SOCIALISTS WILL NOT ALLOW REVENGE AND POLITICAL PERSECUTION TO REPLACE THE RULE OF LAW
Speech by Socialist Party MP Ilir Hoxha at the meeting of the People’s Assembly held on 25 May
Honourable Mr. Speaker,
Dear colleagues,
It is a particular pleasure for me to speak regarding the assessment of the activity of the "Meksi" government in the present conditions, a necessary argument for the opposition.
From the very first session of the People’s Assembly, we expressed the view that the coming to power of the right-wing forces made the overthrow of an economic and political system more likely than the building of the new institutions of a democratic state.
All the harmful consequences that came as a result of this observation were, more than expectations, apparently part of a process that can no longer be reversed, one that directs the economic and political activity of the government toward the narrow interests of certain groups.
Without going into details, I would say that the promise of rapid economic development and an improved standard of living has turned into the greatest disappointment for millions of Albanians, that the country is sliding into an ever deeper economic and political crisis, and that the government’s policies have increasingly created fertile ground for social conflicts with the most unpredictable consequences.
If on the economic front the government has failed as a result of its inability, on the political front it has, with certain aims, dealt a severe blow to democracy, endangered the rule of law, and favored the ugliest manifestation of this power: revenge.
Without going into too many details, since we must focus on the major problems of our development, I want to point out that there are already enough facts, without my needing to illustrate them, showing that when the government fails in economic policy it shifts all its energy toward pressure on the opposition and toward creating a climate of political insecurity in the country.
Unfortunately, it is going all the way down this road.
Why am I saying this? If we want to argue, first and foremost, that we are against every dictatorship, every pseudo-dictatorship, and every act of revenge, we must look at the cause.
I want to remind you that in at least the last three sessions of Parliament, deputies of the Democratic Party and the Speaker of the Assembly, with entirely unacceptable political arguments, have attacked the left-wing opposition, especially the Socialist Party, which is trying to contribute to creating a calm and democratic atmosphere in the country.
For years, the thesis has been repeated that the previous government violated human rights and democratic freedoms, used the state apparatus for political and ideological interests, encroached on the independent institutions of the state, and so on. All these are theses that can be debated, but not used as an alibi for establishing a new climate of punishments and exclusions.
By constantly attacking the past, instead of building the institutions of the future, the government is seeking to justify its failures. When the problems of bread, work, wages, order, and property are not solved, then new enemies are invented and the psychology of division is encouraged.
We are in favor of a rule-of-law state, where individual responsibilities are clearly separated from collective responsibilities, where the law is applied without exception and without political prejudice, where no one is punished for their beliefs. But what we are seeing today is an attempt to turn politics into an instrument of revenge and to replace justice with the passion of the victor.
Is this the democracy that was promised to Albanians?
When people are arrested without their guilt being proven, when pressure is exerted on the administration, when they are removed from work simply because they were part of previous structures, when an atmosphere of persecution is created against socialists, then we have the right to say that the foundations of the legal state are being undermined.
This is why the Socialist opposition has raised its voice. We do not defend the guilty, but we defend the principle. We do not defend abuse of power, but we refuse the replacement of one abuse with another. There can be no true democracy when it is built on fear, hatred, and revenge.
Let us not forget that Albanian society has come out of a long period of tension, sacrifice, and poverty. Citizens need calm, security, work, and hope, not calls for political war. Any government that forgets this risks losing not only the support of the people, but also the very moral legitimacy of its actions.
We have sought and continue to seek a climate of dialogue among the political forces, respect for the opposition, real functioning of the constitutional institutions, and a clear separation of powers. We have also demanded that the organs of justice not be placed at the service of partisan motives.
There can be no national reconciliation if one side seeks to rule with the morality of collective punishment. There can be no economic progress if the energy of society is consumed in political trials, administrative purges, and denigrating propaganda.
The government must understand that the opposition is not an enemy. It is a necessary part of democratic life. To treat the opposition as an adversary that must be eliminated is to deny the very essence of pluralism.
It is not difficult to understand why accusations intensify whenever economic difficulties increase. This is a familiar method: to distract public opinion with political polemics and dossiers, while the ordinary citizen faces shortages, unemployment, and insecurity.
If we truly want to build democracy, then we must accept that political competition is carried out through programs, ideas, and honest public debate, not through persecution. Justice cannot be selective. The law cannot have a party color.
Therefore, on behalf of the Socialist parliamentary group, I want to state clearly that we will firmly oppose any attempt to replace the rule of law with political revenge. We will be ready to support any reform that serves the country, but we will not remain silent in the face of violations of citizens’ freedoms and rights.
Democracy is measured not by the way the friends of power are treated, but by the way political opponents are treated. That is the real test.
(continued from page 10)