"The municipality is on the run, its directors no longer come to work"/ Alimehmeti reveals to CNA whether he will run for mayor

2025-04-04 16:56:00, Politikë CNA

"The municipality is on the run, its directors no longer come to

The DP candidate for deputy, Ilir Alimehmeti, has spoken about the DP's performance in the May 11 elections and its ability to control the vote in these elections. Alimehmeti stated that the DP is offered maximum opportunities to protect its vote on May 11, given that they will have 2 counters out of 4 that are in total from political parties.

Doctor Alimehmeti also spoke about the situation in which the Municipality of Tirana finds itself, following the arrest of Erion Veliaj. Alimehmeti described it as a municipality on the run where employees no longer show up for work and has been usurped by Prime Minister Rama.

Asked by CNA if he would run for mayor in 2027, Alimehmeti replied that the membership decides who will run.

Is the DP stronger in terms of mechanisms to control the vote on May 11?

We have been hit before. We were not allowed commissioners, counters, the logo and the flag. We were hit politically and this means that you want to go towards dictatorship. At the counting tables this time we will have 2 DP counters, 1 SP and one PSD. Which means, 2 out of the four counters will be ours and the maximum opportunity is offered for protecting the vote.

"A magnificent word salad," is how the Prime Minister described the DP's program. Do you have a comment?

Edi Rama has always had these words, cauldron, frying pan, steering wheel, he does not have a program of his own. In 2013 he presented a program, he practically did not achieve anything. In 2017 he did not have a program at all, just like in 2021. In 2025 he brings us tales of 2030 that are the same as he told us in 2013 and he has confused whether it is 2013 or 2030. He did not have any program and now he did it only after the DP very clearly showed its program which is close to the people and the family. Seeing how the SP was slipping in the polls, in absolute terms he showed his own program, but de facto it was some of the chapters of the DP program. He changed course because I understand that our program is valid.

Will you run for mayor of Tirana in 2027?

Tirana today is paralyzed because of Erion Veliaj's bad leadership and is in Durrës because of the things he has done. On the other hand, we have a usurpation of the Tirana Municipality by the Prime Minister. It is not clear who the mayor is. There is no document for the appointment of Anuela Ristan, who appointed her? On the other hand, we have seen that Erion Veliaj has appointed Sara Goxhaj who was dismissed with Ristan's signature. This is a municipality on the run, its directors no longer come to work, they do not show up, they are reluctant to sign. A municipality where employees no longer come. This is why the law and the constitution say that in such situations extraordinary elections are declared when there are more than six months before the elections. But Rama does not dismiss Veliaj and does not announce the elections because he is afraid of losing them.

Regarding the candidacy for mayor, we have a principle within the DP in the statute and on the other hand we have a principle, bottom-up democracy, which is the members, the people who decide who they think best represents the Municipality of Tirana and there will be a process in this regard./ CNA