TIRANA, Jan. 23 – The leader of Albania’s main opposition Democratic Party, Lulzim Basha, has called on citizens to join a protest rally scheduled for Jan. 27 and aimed to seek the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Basha made the latest comments Monday during a visit to southeastern Albania’s largest city, Korà§a.
Basha has been touring Albania’s main cities as the protest date draws closer, where upon hearing complaints he has called on anyone who is against the political and social developments in Albania to join the opposition protest.
The country’s opposition — made up of DP, smaller allies and the Socialist Movement for Integration — aims for the protests to end a government reign which, according to them, eases the lives of the “criminals” who keep it in power and “burdens citizens with taxes, poverty and uncertainty for the future.”
Basha accused Rama of fostering double-standard policies for businesses, as big enterprises and five-star hotels allegedly pay close to nothing in taxes, while small family businesses will face a 20 percent VAT starting from April.
According to Basha, unpaid taxes from powerful businesses mount to €50 million.
“€50 million of unpaid taxes would suffice to help all students graduate universities, all 30,000 of them, and there would still be enough left to give them monthly rewards for internships,” Basha said.
In this context, both Basha and Monika Kryemadhi, head of the SMI, have urged Albanians who are thinking of migrating to not leave the country, but join the opposition in protesting against what they call “malicious governance.”
What kick-started the protests last December was Rama’s appointment of a temporary chief prosecutor during the year’s last parliamentary session. The opposition saw this appointment as unconstitutional and organized protests both outside and inside the parliament, where MPs even let off smoke bombs.
However, Rama’s reputation has increasingly been put into question since October, when former Minister of Interior Saimir Tahiri was placed under investigation for alleged ties with the Habilaj brothers – heads of an international marijuana trafficking criminal organization.
Although Tahiri’s case has been under investigation since October, no official verdict has been taken yet, while the General Prosecution asked for more time to investigate the case at the beginning of this week.
Meanwhile, Tahiri’s MP immunity has been removed, yet his passport and right to travel were returned on the grounds the prosecution didn’t hold enough evidence to detain him.
The Socialists say their opinion polls show a majority of Albanians support the government and the opposition protest is simply smokescreen to protect opposition leaders from potential corruption charges.
