TIRANA – “Let him wait for the fire from Surrel to the supermarkets and luxurious objects of the oligarchs linked with the organized crime. This is my appeal to the Albanian citizens, this is my call to the opposition. The theater is the red line, the act of war will have the deserved merit,” the Democratic Party (DP) leader, Lulzim Basha has threatened the Prime Minister, Edi Rama who is set to demolish the National Theater in Tirana, Albania.
Basha launched this threat after a meeting with artists representing the Alliance for Theater Protection (ATP) at the DP premises on Thursday as the Tirana Municipality has declared that it is determined to destroy the National Theater after the government transferred its ownership to it. Municipality police forces have been seen moving in the surrounding areas of the Theater. “Any step to destroy the National Theater is an open act of war towards the citizens and not only towards art and artists,” Basha said in a press conference using a harsh language not so common in his rhetoric of the past weeks when there has been hearsay of an eventual meeting of him with PM Rama on the electoral reform.
“If this power takes to the end its madness to set the Theater on fire, let him wait for the people at any usurped institution,” said Basha.
In another related event President Ilir Meta filed a lawsuit at Constitutional Court against the decision on the demolition of National Theater on Thursday considering it unconstitutional. “The Municipality has no competencies to own a cultural heritage, that’s why the theater must continue being a property of Albanian republic,” said Meta, who revealed that he did not see any reflection of the government and the municipality after his appeal made on May 9. “I waited and watched the reactions from both leaders. These two authorities have openly stated that the political goal is not to withdraw from the demolition of existing building and the construction of a new one. Statements are not in accordance with the Constitutional Court. Municipalities must protect cultural facilities.”
The National Theater is related to the general national interest and Tirana Municipality cannot own it and cannot express itself beyond its competencies. The property of the National Theater is owned by the Republic. Both the request and the issue of President Meta, and that of July 24, must continue to be considered, as both of these opposing acts are acts that affect the existence of the National Theater complex. The right to decide on the existence of property related to inheritance does not belong to only one government or a municipality.
The President said it is only up to the Constitutional Court to rule on the issue of the National Theater as it has a special status.
After a meeting with officials of the Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI) on Thursday representatives of the Alliance for Theater Protection reconfirmed the agreement signed with opposition last year, which stipulates help from the latter. Actor Neritan Licaj warned that the protectors of the Theater are ready for a clash.
“We reconfirmed all the points we had with the opposition on July 25. They will come to help us with people. Instead of dealing with pandemics, they want to ruin the Theater. Where is their unity against the enemy? Even their calls are miserable. People are in trouble, PM intends to demolish the theater to get money,” said Neritan Licaj.
