Bardhi on Rama's package: Unconstitutional in every letter, aimed at stopping student protests

Gazment Bardhi, chairman of the Democratic Party (PD) parliamentary group, reacted sharply on Sunday shortly after Prime Minister Edi Rama presented his legal package against urban violence. According to Bardhi, the measures announced by the government are unconstitutional and are meant to block the protests by students and young people, which have been going on in Tirana for nearly two weeks.

“The Against Students package”

Bardhi dubbed the government initiative the “Against Students” package and said it restricts the freedom to protest. “Every letter of the ‘Against Students’ package is unconstitutional,” he said. The Democratic lawmaker claimed that with the package the prime minister had accepted responsibility for police violence against students and young people, and that the measures are essentially threats to silence, jail and fine those who take to the streets.

In his statement, Bardhi used harsh language against the head of government, whom he called a “thieving dictator” and a “politically finished” prime minister. He said Rama is weaker than ever and sees the student protests as a direct challenge to his power.

“The countdown has begun”

According to Bardhi, none of the package's measures will be implemented and no threat will stop citizens from pressing their demands for good governance, freedom, justice and democracy. “The countdown has begun,” he said, predicting the prime minister's political end.

The package opposed by the PD includes, among other things, fines of up to 500,000 lek for those who stay in a crowd where violence is taking place after a police warning, restrictions on gatherings of up to 72 hours near certain sites and an electronic register of offenders. The government says the measures respect the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights and do not affect peaceful protest.