REMARKS OF PRIME MINISTER RAMA AFTER A MEETING OF THE COORDINATION UNIT OF THE GOVERNING COALITION:

HIS OPPORTUNITY TO POINT OUT THREE THINGS HERE. THE FIRST ONE CONCERNS THE SLANDERERS WHO HAVE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT THE OPEN DEBATE ON THE PROPOSAL OF THE GOVERNMENT, AS WELL AS ABOUT THE WRONG CONCLUSION THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS ABANDONED THE MOTION. I REITERATE THAT NON EVEN FOR A MOMENT, AND THIS CAN BE EASILY VERIFIED FROM THE WITH THE STATEMENTS I MADE LONG BEFORE THIS PROPOSAL, THERE HAS BEEN AND THERE WILL BE AN INITIATIVE TO PREJUDICE EVEN IN THE FORM OF A LEGAL INITIATIVE THE FREEDOM THAT THE MEDIA GAINED AFTER MANY YEARS OF BATTLES AND EFFORTS.

THE INITIATIVE IS ONLY ABOUT ONE THING; THOSE WHO ARE PAID WITH THE TAXES OF THE ALBANIAN PEOPLE AS ELECTED OR SENIOR OFFICIALS USE NEITHER THE VOTES OF THE PEOPLE NOR THE FUNCTIONS THAT DERIVE FROM THE PEOPLE’S WILL WITH THE INTENT TO SLANDER. I REITERATE MY APOLOGY TO EVERYONE, TO ANYONE AMONG THE MEDIA PEOPLE WHO DESERVE RESPECT, BECAUSE THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA WHO DESERVE RESPECT, AND ANYTHING CONCERNING THEIR FREEDOM WILL NEVER BE VIOLATED. BUT IN TERMS OF SLANDERERS WHO TAKE THE FLAG OF FREEDOM OF THE MEDIA AND SPEAK ON BEHALF OF FREEDOM CAN GO ON DOING WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT TO DO, BUT PERSONALLY I WILL NEVER STOP SAYING WHAT I THINK ABOUT THEM.

SECONDLY, CONCERNING THE PROTEST OF TRADERS I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO URGE THEM TO NOT LET THEMSELVES BE USED AND ABUSED BY THE LIARS AND ORDINARY CHEATERS TELLING THEM THAT THE LAW ON TAX PROCEDURES IS A BIG DISGRACE FOR THEM. THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE. WE HAVE SAID IT PUBLICLY, EVERY TRADER OPERATING IN THE COMMUNITY MARKETS WILL HAVE A VERY SIGNIFICANT RELIEF OF THEIR ACTIVITY, WHICH MEANS ALSO FINANCIAL BENEFIT FOR THEM. SO NOT ONLY THAT THERE WILL BE A TAX INCREASE, BUT THEIR FISCAL REGIME WILL RADICALLY CHANGE.

AND THIRDLY, IN TERMS OF TODAY’S MEETING. SINCE THERE ARE MANY THINGS TO BE DISCUSSED, THE COALITION COORDINATION UNIT MEETS EVERY FRIDAY IN ORDER TO DISCUSS THEM.

TODAY, WE FOCUSED ON THE PROGRESS REPORT, WHICH IS THE BEST REPORT EVER MADE FOR ALBANIA, AND WHICH PLACES ALBANIA, THANKS TO THE NEW METHODOLOGY, CLEARLY AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL ALSI IN RELATION TO THE COUNTRIES THAT ARE NOW IN A NEGOTIATION PERIOD.

BEING AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND ON THE EVE OF THE NEW BUDGET, WE DISCUSSED ALSO THE PERFORMANCE OF SOME SECTORS, AND WE WILL CONTINUE DISCUSSING ON THE PERFORMANCE OF OTHER SECTORS TO ENSURE AN INCREASE IN THE QUALITY OF GOVERNANCE AS A COALITION GOVERNMENT, SO DO NOT EXPECT ANYTHING BUT A FURTHER STRENGTHENING OF THE LINE OF REFORM, AN EVEN GREATER DETERMINATION TO TAKE FORWARD REFORMS, AND A CONSOLIDATION OF THE COALITION.

 

HAS MR. META ASKED FOR CHANGES IN THE GOVERNMENT?

ONCE AGAIN, DO NOT EXPECT ANYTHING OF WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN FANTASIZING ABOUT, OF WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN COMMENTING AND ANALYZING IN THIS REGARD. ALL OF THEM ARE IMAGINARY UNRELATED TO REALITY.

ARE THERE ELECTIONS ENVISAGED IN THE NEXT BUDGET?

EARLY ELECTIONS ARE PART OF THIS IMAGINARY.

MR. RAMA, YOU SAID THAT YOU WILL STRENGTHEN REFORMS. IS THE COALITION THAT STRONG AS TO STRENGTHEN REFORMS?

