We do not negotiate democracy, elections on June 30th

Prime Minister Rama, during the interview, also talks about wiretapping where his party turns out to be involved in manipulation of the election process, speaks of the country's lack of Constitutional Court and the process of opening negotiations for Albania's membership in the European Union. Rama does not hide fears that the political crisis could impede this process, but referring to opposition protests and criticisms, says “democracy will not be negotiated”.

Radio Free Europe: Prime Minister Rama, Albania has entered an institutional and political crisis due to the dispute between the prime minister and the president over the election date, but also because of the opposition, which has been protesting since the beginning of the year. Where do you see the solution, and how will you maintain political stability in the country?

Edi Rama: Clearly, it is the solution that supports the entire international community, and certainly the overwhelming majority of the Albanian people, which means that elections are not politicians, are of the people. The people have the right to choose on the day defined by the Constitution and by law, and politicians have the duty to appear before the people. Anyone who does not appear before the people is free to do so, but history has shown that not only does he gain nothing but rather pays a great political cost.

Radio Free Europe: On June 30th, you insist to go to the elections, while 27 of Albania's 61 municipalities say they will not support this process, rather they insist they try to prevent it. Do you think elections can be held in half of Albania?

Edi Rama: Elections will be held throughout Albania. Those who try to prevent it are wrong, play with fire because they burn themselves in relation to the law, and the laws are clear, the elections have an election administration, have an election court and, given the previous opinion of the Constitutional Court of Albania, anyone with elections addressed to the Special Election Court and nowhere else. So it's desperate efforts that have no chance of overturning the basis of democratic co-existence rules. It is not the problem that I insist we go to the elections, I insist that the Constitution be respected and the people's right to choose.

Radio Free Europe: However, the president abolished the decree on the election date. The Constitutional Court Albania does not currently.. Where will the validity of this decision be proved but also the validity of holding elections?

Edi Rama: The Constitutional Court has given its opinion several years ago and underlined that the president's actions are individual acts which, when related to elections, are addressed to the relevant Court, which is electoral college and nowhere else. So we're clear on this point. As far as the president's act on the election's execution is being absolutely invalid, as well as making a serious violation of the Constitution for which the president is in the dismissal procedure in Albania's Parliament.

Radio Free Europe: The German newspaper “Bild” released a number of records allegedly including the Socialist Party in manipulation of the election process. Mr. Prime Minister, you as leader of the Social Party, are you willing to face these charges and how will you address them?

Edi Rama: Thank you for the question and the question that follows this question is why aren't these wiretapping used to make a depleting investigation? Why have these wiretaps been kept closed and no investigation has been made, and why have these closed wiretapping been sent to the opposition party and why does the opposition party send these wiretaps to Germany to present themselves as German intelligence?

These are not German findings, these are wiretapping of the Albanian Prosecution, which is illegally misused by breaking the investigative secret and the answer is simple, again painful but simple, surveillance has turned from a basis to investigate, to food to poison people and to poison international opinion on the eve of the opening of negotiations, even though all that is happening in Albania is a desperate attempt to curb negotiations.

Why? - Because with the opening of negotiations, the negotiation of membership with the chapters of justice begins, and it's not just a matter of what laws Albania has or how it's cleaning up the justice system through the strongest when they violate the law and that Albania well knows the organisers of all this plan and the promoters of all this violence.

Radio Free Europe: Do you think that the European Union, although failing to give an opening date of negotiations and positive signals, will hesitate on this date due to political developments and the crisis in Albania?

Edi Rama: The danger that this plan, clearly anti-national can function is real because after all, all that happens doesn't help those who want to help us and feed those who didn't want to help us, so the risk is real, but anyway, we're going to do the effort to the end.

Radio Free Europe: Albania's international community and friends have called for this crisis to be resolved with internal political dialogue. Do you have any offer for the opposition and where is the compromise?

Edi Rama: I've insisted on dialogue, always. I've made every effort to dialogue. The only thing that can't be negotiated is democracy and certainly can't negotiate the deadlines when people have to take the word, these are non-negotiable, everything else is easily negotiated.