IDM STATEMENT ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN ALBANIA

IDM calls for a one year political moratorium

21 March 2019 – In view of the unprecedented political crisis in Albania, the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) is highly concerned with its consequences for the country. The institute acknowledges the lack of common ground of the positions of political parties and other influential players and reiterates the Albanians’ expectations for consolidation of the rule of law, democracy and development reforms – as well as Albania’s EU accession.

Hence, IDM – as an independent civil society actor – urges the parties involved and other influential players to immediately engage in a constructive dialogue that also involves the Albanian society.

To this end and with the purpose to turn the current political crisis into an opportunity for consolidating Albanian democracy, IDM proposes the following:

• A one year political moratorium; disengage from all current political actions that ignore the political crisis or that incite its further escalation, through an agreement of political actors and the Albanian society to engage in state building reforms and fast-track the process of EU accession negotiations.

• Immediately launch a national dialogue that includes political actors, informed community of experts and Albanian society, with the involvement of international partners to develop a road map for constitutional reforms. These reforms should restore the checks and balances of powers and the public trust in the governance system. They should strengthen independence of oversight institutions and include measures that reinforce the opposition’s role in the parliament. Additionally, they should restore a high integrity electoral legislation (electoral system, political party financing and internal democracy) that should be the basis on which the next parliamentary elections must take place.
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• Political actors align their positions and agree on an efficient government arrangement that would allow continued progress in the implementation of the judicial reform, fight against organized crime and high level corruption.
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  Together with other priorities this would pave the way for a positive EU Council decision on opening of accession negotiations (June 2019). Immediately adopt OSCE/ODIHR recommendations and hold free and fair local elections as part of the regular electoral cycle and in view of country’s commitments to fulfill the conditions for opening of accession negotiations, as stipulated in the European Council conclusions (June 2018).