Yesterday’s decision of the Constitutional Court confirmed the exclusion of thousands of Democrats from the representation in the local government. With this decision, based also on the Opinion of the Venice Commission, the Constitutional Court overturned Democratic Party Chairman Lulzim Basha’s promises and guarantees that the local elections would not go ahead and recognized without the participation of the Democratic Party.

Only one month prior to the June 30, 2019 elections, Lulzim Basha gave guarantees that there would be no elections, and if Premier Edi Rama tried to do so he would face the resistance of the opposition led by him in every polling station.

But as Rama continued the preparations for the process of June 30, Basha continued to vow and give assurances there would be no election, and they would not be accepted and recognized.

Not only the elections took place, but they were also accepted by Lulzim Basha in person and recognized by both the international community and most recently by the Constitutional Court.

Today, after the decision of the Constitutional Court, thousands of Democrats remained unrepresented in the local governments, with Basha’s candidates and former mayors remaining outside the institutions with the guarantees and the unfulfilled promise of Lulzim Basha.

Contrary to what Lulzim Basha declared for the recognition of the elections, the Constitutional Court, also based on the opinion of the Venice Commission, ruled in favor of accepting the elections and confirming the Mayors of the Socialist Party for a 4-year term.

The Constitutional Court has not yet explained in details its decision, but the opinion of the Venice Commission suggested to the Constitutional Court that it had no competence to adjudicate June 30, but the legislation, emphasizing that the boycott of a political force, be it a major political party, cannot violate the periodicity of the elections.