TIRANA, Nov. 1 – As the deconstruction of buildings preventing the new urban development plan of Himara began on Tuesday morning, the inhabitants of the coastal city awaited the Territory Inspectorate’s diggers waving Greek and American flags in a sign of protest.
About 160 police forces coming from Vlora, including the rapid intervention Special Forces of Fier, were assigned to guard and look after the inspectorate’s mission and the work of the diggers.
Police forces reported an incident of a citizen trying to put a tanker truck on fire during the operation.
“A citizen has been accompanied to the police station due to attempted arson on a tanker truck located at the premises where objects are being deconstructed,” police representatives stated. “The police and rapid intervention groups remain present for the progress of the operation and the prevention of any possible criminal acts.”
Out of the 23 objects to be deconstructed so that the urban development plan of the city can take place, it has been reported that five have already been demolished by the diggers.
The demolitions were halted after the Vlora Administrative Court issued a ruling to protect several homes slated for demolition.
Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Artan Shkreli said the urban development project will continue, adding all local residents, whose properties will be affected by the project, will be duly compensated upon presenting the necessary documentation for their expropriation.
However, many residents are concerned that they will be paid sums far less than the homes are worth and some cannot prove they own their homes, even though they have been there for more than 100 years.
Ethnic Greek Human Rights Union Party leader Vangjel Dule called the situation alarming and said indigenous Greek minority members were being robbed while being removed from their ancestral lands.
He said the reason behind this was Prime Minister Edi Rama’s wish to remove legal owners and a historical community, pushing them to migrate. Dule said Rama’s behavior was that of “an invader.”
Athens said on Tuesday that it was closely monitoring events in Himara. Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Kotzias said Athens had not reacted to the demolition of houses and other buildings in Himara as the Albanian government had promised the owners would be compensated.
The approval of the urban development plan by the Municipal Council of Himara back in August gave birth to reactions by Athens, the Greek foreign ministry and Greek minority rights groups in Albania.
“Albanian authorities appear to see the violation of the rights of the Green national minority as more important than the country’s European integration,” ministry spokesman Aleksandros Gennimatas has previously told journalists. Moreover two separate clashes between OMONIA activists and police already happened in the past as activists looked to disrupt the council meeting so the development plan wouldn’t go forward, Tirana Times has previously reported.
OMONIA leader Fredi Bejleri has said his organization would lobby with the Greek and Cypriot governments to use their votes against Albania’s membership in the European Union while the Party for Justice, Integrity and Unity, representing the Cham community in Albania, reacted to these statements by saying that the calls on Greece and Cyprus to act against Albania constitute criminal offenses and should be prosecuted as such.
Albania does not recognized Himara and nearby villages as a Greek minority area, seeing the residents as Greek-speaking Albanians. Meanwhile the property rights and development issue is complicated by the fact that the area is the most desirable place in the country for tourists, which puts development pressure on the locals.
