Skopje, 31 July 2023 (MIA) - Alternativa leader Afrim Gashi says he would personally want to see the constitutional changes pass but adds this does not depend on Alternativa MPs, noting that party bodies would decide on the final vote.

"I would like to see the changes pass so that we continue on our integration path. Nevertheless, this is not up to our MPs. Hypothetically speaking, in case the constitutional changes fail, there is no sense in keeping this fragile majority, and elections would be a must in order to find a solution to the Euro-integration process. We should not burden ourselves with the path of Albania and other countries, we can only wish them well. I am proud that Alternativa managed to help the country get a date for negotiations when it joined the government in 2021. On our prospects without Euro-integration, let me refrain from comment, because I cannot even imagine such a scenario. It would be a dark one, for sure," Gashi told Lokalno.

According to the information he has, the constitutional changes will not pass because "the way in which the proposal has reached the Parliament shows that the ruling majority does not think about whether the revision will pass but only to tempt the opposition and for it to have an effect on the coming election result".

"Regarding our position on the constitutional amendments, the party bodies will decide on our final vote but considering that the government did not take into account our proposal over a constitutional amendment related to the fight against corruption and did not want to even consider the one regarding the change of the '20 percent' wording about the Albanian language is an indicator of its approach to the constitutional revision and the integration process in general - no interethnic cohesion, no fight against corruption, only feigning European integration. What remains is for this to be confirmed on August 18," says Gashi.

Asked if they would enter into coalition with VMRO-DPMNE if the party won at the next general election, the Alternativa leader says they are not choosing the partners by name or color but programme and political agreement.

"If VMRO-DPMNE wins the next elections and we are invited to join them in the executive, we will have to talk about the way of governance, a government programme, timeframes and guarantees that what is agreed would be implemented. This decision will be made at that time," underlines Gashi.

Photo: MIA archive