TIRANA, September 11 – Although he has withdrawn from active politics, Gramoz Ruci, the veteran leader of the Socialist Party (SP), continues to be not only a friend, but also a close collaborator for the ruling party since the time when it changed its name from the Party of Labor of Albania (PLA) to be called SP in the early 1990s.
Ruci has been a key leader of PLA during the communist regime and his name is linked with the attempt of the regime to put down the anti-communist protests which overthrew the dictatorial regime of Enver Hoxha. Ruci was Interior Minister at the communist time but he could survive the change of powers being on top of SP leadership as well as Speaker of Parliament.
Socialists see in him the ‘father’ of socialism.
This message was conveyed even by Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj who called him ‘Comrade Gramoz Ruci’ like during the old times of the communist rule in a post on social networks on Sunday.
The Mayor posted a photo with the former General Secretary of the PS Ruci with the caption: “There’s nothing like Sundays with Comrade Gramoz,” implying that the meeting with Ruci was not random.
In the meantime, the SP head Edi Rama confirmed Erion Veliaj last Thursday as the candidate of the left for a third term at the head of the Municipality of Tirana ‘to continue the remaining works.’ /Argumentum.al
