On. The night that station president trump. We meet with global newsmakers and talk about the stories that matter is there oh. I have the me ok im willing to be here in the stream today will be abandoned democracy elections are sad for this weekend but an escalating political crisis could be real the vote as a waste tweet us or leave comments in our live chat and you might be in this free. Growing Political Tension in albania is putting the countrys local elections in jeopardy and sparking violent demonstrations the crisis bubbled over in february when the Opposition Democratic Party withdrew from Parliament Since then opposition supporters have been protesting across a media demonstrators are accusing Prime Minister eddie rama of corruption and tomorrow that he steps down a move that would trigger a new National Elections the countrys president has called off the june the 30th elections but the Prime Minister vals that they will go on as it would joining us to discuss all of this interim a. Little probably shes a member of the socialist party and minister of state for parliamentary relations but hes chairman of the youth form of the Democratic Party of albania and also we have been since released hes an independent journalist whos been covering up any and politics for several media organizations including out his ears welcome good to have you here gentlemen hopefully well have a lease on the funny just a moment but vincent i am just going to start back in the 2017 and elections for albania i mean 2019 opposition parties oh really matt what happened in the last 2 years that they were mad inbetween. So basically in 2007 there were general elections in the media the government says they won the elections fair and square and they want to majority on one party won the majority and they say that and they actually were satisfied by the International Community on the lift side you have the opposition who said there were there are some allegations of vote buying of influencing the elections and im sure billions can say miller about that and explain more about that and yet their opposition is basically saying that the government cheated elections ok opinions you have questions dont trying to decide these what free and Fair Elections back in 2017 so why 2 years later you sang dont know taking part in the local elections which coming up in saudi. Its not that we are not the were not taking part in that we decided to years after we had denounced all the regularities of the election process in 2017 in the general elections that were managed by this government in 2000 so again and also of the major scandal was is that in back in 2016 actually and this is also the main focus on the german newspaper build if you will see in the wire tapes that have been out in the last 2 weeks showing that. A clear scheme of vote by including the Prime Minister including the minister of energy the head of the National Security commission the head of the Law Commission in parliament m. P. s and high ranking officials were involved in this clear scheme of buying in this region up in the north of albany out of the bridge and we had denounced this scandal in 2016 and these are facts these are not the accusations by the opposition we have denounced this issue and these facts in 2016 and Nothing Happened from the Prosecutors Office and then we came to 290 day protests that we held in 2017 and we decided to have an agreement with the socialist party and with the socialist Prime Minister indira. For the sake of the country and for the sake of the european integration of the country to hold elections in 2017 with the with the main. Press from us it will not pass the elections from from from the government and will not buy any votes what happened is that you always see always see all of the year in 2017 stated by a poll that was financed by the office of the e. U. Delegation albania there that at least 20 percent of the boarders you know dana had sold their vote meaning that 20 percent of the men dates in the parliament that came out from the elections of 2017 straight were false. And were book so. This is a government many important things in and what you just said so i want to break it down just a little bit 1st firstly you mentioned build and that is the german publication german newspaper so take a look at my screen here this is balkan insight who the latest news on this is the albanian Prime Minister is vowing to sue over leaked tapes that he calls a blackmailing this is in reference to the german journalist who claims or released a report that were intercepted conversations alleging corruption now the Prime Minister. Is saying that that is blackmail hes pushing back against that so we got a video comment from someone who explains why this led to what were seeing today this is evie and hes a member of the General Council your party the Democratic Party heres what he told the stream german media built published where. Local election 2016 and the general elections in 2017 were manipulated by the organized. But you may view it can be only one solution to the crisis resignation will be in order to create space for a free and Fair Elections with the. Critters. The opposition requests the implementation of 1st those decree for as long as there is no Constitutional Court to prove the opposite its amazing how. So you say youre joining us on the phone ill direct this video comment to you theres a clear to man there they want the Prime Minister to step down what do you make of what he says. Hi i can hear you now perfect tie so. Thats ok were happy that you can knowing he was going on that were happy to join us i played a video comment from a member of the Democratic Party hes the general counsel and he says he and the party want the Prime Minister to step down what do you make of that paul. It has been the general cold the open vission that has relinquished their mandate and organized protests and are now boy call things local elections we considered. Obviously absolutely unacceptable and on june 3rd with having elections we are not alone in this. Partners and. The political situation in albania including the u. S. State department and then. The reports that the report and. Commissions have stated. Its a legitimate argument in the government and there should be no violent protests as well as there should be. Boycotting the parliament or be calling off elections that is absolute. Even though they will try to get. This current albanian government seems to be quite scandal prone any scandals that you actually say that with us we are responsible. Well lets speak about the 2017 elections i heard at home and there even if you know the boy says no to reaching the. Various i hear you. I heard a comment about 2017 your actions say that. If you you know dear old to do ration and they reported the 2017 elections had the. Best elections in albania has organized in 2017 the opposition again went on. The. Way that they were not going to partake in the lections the Prime Minister and the majority had made an agreement with mr basher the leader of the opposition the 6 implored the ministries including the ministry of interior the ministry of Health Ministry of education the minister of