Extremely negative balance of DP under the leadership of Lulzim Basha/ 60 figures excluded in 7 years

29 Dhjetor 2020, 10:46, English CNA

The Democratic Party has had a very negative balance during the 7 years in opposition under the leadership of Lulzim Basha, 2013-2020. During this time, 60 well-known and influential figures were expelled, 4 new parties were formed, there were 6 electoral defeats, the local government was handed over to the political opponent, and the DP turned into a non-parliamentary party.

The DP is heading towards the next parliamentary elections, without reflecting at all on the saga of sins during the 2005-2013 government. Among the group of excluded with the signature of Lulzim Basha, four former democratic exponents will fight against the DP in the elections of April 25, 2021, at the head of 4 parties.

They are Jozefina Topalli, Astrit Patozi, Myslim Murrizi and Rudina Hajdari. The Democratic Party will most likely face Bamir Topin, at the head of the New Democratic Spirit, who has vowed not to approach Basha.
Meanwhile, the exclusion of figures with weight and contribution to this party, has occurred in 3 phases; in 2013, 2017 and this year through the ?Nishani? commission. In 2013, Berisha interrupted the political career of 36 DP deputies, among whom Ilir Rusmali, Fatos Hoxha, Viktor Gumi, Osman Metalla, Selami Xhepa, Arenca Trashani, etc.

Lulzim Basha took over the leadership of the party in the summer of 2013 a few weeks after the defeat, through a process denounced as manipulated by his rival Sokol Olldashi, but also by Astrit Patozi and other representatives.
Basha didn?t approach the expelled from Berisha, except Enkelejd Alibeaj. On the contrary,
instead he increased expulsions in 2017, interrupting the political careers of Jozefina Topalli, Astrit Patozi, Majlinda Bregu, Ridvan Bode, Arben Imami, Eduard Selami, etc.

These were replaced by new people like Klevis Balliu, Ervin Salianji, Grida Duma, Romeo Gurakuqi, Halim Kosova, Agron Shehaj, Valentina Duka etc. Throughout this 7-year period, Basha has surprisingly spoken only about the unification of the Democratic Party.
He even created a department for Historical Contributions in the DP, with the aim the returning of the figures who had contributed to the DP. Genc Ruli, Besnik Mustafaj and Mark Marku returned. Ruli, Mustafaj, Marku and Bujar Nishani were appointed in the summer of this year as members of a commission for filtering candidates for deputies.

With this commission, Basha ?got rid? of some figures he approached in 2017. Thus, Romeo Gurakuqi, Astrit Veliaj, Halim Kosova, Endri Hasa, Ervin Salianji, Luan Baçi, Tritan Shehu, Fatbardha Kadiu, Izmira Ulqinaku, Xhemal Gjunkshi and Gerti Bogdani were excluded. Five of the expelled have reacted harshly, denouncing and refusing the next purge in the DP.

Meanwhile, during the last 7 years, under the leadership of Lulzim Basha, the Democratic Party has suffered several serious electoral defeats. He lost the 2013 parliamentary elections, the local elections in 2015, the partial elections in Korça and Dibër, the parliamentary elections of 2017, and handed over all local government in 2019, not participating in the elections, after he had submitted the mandates of deputies, turned into non-parliamentary parties. During this period, the DP has won only the partial local elections in Kavaja./CNA.al