Albanian opposition to boycott emergency session

18/01/2010

TIRANA, Albania -- Lawmakers from the opposition Socialist Party (SP) plan to boycott Monday's (January 18th) extraordinary session of parliament, devoted to the aftermath of devastating floods in northern Albania. Parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli sent an invitation to each individual lawmaker, explaining the importance of the discussions. She accused the opposition of manipulating the emergency situation for political reasons. The SP said they would continue street protests against missteps by the government, including actions they say only exacerbated flooding in the Shkodra region.

Opposition lawmakers have been boycotting the work of parliament since September, after their request for an investigation into the June general elections was ignored. However, at least three SP members now say they will end their boycott in early March, saying it was the wrong move. (BBC, Shekulli, Alsat, Klan - 17/01/10)