Voting on the new territorial reform this Thursday requires a qualified majority of 84 votes in the Assembly, which puts the parliamentary majority in a strong test of numbers.
The absence of Belinda Balluku and the earlier departure of MP Marjana Koçeku from the parliamentary group of the Socialist Party have brought the majority to its critical limits.
In these conditions, every vote of the socialist deputies is decisive, while within the ranks of the SP there are no shortage of critical voices and reservations about the new administrative map, among them, the deputy Vullnet Sinaj and Erion Braçe have openly expressed their objections to the new territorial division.
Faced with this tense situation, the chairman of the SP Parliamentary Group, Taulant Balla, has sent a clear and unequivocal message to all his deputies: party discipline must prevail over any personal opinion or reservation.
Today’s pronouncement of Taulant Balla as the chairman of the parliamentary group is a direct political warning to any socialist MP who thinks of going against the party’s official line.
Although Balla tries to package the discourse with democratic notes, admitting that in the group meetings there are debates, different opinions or even votes against, he makes clear the impassable border: the final decision is political and binding for everyone.
Phrases used by him, such as “jyou know the political decision” and the reference that “in the end is that next decision that follows“, constitute a coded but quite clear message of exclusion from the parliamentary group or political penalty for anyone who risks the approval of the reform with 84 votes.
With this attitude, Balla seeks to neutralize the efforts of MPs such as Vullnet Sinaj or others who have reservations for their constituencies, remembering that the national priority of European integration and the agenda of the majority is facing their political fate in the party.
Conversation with journalists:
question: Residents of Memaliaj and Fushë-Arrëz protesting against the new territorial map…
Taulant Balla: They are not residents, they are employees of the municipality…
Journalist: Have you spoken with the SP deputies, among them there are those who have reservations about the new map?
Taulant Balla: No, not today, but always in the meeting of the parliamentary group there are cases… cases where deputies express their opinion, even vote against, but in the end it is the other decision that follows, which is the political decision. And I believe that all MPs know very well how important it is to move forward at this important moment when Albania has never been closer to joining the European Union. Next week we have another moment, let’s say culmination of success related to the next intergovernmental conference, where we pass, close another chapter and I believe that this is the moment of awareness of the political nature to understand that we have to move forward in the direction we have.
The journalist: Are you afraid that you are mentioning a political decision, do you know what happens if they came out against the political decision, or do you threaten the two MPs or one MP with expulsion if they don’t vote?
Taulant Balla: First, the two deputies are among the best that the parliamentary group has.
The journalist: Mr. Balla, was the merger of Rrogozhina with Kavaja done for the electoral interests of the Socialist Party?
Taulant Balla: It is not a… it is not a discussion of this nature…
Journalist: You are also a manager, so yes…
Taulant Balla: It is not a discussion because both are municipalities of Tirana district, so the electoral-political context in the central elections does not change.
