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OPINEWS

Primaries and contrast

Politiko 2025-03-08 13:39:44

Primaries and contrast

By Genc Pollo

Debate on the Democratic Party primaries in TV studios where there is no shortage of criticism and ridicule from ordinary people.

As a member of the Democratic Party, I voted in branch 5, Tirana a week ago and I am writing down some thoughts:

1-Primaries are an interesting innovation as they officially give the membership preference for “candidates for candidate for deputy”. The result is official and institutional as well as public; therefore it has a more solid basis than the candidate’s likeability according to opinion polls. The party bodies that finally approve the list of candidates (the presidency & the chairman in our case) have the responsibility to consider the result of the primaries as well as the risk if they ignore it. When voting by majority (for mayor) the result of the primaries determined the candidate of the DP/coalition. Since we have a regional proportional system it is reasonable that the primaries are weighted with other merit criteria.

2-Criticisms and allegations of irregularities (membership lists, addition of names after the deadline, etc. etc.) must be reviewed by a commission that prepares a report and recommendations. These will be used for improvements in future primaries. It should be borne in mind that there is no perfect democratic system. In early democracies we find direct and indirect voting, proportional, majoritarian and mixed, etc. Each variant has its pros and cons and is adapted to the respective country. The same can be said for primaries.

3-In any case, the contrast needs to be emphasized: in the DP, with the primaries, we have an effort for transparency and democratic legitimation of candidates for MPs.

In the leadership of the SP in v2021, Rama proposed on the winning list two incinerator officials (LK and AB, now in prison) who had no connection to the SP. The Çyrbaj file shows that the SP list in the Durrës region was drawn up by drug gangs (Rama has not given explanations for any of these cases).

 

I think this contrast is more important right now than the debate over the details of the DP primaries.

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