DUI to resume blocking Parliament in September

The Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), which leads the European Front parliamentary group, announced it will resume procedural blockades of the Assembly from September unless the draft law on fair representation is withdrawn from the agenda.

"We have serious objections to that law. It lacks the basic principles that a law must contain; therefore we will strive and do everything we can to prevent that law from passing," said Imran Zhupani, a member of the Presidency of the party's General Council.

Zhupani added that withdrawal of the fair representation bill is not the only condition for ending the blockade. He named the draft law on higher education as a second requirement, saying the opposition's remarks on that bill were not taken into account by the authorities.

Dispute over the voting formula

DUI and the European Front insist the fair representation law should be adopted with the so‑called "large Baderter" — meaning a majority of the total number of MPs who belong to non‑majority (ethnic minority) communities. Parties in government rejected that demand and said the law would be adopted with the "small Baderter", meaning a majority of MPs from ethnic communities present at the session.

The party criticizes the proposed legal solution as insufficient because it does not provide ethnic quotas; DUI argues that omission could reduce Albanian representation in the public administration. The draft also does not oblige institutions to register applicants' ethnicity for hiring or promotion, nor does it foresee sanctions for non‑compliance, according to DUI representatives.

Report: Tamara Grncharoska

Photo: press material from the event