Speech of Prime Minister Edi Rama at the Extraordinary Session of the Assembly for the approval of the Vetting Commissions:

 

I took a look at the list which, to be honest, I have never seen, and Mrs Topalli I don’t know where you found all these friends. I listened to you very attentively, and I’m telling you very frankly that you are going to miss me in the next session, but this is not my fault. I did all I could so that you could be distinguished as a fierce opponent of the government, but this is the bill you have to pay, fairly enough I think, for your conformism and for getting all together in that tent in order to avoid this delayed session of today, because this should have happened long before. But what am I supposed to do, if all of you got into that tent, some of you screaming, some others pretending not to be there but waiting for MP candidacies to come out of that tent? Now there’s nothing we can do Jozefine! This is life, and you’ll pay the price for you conformism, even though you act like you are really genuine.

I looked at the list while you were talking, and I saw that there’s no friend of mine in it. This is the first time I’ve heard of this Pal Shkambi. Maybe you know it, but I don’t.

It is true that I know Ina Rama, and I’m very proud that we have supported her, and I am very sorry that you’ve mentioned her here. Ina Rama is not my friend, but I’m repeating you that I am proud that we have supported this woman who is one of the most exemplary examples of the violation of all principles and norms of law, as even a court decision banned her from exercising her profession for many years.

I know Albana Shtylla, and I am very proud that she’s in this list. Neither Albana is my friend.

I’ve heard of Sokol Çomo, but he’s not my friend.

I know nobody else in here. Therefore, I feel very sorry that you ended with such a low level, for now, your parliamentary career, because I am sure that you will be back one day, together with Astrit, but you could have found a more dignified way to depart from here for four years.

The Vetting is not only the right thing, but it has been so delayed and it is so necessary as to have a thorough support by the Albanian people, whether left or right. And the responsibility for delaying the Vetting, is first of all yours, yours Jozefine with all the others here, and then we can start and discuss who is responsible for the many years that we have wasted.

I’m convinced that no matter how imperfect this history is, it will open a new chapter in our common history, and I am sure that not only the corrupt judges and prosecutors are running out of time, but so are many untouchable people who have done whatever has pleased them, in the way and whenever it has pleased them in this country, by abusing the votes of the people and because of the immunity granted them by the people.

The time when they will face justice thanks to the Vetting, is very close.

I know that you are not among those who will face justice. You just face what you have planted, and you are harvesting it today, and you’ll harvest it even more along with many others. But please, don’t even fancy that Luli and I talk about you. You’re not at all on the agenda of our relation.