Press release of Prime Minister Edi Rama:

A long odyssey of negotiations with the DP ended at approximately 3:00 am this morning, but this time not only between our experts, but face to face with representatives of the two missions of international expertise on Justice Reform, the European mission EURALIUS and the US mission OPDAT.

Good progress has been made with regard to some technical aspects, but the red line of the USA and the EU resulted unsurmountable for the DP claiming to remove from the constitutional project the International Monitoring Operation and to change the activity framework of this operation in view with the cleaning up of the justice system from the corrupt by judges and prosecutors.

The “hybrid” proposal for compromise presented by Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland is the only opportunity for the parliamentary consensus on July 21. Nothing more. Nothing less.

But despite the fact that I reaffirm that until 10:00 am on July 21, the willingness to find the mutually smile on this proposal is already full, we, the 140 members of Parliament, are in front of a very clear choice: Either we vote on behalf of Albania and of the extraordinary people of this country who want to be freed from the clutches of the corrupt who have taken justice hostage, or we will vote on behalf of the fear from justice, thus allowing the continuation of the violent kidnapping of our people by the corrupt people of justice in this quarter of century.

The “Alliance for European Albania” will vote in block for the liberation, not for the kidnappers.

Either we vote successfully to pave the path to negotiations for Albania’s EU membership, and to prepare to sit with dignity at the joint table of the European Family after more than e century-long Albanian state, or we will vote for the shame of Albania against the United States and the European Union, and will allow the country to be stigmatized because it refused publicly the help of our strategic partners to clean up our house from the garbage of corruption in the justice system.

The “Alliance for European Albania” will vote in block to successfully lead the country and our people to the doorstep of the negotiations for EU membership.

Either we vote with consensus all together by lifting up the green card that turns on the light of the future of the next generation, or we will divide ourselves between defenders of the light and imposers of the darkness, where every red line is a halt on the sovereign will of the people to end the charade in courtrooms in the last 25 years. The “Alliance for European Albania” will vote in block to protect the light of the future of the next generation. I urge the President of the Democratic Party to act as a leader bearing on his shoulders the responsibility of a burden which history does not bring every day to the leadership of an opposition.

We have given him consensus on everything negotiable.

We have met the basic request of the opposition for full equality in the implementation of the reform process. We could not and cannot fulfil their request to join a united front against the United States and the EU. The red line is the defensive line for Albania and Albanians guaranteeing the success of the iron broom on the corrupt justice system.

The Democratic Party has earned in this long and very hard process everything was their right. I sincerely compliment Lulzim Basha and his team for the results achieved. But the Democratic Party can neither require nor take what is not its right and which contradicts our common way to make a state worthy of the Albanians, with the Albanians and for the Albanians, not of the parties, with the parties and for the parties.

My appeal to the conscience of every MP of the opposition is neither a purchase nor a violation of the consensus, but my duty as Prime Minister, as the leader of the largest Albanian party, and as a citizen of this country who cannot let the Democratic Party be, not for the benefit of the government that I lead, but for the moral benefit of the country I govern.

While the threats, blackmail, pressure and bluff that terms will become nil and individuals who detach from the anti-European and anti-American block of the Judicial Reform Law will be covered in mud, are an alarming expressions of the dictatorial culture for lynching internal enemies who cooperate with foreign agents against their party.

I have been, am and will be for consensus until 10 am on July 21. I’ve done everything for the consensus. But between the request for consensus to the absurd, which blocks the reform, and the approval of the reform that paves the way of a revolution in justice we’ve been waiting for 25 years, I, the “Alliance for European Albania”, firmly choose the latter. This is not my reform, and neither the reform of the party, of a coalition government or of a political wing.

Therefore, let us join the individual forces, let’s join all the parties in Parliament, let’s join the two coalitions and with both arms up raise the hope of Albanians we represent, by adopting the Justice Reform jointly, by giving everyone a very clear message that nothing is impossible when we are all together.

Thank you!