TIRANA, June 19 – The Has City Council’s decision on Monday to proclaim “Honor Citizen” former Socialist MP Gafur Mazreku, who in September 1997 shot Democratic MP Azem Hajdari several times in the Albanian parliament, was accompanied with great controversy in Albania.
The decision was reached with 13 votes favoring it and one abstention from left-leaning councilors, while democrat representatives were not present.
Specifically, the head of the right-leaning councilors said it was actually taken while they were taking a break.
The country’s opposition Democratic Party was the first to strongly oppose the decision.
Four days ago, the DP denounced the proposal to honor Mazreku with the motive “intellectual personality, unparalleled contribution to the local government,” demanding from Prime Minister Edi Rama “to withdraw from this scandalous decision that kills the leader of the December Movement Azem Hajdari a second time.”
It was in this context that, after the decision, the DP released a statement through its parliamentary group’s Vice Deputy Gent Strazimiri saying Rama cannot hide this time.
“The Democratic Party holds him personally responsible of the criminal decision to honor with the highest title the attempted assassin of the Democratic tribune Azem Hajdari who, along with Tirana students and citizens, tore down the regime of the fathers of those who now run the state,” Strazimiri said.
Meanwhile, Rama has categorically denied he had anything to do with the Has Municipal Council’s decision, taken after the proposal was made by Mayor of Has Adem Lala, a representative of the Socialist Party.
In a reaction coming from the PM’s office, the decision is called an “irresponsible provocation, from anyone who proposed and approved it.”
“The Prime Minister makes it known he has asked the Kukes Prefect to refuse to sign that decision, while today, at the parliamentary group meeting, has condemned this ugly manifestation of irresponsibility despite the fact the Has Municipal Council only has one Socialist representative, who voted against,” the government’s response stresses.
President Ilir Meta also released a statement on Mazreku’s possible title.
“Any act that evokes extreme conflict and criminal violence should be condemned and avoided in public life. This decision is an unnecessary provocation, an exaggeration of our society’s values, moral and clear European perspective. Honoring individuals who have been convicted by a court decision for attempted murder does not conform with the principles of a democratic society,” Tedi Blushi, a spokesman for Meta, said.
Hajdari was the leader of the 1990 student movement that led to the fall of communism in Albania. Later on, he became a political figure in Albania. Although he was shot in parliament five times by Mazreku, Hajdari died a year later, as he was stepping out of the DP’s office.
