“I have decided that until the completion of the review of the legal request for transparency and the full clarification of this issue in court, Mr. (Sali) Berisha will not be a member of the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Party.”
This was the gist of a long statement made by the head of the Democratic Party (DP), Lulzim Basha, who decided to oust Berisha, the veteran leader of the party headed by the current chairman who has been picked up and protected by ‘his spiritual father’ and his close associates. Basha hastened to declare that DP is the most pro-American and most pro-European party, talking about the decision of the US State Department on former Prime Minister and former DP leader Berisha which proclaimed him and his family persona non grata, as well as the request of US Ambassador Yuri Kim to oust him from the DP parliamentary group.
According to Basha, the decision was made to avoid any misunderstanding. He praised like never before Berisha for his contribution to DP and Albania and added that in all these achievements the key partner of the Albanian Government was the United States of America.
“The Democratic Party supports the request for transparency made by Mr. Berisha, who has taken a decision in defense of his dignity, requesting this transparency in court,” said Basha. Therefore, he continued, this decision does not affect at all the contribution and achievements of Mr. Berisha as a historical leader of the DP and as President or Prime Minister of Albania during these 30 years. Basha concluded by saying he is led by the interest of the Democrats, the interest of the Democratic Party, interest of Albanian citizens in making this decision on Thursday one day before new Parliament convenes.
Berisha, a former loyal pick up of the US, has repeatedly said no one could remove his parliamentary mandate and he would be in the opening session of the new legislature on September 10, 2021.
Basha had never spoken on the issue waiting apparently to force out Berisha from the DP parliamentary group in humiliation.
