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All the main protagonists of the political scene have spoken as the results of the April 25 elections framed the new Parliament of Albania with ruling Socialist Party (SP) taking 74 seats, the opposition Democratic Party (DP) and Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI) 59 and 4 seats respectively, and Social Democrat Party (SDP) 3 seats in the 140- member legislative body for the next four years.
President sees time until September reflection period for all
When many waited for President Ilir Meta to keep his word said before elections that he would resign in case of a SP regular victory
right after the proclamation of the result, has told Albanians in a message to them on Tuesday that it is very important that the election process held on April 25 in Albania has been concluded peacefully and that every vote is counted and administered according to law. He considered his major challenge, especially in the last two years, for the citizens to freely express their will and for Albania to return to the tracks of the Constitution, parliamentarism and political normalcy. Meta stressed that now is the time for everyone to reflect until September, when new institutions are created, stemming from the April 25 vote.
PM Rama asks Basha to accept loss with dignity, offers cooperation with DP
Without mentioning at all President Meta Prime Minister Edi Rama said in the celebration of the victory in the main square of Tirana on Tuesday that the third term will be the strongest term of a governing majority.
“This is the most difficult, the biggest, the most beautiful victory of the Socialist Party of Albania … This is the historical record of this great team with extraordinary power and that there is no second one in this country,” Rama said.
The SP head also said that if they manage to join forces with the DP, this decade will go down in history.
“We want to dedicate the third term to unity, not divisions, jobs, not quarrels… Politics has divided us, politics can unite us, because politics is the only one on earth that knows how to do both, said Rama winning the strongest applause of Socialist militants present in the rally.
His message to DP head Basha was: “My message is to accept the loss with dignity and conviction. Friendly democrats, we are the best, you are the best behind us, this is a fact and the facts should be accepted, not fought. It does not belong to me and it is not our responsibility or our right to decide how you will accept it. Whether or not Basha is in the next 4 years is your job, but with or without Basha our opposition is ourselves. We extend a hand of sincere and concrete cooperation without any prejudice.”
Basha speaks of “electoral massacre”
A short time after Rama’s message in the first speech after the results of the April 25 elections, the leader of the Democratic Party, Lulzim Basha spoke about an “electoral massacre” in the elections. Basha accused Rama of throwing millions of euros to distort the will of the voters and collaborating with representatives of crime.
“We entered this battle not with a political opponent, but with a regime that did everything to destroy the fair electoral race. They changed the constitution and the electoral code by breaking all the rules. Tens of thousands of invalid votes, the largest number ever and twice as much as the difference between the two parties,” Basha said after a meeting with heads of DP local branches and new MPs.
Further on he said Rama has cooperated and continues to cooperate openly with representatives of crime like Tom Doshi who have the whole democratic world against.
Head of SDP Tom Doshi has been lambasted by US Ambassador Yuri Kim and asked Rama and CEC not to allow him to take part in the election but his party won 3 seats and declared the coalition with SP.
“He included again the representatives of crime in his lists,” said Basha without giving any sign of what he is going to do in the future when voices are rising against him demanding his resignation after 4 defeats of DP in the elections.
Rising voices calling for Basha’s resignation
“Today, the main perpetrator of 4 political losses in a row decided to hold the Freedom House hostage in the interest of his personal power! Mr. Basha today had to take responsibility for his personal failure of 8 years! Today Edi Rama holds Albania hostage and Lulzim Basha the Democratic Party which is not a personal property of one man. It is the House of Freedom of hundreds of thousands of Albanians. No one will be able to take that hostage for any reason, in any form or at any price,” said the head of the DP National Assembly and former president Bujar Nishani on Tuesday.
Fatmir Kadilli, a member of DP chairmanship, challenged Basha asking his resignation and presented his candidacy for the post of party chairman.
In the meantime speaking on Sunday’s parliamentary elections in an interview on a local TV on Tuesday morning, former FM Besnik Mustafaj said the fear system has already been installed in Albania turning it into a very big problem for the citizens. Mustafaj, a former senior official of DP stressed that the Democratic Party managed to recover the confidence of its supporters in these years, but, according to him, the largest opposition political force failed to create a spirit to bring victory.
“The DP is facing four very difficult years. The whole of Albania is facing 4 very difficult years. The DP has recovered the confidence of its supporters to a large extent, but failed to breathe. But for me not only the campaign but also the leader can be judged. The leader is primarily responsible,” he said.
Former MP Genc Pollo also reacted to the loss of the DP in the April 25 elections.
Through a message on ‘Facebook’ on Wednesday, Pollo emphasized that April 25 was a disappointing day for the Democrats, while adding that now is the moment of responsibility, clarity and wisdom.
Rama, prime minister of Albania since 2013, congratulated himself on having won a third “historic” term, President is apparently waiting for September, Basha finds fault with Rama’s electoral massacre, voices rise swiftly for the resignation of DP head while Albania is still gripped by the pandemic and other worries. Will the projected Parliament be a herald for a new chance for change for the better or this Balkan country will follow its tradition of hostilities? The game is not over, April 25 was the kick off./argumentum.al
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