After the militants of the Socialist Party and the Democratic Party clashed with each other during the festivities of Summer Day in Elbasan, the opposition has made public the names of some of the individuals involved in the episode, who were supporting the Socialist majority. According to the DP, at least 5 of them are part of the organized crime, while another individual identified by the opposition has been also convicted in the past for criminal offences. While both the parties accused each other for the clashes of the 14th of March, most of the media claimed that the incident was born at the moment Rama and Basha arrived both at the same moment in Elbasan to be part of the festivities. The shouting “Rama Go” by the supporters of Basha, apparently irritated the supporters of the Prime Ministers, who then started the fight with punches and kicks.
The Secretary-General of the Democratic Party Gazment Bardhi declared for the media that the criminals were sent by Edi Rama, and went on record to mention by name all the individuals that according to him are part of the criminal groups. So far, no measure has been taken by the institutions to investigate more regarding the accused names. With almost one month near the parliamentary elections of 25 April, the tense climate is clearly rising, and the clashes in Elbasan are not a single episode. Yesterday, the candidate for MP in the list of Elbasan for the Democratic Party Luçiano Boçi clashed physically with the well-known businessman Gjergj Luca, who is a great supporter of Edi Rama’s government. After the clashes, Boçi declared that Luca threatened him with his life.
Meanwhile only a couple of days ago the leader of the environmentalist Agrarian Party, Agron Duka, made a strong statement, where he declared that he may decide to withdrew from the next elections due to incriminated persons on the Socialist lists. “The situation in the area of Shijak […] continues to be the same. If the situation will continue to be the same, I will bring facts, that criminals, perhaps public and famous names, are part of the electoral campaign of the Socialist Party. Very dangerous elements […] this is the greatest crime that could happen to Albanians,” said Duka, who is currently positioned second in line in the Democratic Party candidate list in the Durrës County. Duka continued by saying that “If we continue with the same script, Albania will make backwards steps. I take the responsibility as a candidate for MP that in the near future if these names that I will continue to denounce will continue to be on the lists, I myself will withdraw from the race, because then it will be impossible to win if the situation will continue to be like that,” said Duka.
Duka’s declaration came only one day after the U.S Ambassador, Yuri Kim, said that some candidates may be disqualified from entering the next elections after the vetting process. “There are three people that the U.S. Secretary of State has designated. I will not carry their names in my mouth, but you can find the record for yourself […] It’s now with the Central Election Commission, and it’s their job, along with the prosecutors, to vet these candidates,” said Kim, adding that it shouldn’t come as a surprise if “some candidates are disqualified after that process.”
Some of the names proposed by the Socialist majority in the next parliamentary elections, include the current MP Ilir Ndraxhi, whose name was mentioned in the wiretaps of the infamous 339 file on drug trafficking and vote-buying in Shijak, and Rrahman Rraja, whose family members and nephews have had various issues with the Albanian and international justice.
