Albania celebrates Independence, Liberation Days

TIRANA, Nov 30 – The country celebrated the 97th anniversary of its independence on Saturday (November 28th), and the Liberation Day (November 29).
But there were two different celebrations, political ones.
Most observances for Independence Day were held in the capital Tirana and the seaside port city of Vlora, where the national flag was first raised in 1912.
President Bamir Topi said that 97 years later Albania is a country “with clear identity” and “a member of NATO” that will soon become an EU member as well.
“The grandeur of this date stands exactly in the fact that all those who gathered in Vlora on November 28th, 1912 were very happy and proud and had only one scope: to break free from the centuries old Ottoman rule, to found an independent Albania and to build the Albanian state of the twentieth century,” said Topi.
“The Albanians celebrate today in all the free and democratic countries where they live, work or study, where their contribution serves to the strengthening of democracy and liberty and where the challenges unite us to great and friendly nations.
“Albania, or perhaps all of us must demonstrate that the same way; united, we overcame the challenges of the early years of democracy, started the political, economic and social reforms of great transformations, established and build new relations with allied and friendly countries, successfully coordinated the irreplaceable Albanian voice in the regional challenges, build an Albania which is a NATO member, earned the trust of European Union, – the same way we will be able, wise and responsible to take our beloved country forward towards the European Union,” he said.
Topi also tried to reconcile the political fighting in the country.
“Besides the congratulations of the moment, we would have an Assembly where both the government and the opposition would be hard at work in order to confront their political options to the benefit and interest of the country and its citizens,” he said.
But the Liberation Day, Nov. 29 during the World War II has become an issue of contest.
Topi did not formally celebrate with the usual ceremony at the Martyrs of the Nation cemetery.
The governing Democratic Party changed it and said the Liberation Day was Nov. 28. They justified that saying that the former communist regime had set Nov. 29 to resemble that of former Yugoslavia as they were close after the war.
But upon coming back to power the leftist Socialists returned it to Nov. 29.
That means there are two competing Liberation dates in Albania.
That was noted this year, moreover so due to the fact that a small leftist political party is part of the governing conservatives of Prime Minister Sali Bearish.
The Socialists Movement for Integration of deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ilir Meta also celebrated Nov. 29.
Almost twenty years from the fall of the communist regime there is still no clear line on the issue. That is often used politically.
At the same time the Albanian-American community also celebrated Albanian’s independence in the United States.
In 1912 Luigj Guarkuqi, Dom Nikoll Kacorri and Ismail Qemali gathered in Vlore to raise the Albanian flag and declare Albania independent from the Ottoman Empire.
Hundreds of Albanian-Americans celebrated Albanian’s independence in the Belmont Section of the Bronx and then moved up to the Our Lady of Shkoder Church, in Hartsdale, NY, where both Albanian Catholics and Muslims joined in the ceremony of raising the Albanian flag in the front of the church, which by now has become an annual tradition at the Albanian church.
The streets of the Bronx were decorated with both Albania and American flags.