After the merger of the two opposition groups, that of Reestablishment and the group of Gazment Bardhi, the agreement with other opposition parties for the creation of the United Opposition Federation is expected to be signed today.
We, the representatives of the opposition parties:
Appreciating with concern the serious situation in the Balkans, our interest as Albanians and as a NATO member country, and being aware that in order to respond to security challenges and a European Albania, it is necessary to preserve and develop a partnership of stable with USA, EU and NATO countries;
Taking into consideration the very serious political, economic and social situation in Albania during the corrupt government of Edi Rama, as well as the serious violation of our constitutional system, the political pluralism of a Parliamentary Republic, where the Government controls all powers in an anti-democratic way;
Finding with great concern the massive abandonment of the country by Albanians as a whole and by professionals, young men and women, due to the loss of hope and the country’s slide towards an authoritarian government, based on corruption, crime and drugs, persecutions, arrests and political imprisonment of opposition party leaders;
Appreciating as vital the participation of the diaspora in voting and their political and governing engagement;
Taking into consideration the dysfunction of the Parliament and parliamentarism and its return to the appendix of the government, the denial of the constitutional rights of the opposition deputies in the Parliament, the disrespect of the freedoms and rights of citizens and their flagrant violations by the government, or the absence of elections free and fair, due to the use of the state for political interests, the use of criminal groups to buy votes and intimidation of voters;
Being aware of the need to restore pluralism and functional democracy, creating hope and trust among citizens, and the need for the opposition to rise to its responsibilities, to protect and represent the interests of Albanians, through a policy that exceeds the debate about leaders politics, but which unites around ideas of national interest, enabling European Integration and an Institutional democracy;
We declare the following:
The institutionalization of the Federation of the United Opposition, according to the principle “Even though we are different, we have a common goal, the construction of a European Albania”, which includes all the relevant parliamentary and opposition political factors, which value opposition relations and cooperation as obligation and not agreements empowering the government and unconstitutionality.
We reaffirm our determination to confront the corrupt and criminalized regime of Edi Rama, who during his rule has turned Albania into a land of impossibility for honest Albanians and is forcing the youth to leave the country due to economic impossibilities.
Announcement:
i) “guaranteeing free and fair elections”, through the realization of a meaningful Electoral Reform and addressing all the recommendations of the ODIHR, which ensures a comprehensive and stable electoral framework, as well as
ii) “the need to coordinate efforts to restore pluralism and functional democracy”,
as two main priorities of the political agenda of the opposition.
