TIRANA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Parliament of Albania is set to convene on Monday its fifth session of the ninth legislature after the summer break as a boycott by the opposition parties continued.
According to a press release of the Parliament, the Parliament session will be preceded by a conference of the headship of the Parliament which will decide on the calendar and the program of the Parliament.
For the first time in three decades the traditional opposition of the Democratic Party (DP) will not participate in the opening session due to a boycott launched in February this year together with its small ally parties.
After the opposition lawmakers resigned from their parliament seats, their seats were occupied by other lawmakers, according to the proportional lists of the parties.
These lawmakers have created three new parliamentary groups, the "Democratic" parliamentary group made of nine lawmakers, the "Independent" group with nine lawmakers, and the group of the "Right-wing parties" made of seven lawmakers.
These three groups together with the parliamentary group of the ruling majority Socialist Party (SP), made of 70 lawmakers led by the lawmaker Taulant Balla, constitute the new structure of the Parliament.
At this new session the lawmakers will begin work with some of the most debated issues, such as the procedures to dismiss Albanian President Ilir Meta, who, according to the socialist majority, has violated the Constitution of Albania by cancelling the June 30 local elections and decreeing a new date for Oct. 13, as well as the new electoral reform.
President Ilir Meta tried to cancel the local elections, which, according to him, would be undemocratic without the participation of the opposition parties.
Albania's main opposition Democratic Party and Socialist Movement for Integration boycotted the June 30 elections, calling it "illegal and unconstitutional".
Moreover, the lawmakers are expected to re-discuss nine laws, which during the summer holidays, were refused to be decreed by President Meta.
