangerous precedent to another.
The process of constitutional amendment undertaken recently, in addition to other problems it carries, is a unilateral intervention of the majority, contrary to the commitments of the Political Agreement of 5 June 2020.
In the Report accompanying the draft law coming as a result of the Political Agreement, it is stated that these amendments enable the political agreement of the parties on the rules for the next parliamentary and local elections, as well as constitute the changed legal basis with which these two electoral processes will take place.
Moreover, KRIIK states that the Process of Amending the Constitution undertaken by the Assembly, with a fictitious consultation process, in violation of the letter and spirit of the law and without full political consent is considered an extremely dangerous action.
This step, being taken, after the highly criticized precedent of the 2008 constitutional amendments, is the finalization of the de-sanctification of the Constitution of the Republic of Albania.
KRIIK strongly raises the alarm that this new precedent and the standard that is being set, by this majority or the one that will emerge from the next elections, can be used to extend the hands towards the Justice Reform.
The foundation of this reform, which is implemented in the Constitution of the Republic, under the set standard, tomorrow can be alienated by nullifying the Reform itself and undermining the democratic state-building project.
In KRIIK’s view, any political stakeholder is fully legitimized to initiate the constitutional amendments’ process, but it must first ensure a proper and genuine public consultation process, the widest possible consensus of political and civic stakeholders, be conducted with sufficient time available for a broad and effective consultation process, as well as to show maturity by determining the entry into force and implementation of the amendments, in the subsequent electoral process, after the next one.
The full document can be downloaded HERE in .pdf format.
Tirana, on July 17, 2020!