Albanians are ‘afraid’ to die as there’s no place for them to rest

TIRANA, Aug. 28 – Though it seemed clear it was another event, or expression of the ever political squabbling in the country, Tirana residents should have ironically stop dyeing until the government and city officials end their row over space shortages in the Albanian capital’s graveyards. Tirana municipality senior official Eduart Shalesi declared Monday that Sharra cemetery, one of the two in the capital, was practically closed as there was no more space for the dead. The other one had space for only one more week. Tirana city hall run by the opposition Socialists blames the central government for holding up the expropriation of nearby land that would add space for two years’ worth of graves. On the other side, Prime Minister Sali Berisha of the ruling Democratic Party said during a trip to Vlora that the Tirana municipality had not sent the documentation for the expropriation there, thus turning the blame on them. He was followed by Interior Minister Sokol Olldashi trying to prove with documents how the city hall and the his ministry, then run by the Socialists, had exchanged letters trying to resolve the situation but everything had gone in vain. Democrats and Socialists have had many friction, especially with the Tirana municipality. But Albanians found a rapid solution _ they put their dead to the graves of their family members who had died long ago. There was no other way out.