Albanians celebrate Independence Day

TIRANA, Nov. 30 – Albanians celebrated on Nov. 28 the country’s Independence Day. A day later, Nov. 29, is marked as the country’s Liberation Day at the end of WWII.
Nov. 28 is celebrated annually and is also known as “Flag Day.” On November 28, 1912, after five centuries of Ottoman rule, Albania achieved independence upon declaration by the country’s founding father, Ismail Qemali.
Thirty-one years later in Nov. 29 Albanians also liberated their country from the Nazi occupiers.
Unfortunately, these two national days serve also as a tool political squabbling.
The governing Democrats of Prime Minister Sali Berisha believe that the liberation day is also Nov. 28 and the communist dictatorship set it Nov. 29 on purpose in order to coincide with that of neighboring Yugoslavia of that time.
The government now and the Democrats always celebrate liberation day together with Independence Day on Nov. 29.
The opposition Socialists, including the Socialist Movement for Integration of Ilir Meta who is in the governing coalition now, celebrate it on Nov. 29.
That was noted during the celebrations this week too.
President Bamir Topi, Parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli and Premier Berisha held the ceremonies Sunday while Socialists’ leader Edi Rama and also Meta, but at different times, celebrated it Monday.
At the cocktail party held Sunday, President Topi also used the moment to call on both political groupings to give an end to their dispute and take the country ahead in its reforms and integration process toward the European Union.