PAA’s Head Duka Warns Withdrawal from Electoral Race in Face of Activity of Criminal Gangs in Shijak

The Chairman of the Agrarian Environmentalist Party, Agron Duka has made a strong warning that if the law enforcement bodies do not intervene against the gangsters in Shijak who are all in support of the Socialist Party (SP),
he will withdraw from the parliamentary elections on April 25 this year.
“The situation in the Shijak area, which is part of the area where I run for deputy, is almost in the same situation. If the same situation continues I will bring facts showing that people who are criminals are involved in the electoral campaign alongside the SP,” he said in a TV talk show on Wednesday.
According to him, this is the biggest crime that can happen to Albanians. Duka noted that this is a continuation of the political crisis as all power is in one hand. “If we continue with the same scenario, we will take Albania back.”
There are many files presented to SPAK on manipulation of elections by SP in 2017 but no one has been held responsible, while US and EU Ambassadors have warned of presence of candidates with criminal records in electoral lists of some parties. CEC has sent back the lists for reconsideration by certain parties including SP and DP.
Duka, who runs for the DP led opposition coalition in Durres, said if these criminals continue again their activities he would denounce them, and withdraw from the race because there is no victory. He also stated that this will be the last time he runs for deputy in the Albanian Parliament.
The first signal of bullism against opposition candidates has been given by PM Edi Rama who has made public a footage with SP candidates versus the opposition ones who are shown in denigrating photos. Such a ‘show’ has been accompanied by a day long comemtaries of Rama using a humiliating language against the main figures running for the opposition. Such an act before the official start of the electoral campaign heralds a very tense atmosphere against whose background these elections are expected to be held although EU has warned normal process will be a condition for the launch of the first intergovernmental conference with Albania in frame of accession process.
/argumentum.al