Opposition rallies thousands, cashing in on growing discontent

TIRANA, Nov. 22 – Tens of thousands of opposition supporters came out in a protest against the government’s economic policies, claiming they are leading to rising taxes and energy prices and high unemployment.
Last Saturday’s demonstration on the main boulevard of Tirana was peaceful and without the usual harsh language used other times.
The protesters and their leader, Tirana Mayor Lulzim Basha, accused the governing Socialists of taking the country into recession.
The party’s legislators have been boycotting Parliament since July after the physical violence against one of their lawmakers. In September, with the formal boycott of the new session they complained the coalition government was ignoring their complaints.
“The country is in recession and the recession was caused by the government,” said Basha on a podium raised in front of Prime Minister Edi Rama’s office protected mainly by lines of policewomen. “Tax increase is no solution.”
Democrats say that the leftist government has broken electoral pledges by increasing electricity, taxes and fuel price and also expenses for themselves too.
“Don’t give to the oligarchs what you take from the people and citizens,” said Basha, pledging continued protests “for our rights, to save the country.”
Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist party swept to power in June 2013, pledging to create new jobs. However, unemployment stood at 17.7 percent in the second quarter of 2014.
This year, Albania was approved to negotiate the possibility of membership in the European Union.
Rama has accused his predecessors, the Democrats, for taking the country into a 70 percent of the GDP public debt, a failed energy and taxation system, with up to $700 million unpaid money to the private businesses.
Following hundreds of millions of dollars of assistance from the IMF, World Bank and the European Union, Albania expects a GDP growth of 1.7 percent next year.
Police declined to give a numbering of the participants, while Basha put the number at 200,000. Indipendent observers noted the number was smaller.
Their leader, Basha said Monday after the rally they will continue to hold protests all along the country until the government paid attention to their requests.
Rama responded in his social media sites saying that the fight to cut the power supply lines to the thieves would continue, as would also go on the destruction of illegally built buildings.
The protesters and their leader, Tirana Mayor Lulzim Basha, accused the governing Socialists of taking the country into recession.