May 11th Campaign/ Voted by the '5D' of the municipality - Fatmir Xhafaj: There was a blow below the belt

2025-05-26 12:35:00, Politikë CNA

May 11th Campaign/ Voted by the '5D' of the municipality - Fatmir

Socialist Party MP Fatmir Xhafaj, who emerged again from the open list of Rilindja, through an exclusive interview with the media, has made a post-election analysis on the model and challenges of the competition in these elections.

He has not hesitated to emphasize the blows under the belt that came from his camp. Already known to the public as part of Erion Veliaj's group in the Socialist Party but also outside it, Xhafaj was afraid for the mandate since the one who stole votes for him was in prison, he started the campaign by reminding the socialists of the justice reform. Trying to create the impression that he has taken some distance from Veliaj.

Xhafaj, who was forced by Rama to leave the post of Minister of Interior due to his family ties to drug trafficking (how can you find a socialist who doesn't have ties to either a major drug trafficker or a criminal gang) has never openly expressed his public dissatisfaction.

But in his interview with the media he clearly mentions the blows under the belt, which suggests that the initiator of these blows was the one who removed him from the Ministership. He understands well that Rama does not openly oppose him because he needs the votes that Xhafaj, or his tutor who is in prison, have in Tirana but also wider, perhaps in the SP branches in the districts. Plus, the only one left from the "old jackets" of the SP that has already been invaded by the rebirth of the gangs, is Xhafaj. And if we mention here also Braçe who continues to increase the length of the years in the rebirth even though he is short in many ways.

Along this path, were there any obstacles raised against you…?

Yes, there have been no shortage of obstacles along the way, it was a difficult race, very competitive, with numerous challenges and, as I said above, in some aspects not very equal. Inequality from the start of the race....

....Only 12% of the votes received are from unit 10, while the rest are from the entire district. Everything, vote after vote, with numerous communications and meetings with voters and with a team of electoral volunteers throughout the district, which functioned on a daily basis and with full dedication, to whom I am very grateful.
On the other hand, I cannot deny that in my case it has also been a process with low attacks below the belt. From its beginning, some individuals were used to release some low slander and fabrications against me in some media to influence public opinion, with a single goal, how to be a loser in this race. As has happened before, we succeeded this time too, winning over them and over all the obstacles raised. This, thanks to the true and sincere votes, votes requested with humility and respect, votes given with all our hearts by a full 13,673 voters.

This is what Xhafaj declares. Meanwhile, he has his own take on the blows below the belt. Because if the opposition attacked him, it wouldn't make any sense for him to call it a blow below the belt. That's the job of the opposition, to attack the opponent.

Meanwhile, to the question, "who within your political family is interested in you remaining outside the next Parliament," Xhafaj responds by "gritting his teeth" that he does not believe there were individuals within my political force who were directly invested in this, in the media attacks against me.

Not directly, but indirectly, it is possible, hints the former investigator of the dictatorship who continues to be in the Albanian parliament, sometimes voted by the Socialist Party, sometimes by structured criminal groups, and now most recently by the 5D gang of the Tirana municipality managed by Veliaj. After all, Xhafaj's only hope is to protect him in the cell where Rama has placed him./ Syri.net