justice. As well as the head of the century Election Committee as well as the majority that was done in good faith. They may fashion and excuse me for excuse me for interrupting you because were watching this is an International Audience trying to understand some basics about politics all that any scandals any Corruption Allegations that you call investigate things yes were responsible were looking into this i dont lets simplify it so yes or no but just help us understand this in a simple way. Im sorry i didnt hear your question yes so i am asking you very straightforwardly are there any scandals any corruption of the opposition is accusing you of the ruling party yes actually we are investigating this were looking into this so you know. Theres nothing to be looked into. Well if i understood your question correctly let me thank you for what you are calling scandal or Corruption Allegation has not been. Charged by the prosecutors police. And vicious political retore all right. I understand that were going to move on a little bit just just so we can hear where the ruling partys position is on these accusations from the Opposition Party so we have a series of tweets and share just one of them then said this is from unita who says the albanian president s decision to call off the local elections is extreme but the Prime Ministers determination to go ahead with them which would mean that the albanian electorate could effectively vote for one party only and that would be the socialist party is even more extreme so it seems like people are having to choose between 2 extreme options based on your need us point of view vincent help us 6 understand what the actual electorate wants what do albanian people where do they follow the find themselves between these 2 poles. I think its a very partisan issue thats right and i think its a very partisan issue because i think the socialist Party Members think these elections must happen i think the democratic if you ask the democrats you will saying that that action will have the election bill needs to happen but i think its very important to listen to the International Community the International Community asset. That that action needs to need to go forward without any violence so i think that that is the these are the people we need to listen to the independent voice that is judging about what should happen next in albania theres 11 actually 111 big problem i have with the. Opposition in this discussion is that they have a better Prime Minister several times to do the catering but its a way to. To be around actually is according to them the maduro. Of a billionaire but on the other side you see that the parliament of venezuela is still active theyre still in parliament theyre still using their democratic tools and theyre still doing whatever they can the tools they have and are using them for good for the people so i understand their position and have several issues with their with the Prime Minister am without any cabinet but thing i dont understand this that they took this radical step to leave parliament and actually dont take part in elections that are can you explain that go ahead we are we are part of the process of parliament where at least 20 percent of the men dates were bought and there are the minister for state Affairs Mission the Prosecutors Office we all know it will be now that since 2016 december 2017 there is a political prosecutor you know bina the sleeps or who are hundreds of files there are these thought they must files in all being 339 dated 2017 that was published by voice of america in january of this year before we relinquished arm and its fundamentally mandates that police early shoals of the capture from the crime and from the gangs of the state and all of them into the party of to say hey just a 2nd i thought id important maintenance a pilot in albany ask you something fairly straightforward why dont you still take part in the process and that the people if they are with you move there for you gene the fact we were we war in listen what happened this government has been in power since 2013 for the 1st time after 2013 after the socialists in power in all being in politics people and politicians started to talk about the need of the decriminalization of politics this was early quest and the west from the opposition from the deep. To cut the ties of the organized crime with politics because the actual Prime Minister brought into Parliament People that had a very black criminal record so you just let out on their soul plane just now is the opposition found out effect yet that night i hear what they do not have time for the whole industry of albanian politics we are not in the last 5 years we are and i just wanted to get to the crux of the matter is that you are moving away because finish that sentence or for the 1st time you know been people are going to be part of the voting process in democracy voting process is also in north korea where the government runs against himself itself in the dinner we have to help earth free and Fair Elections where people can vote on alternative and people and politicians do not buy balls and how can we open the e. U. Negotiation talks and how can we pretend that we are living in in a democracy where voice of america where there are these 2 famous piles that are well known internationally know that fact and prove that if the strong ties of the criminal gangs with the board by process and with the capture of ministers. I hear is better i neither let me just bring out not accusations this is our Prime Minister of albania i was there i sat down with him earlier this month to discuss our brain is a political crisis this is why he blames the countrys opposition of football and as part of that for the time our time of it actually happening in albania right now having this we are not so in this electoral process. Alone because we have. Excluded the opposition. We have this letter possible because their position has self excluded. So please use leaves of. Based on its own strategy they have walked out of parliament they have burnt the mandates theyve taken the bottles they have transformed themselves in the yellow vests. And the gates in the creation of the image of an image of a brain that is not not the result of people operates but is the result of a set up i can see that. At least to the Prime Minister of the need i want to take part any shocked. Me he also mentioned molotov cocktails being thrown. Increasingly violence by elements of the protests and so it begs the question who is out there on the streets and what are they calling for so we got this tweet from alice taylor she is a journalist a pretty stern alicias i live in toronto people are calling for Electoral Reform prosecutions over Government Election rigging free and Fair Elections and into collusion between government and criminal gangs less corruption better Media Freedom the list goes on and on so we actually heard from a resident. This is the real shes a student who was out there in the streets among the protesters just this past week and heres what she told the stream about why she went out there. Dont think of rails this is the actual phrase i could use to describe the situation here it