The Albanian conservative opposition has proposed to block Parliament until the parliamentary majority votes in favor of its proposal to form commissions of inquiry into the involvement of government representatives in criminal acts. With this objective, deputies from the conservative Democratic Party (PD) once again obstructed a parliamentary session on Thursday by lighting smoke flares and blocking access to the speakers' lectern with crowded tables that they snatched from their socialist colleagues in power.
The plenary session was filled with smoke yesterday morning when at the beginning of the session several members of the opposition lit flares. Despite the discomfort and lack of visibility, the president of the legislature, Lindita Nikolla, continued with the items on the agenda, which did not include the formation of the aforementioned commissions. Images of parliamentarians trying to carry on normally amid a large amount of smoke and piled up furniture have been spread on social networks.
After the disorders occurred, the security guards expelled a deputy from the room and took away the flares.
The Minister of the Interior, Taulant Balla, accused the Democratic leader and former Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, of these incidents. "This man has held the Democratic Party hostage for 33 years. What is happening here today has nothing to do with parliamentarism or with the opposition's demands," said the minister, coughing and speaking with difficulty due to the smoke in the room.
Berisha, who has been accused of corruption along with his son-in-law since October over a land deal involving a sports club, announced that "civil disobedience" will continue. "For 18 months, this Parliament, by orders of (Prime Minister) Edi Rama, has not allowed the formation of parliamentary commissions. Because it would be revealed that their relatives are behind public tenders and that they are enriching themselves behind the nation's back" Berisha stated.