THE STRENGTH OF THE COALITION AND THE COALITION GOVERNMENT ARE DETERMINED BY THE RESULTS, THE PROGRESS OF REFORMS AND THE LEVEL OF PROGRESS MADE. REFER TO WHOEVER YOU WANT, REFER TO THE PROGRESS REPORT, REFER TO THE AGREEMENT WITH THE IMF, REFER TO THE SUCCESS OF THE EUROBOND, REFER TO THE WORLD BANK, REFER TO OTHER DATA, ALL INDICATE THAT THE REFORMS HAVE STARTED TO YIELD THE FIRST RESULTS, BUT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR REFORMS TO YIELD ALL THE RESULTS WITHIN TWO YEARS DOES NOT UNDERSTAND ANYTHING AND HAVE NEVER WORKED ONE DAY IN THEIR LIFE.

 

AS FOR THE FORMER MINISTER NACO, WHENEVER YOU WERE ASKED IF THERE WOULD BE CHANGES IN THE GOVERNMENT, YOU HAVE STATED THAT WE MADE THIS UP. AND IT TURNED OUT  THAT THERE WERE CHANGES IN GOVERNMENT. MR. META, AT LEAST PRESENTED YOU WITH A FAIT ACCOMPLI COMING WITH MR. NACO IN YOUR OFFICE.

THIS IS FANTASY, THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED AND, UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS IN THE WAKE OF WHAT I SAID. IT WAS THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE WHO RESIGNED, EXPRESSING THE REASONS FOR THE RESIGNATION. I THANKED HIM FOR THE WORK DONE, AND ANOTHER MINISTER HAS BEEN ELECTED IMMEDIATELY TO GIVE A STRONGER IMPETUS TO THE JUSTICE REFORM PROCESS, FIRST OF ALL, AND TO EVERY PROCESS DEALING WITH THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE. I HAVE SAID THAT I WON’T MAKE CHANGES IN THE GOVERNMENT, BUT I HAVE NEVER SAID THAT NO MINISTER EVER HAS THE RIGHT TO RECONSIDER THEIR POSITION AND RESIGN.

 

MR. RAMA, ACTUALLY MPS OF THE SMI HAVE LEFT PARLIAMENT FOR CONSECUTIVE SESSIONS. WHAT IS YOUR COMMENT ON THIS?

THIS IS ANOTHER FANTASY, BECAUSE I DO NOT THINK THERE IS ANY REASON TO TALK ABOUT SUCH NONSENSE RELATED TO THE ATTITUDE OF THE MPS DURING LONG SESSIONS. HOW THE RELATION AND THE STABILITY OF THE COALITION IN PARLIAMENT ARE IS SHOWN BY THE POLLS AND NOT BY THE PRESENCE DURING LUNCH OR AFTER LUNCH.

ARE YOU WILLING TO COOPERATE WITH MR. MANJANI CONSIDERING WHAT HE HAS STATED IN THE PAST ABOUT YOU? DO YOU THINK THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER SMI MEMBER TO BE PROPOSED FOR THE POSITION OF MINISTER OF JUSTICE?

THE APPOINTMENT OF THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE IS A CHOICE MADE ABSOLUTELY MADE AT MY OWN FREE AND COMPLETE WILL.

 

SENIOR SMI MEMBERS HAVE SAID THAT ACTUALLY OTHER CHANGES ARE NEEDED.

ONCE AGAIN, WHEN YOU ASK OTHERS LISTEN TO OTHERS. WHEN YOU ASK ME, I CAN ONLY TELL YOU WHAT I THINK, AND GENERALLY, NOT TO SAY 100%, YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE YOU EXPECT ME TO SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HAPPENS. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN!

 

WHAT DID YOU DISCUSS TODAY ON THE JUSTICE REFORM? SEVERAL MINISTERS ATTENDED THE MEETING

MINISTERS HAVE BEEN FOR THEIR SECTORS. WITH REGARD TO JUSTICE REFORM, WE DISCUSSED TO GIVE A NEW IMPETUS TO THE PROCESS AND CREATE THE CONDITIONS TO HAVE MUCH MORE INCLUSIVENESS OF THE STAKEHOLDERS IN TABLE OF DIALOGUE LAUNCHED TODAY, AND CERTAINLY TO HAVE MUCH MORE TRANSPARENCY FOR THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE NOW IS THE STAGE WHERE THE PRODUCT OF EXPERTS BEGINS TO BE DISCLOSED TO THE PUBLIC, TO THE STAKEHOLDERS TO MAKE IT A JOINT PRODUCT, FOR THE REFORM HAS CERTAINLY ITS OWN TEAMS BUT IT IS A REFORM, AND ESPECIALLY THE JUSTICE REFORM, THAT WE WILL DO TOGETHER WITH THE ALBANIANS.