is called a political crisis but i think that this is a democracy crisis as long as we do not believe any moreno in government as long as we cannot have free and Fair Elections as the longest we are not free to choose and to be true can we call it a state democracy state no i dont think so i know that every decision that our government takes effects in our every day life effects in our economy effects in our future this way yes i was fact of the world as this friday and i will be part of every other protest to protect my country to fight for my country. And promote you seat in the people you talk to who is out among the protesters who are these are these average everyday people are these simply people who are part of the opposition who are they. I think of me as a very partisan counteract think you are either a socialist or democrats i think obama has read divided. Against these lines and i think in these pro this these are mainly people who in general elections or in local election will have voted for the Democratic Party. That said it doesnt matter and say that it is wrong that these people are protesting but i think it is very important to understand that because all this size but also a lot of people who are not going to protest so its actually the big big clash between the government and the opposition is that the opposition says. Look we bring all these people out in all the sides of the government who says the silent majority is you know doing its job and actually not protesting but willing to want to go to the ballot book and thats actually also something we probably have to see on the 1st of june when the elections will be if actually a big big number of people actually go out and protest or i would say it will go vote in these local elections since and im looking at your twitter page right now and i want you should explain why things have come back to me yet control when so were looking at breaking Regional Voting Center number 9 im just going to put the video in action here since i know you can see us and tweet at whats happening here so basically albania as 90 Regional Election headquarters and they are spread all over the country and. For in 14 of them there were small or major incidents one of them was learned about a book by the books and ballots. That were actually burned inside a school and there were several other incidents where people took the computers out of them broke them so basically in 14 of one of the 19. Regional election headquarters there were small or big instance. Why this is important is that a man of this week will have over 5000 Voting Centers where people actually go out and cast their ballots so it was for the police already pretty hard to protect these 90 Regional Election headquarters and im very curious what will happen. On sunday because the police is already spread out pretty thin what will happen if they will have the skill from 90. 00 to 5000. 00 Voting Centers and im really curious lisa i am looking at a statement on social media from the president of albania and reason he says he suspended the local elections was because he wanted that to be dialogue between the various different factions politicians so that people can get together it is unclear from my perspective what will happen on june 30th he called off the local and actions but there are still people whos going to be going to cite any such. T. S. Understood you correctly because. As i said earlier i cannot hear you where you will and i can be able to engage in the whole conversation because they couldnt hear you anyway i want to state just want to go back to the discussion and what is actually happening are the people on the street or just party protests and if you consider from the numbers and from the particularly an invitation is to develop credit back in the socialist movement for integration the 2 parties that said relinquish their mandate are organizing violent protests so this is not a protest of the people or a demonstration of the people its political elites that have been driven out by votes in 2017 theyre now want to regain their position through violence and negotiating they dont want to partake in elections theyre just saying the government should leave and we should get power. Is a very stable and secure country at this moment is not that protests are going on in the streets theyre just all going to all of particular debate weve done this from this to Political Parties on a particular day and every time that the opposition decides these 2 parties decided theyre going to be violent further there is a violent for all this every time the International Community particularly the u. S. Embassy calls on them to. Engage in a peaceful protest and not partake in any violent actions if there is a peaceful protest so these are all the asli. Protesting on the streets. I just want to make very clear. And. And i dont leave her out of a very loud and clear vent and im just wondering come june the 30th will the opposition just be in opposition with no seats. Well they are already in opposition without sees because they already left the parliament what will happen next is that they even will lose all their local municipalities because. The government is going ahead with elections so probably all men it will be won by the Biggest Party thats a socialist party and. Probably all seats will go actually all mayorships will go to the socialist party and it will be interesting to see what will happen next because probably the democratic mayors will say you know these elections are. Not fair theyre not organized you know well men are men so yeah thank you very much. We will wait and we will cover the office of the albanian elections in local elections on aljazeera dot com and what you want to leave us if we wrap up at the top of the show we asked if albania was abandoning democracy vincent here on twitter says depends on your point of view the Prime Minister abandons it by holding local elections and for the government the president abandon some ocracy by canceling them into a political agreement has been made so by the end vincent allissa he was on the phone thanks for band with us appreciate you taking part in our program today they can i was here on line next time to watch. On counting the cost 28. 00 was the deadliest year for the Aviation Industry in well find out just what went wrong. Could it lead to its exit from the euro but should you be worried about the kids having too much screen time counting the cost. 2 years of overgrazing the damage caused to the precious cross. Is being reversed with one of the worlds biggest conservation projects. Theyre pretty emblematic of the pedigree and if theyre plentiful and theyre like this one is then you know that the system is going back and that they feel no threats and thats what youre going for. On al jazeera. We will continue to increase pressure on. Tehran says its the end of any diplomacy with washington u. S. President donald trump impose new sanctions. And. Also coming up we want to show people that there is a Great Potential a great future white house Senior Adviser in the tells aljazeera his economic conference for palestinians will be a success despite widespread protests against it