Euro MPs Try to Break Albania Deadlock

MEP Eduard Kukan of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) bloc arrived in Tirana on Monday in the wake of last week's visit by Knut Fleckenstein of the European People's Party (EPP) bloc in an attempt to negotiate a solution that will see Albania's opposition return to parliament.

"Following the stalemate in the dialogue between major political groups in Albania and the boycott of parliament by the opposition Democratic Party, the S&D and EPP have entrusted their representatives, Knut Fleckenstein and Eduard Kukan, to help the ruling majority and the opposition to re-establish political dialogue and encourage the opposition to end the boycott and resume its work in the parliament," said Kukan's office in a statement before his visit.

The opposition Democratic Party has boycotted parliament since June following a brawl among MPs.

The Democrats claim that a number of ruling majority MPs in parliament have a criminal background and pose a threat to the opposition.

They have conditioned their return to the assembly on the passage of a bill which ‘decriminalises' parliament by exposing information about MPs with past criminal convictions.

If the opposition MPs do not return to parliament in the last session of 2014, they risk forfeiting their mandates.  

Kukan's statement expressed hope for a compromise.

"Members of the European Parliament Knut Fleckenstein and Eduard Kukan have agreed to cooperate and support respective political leaders in Tirana in finding a solution to the recent stalemate and set an agreement on cooperation within the framework of the constitution and political institutions," it said.