Kelliçi for the Greek media: "Coincidences" for Beleri, Berisha and the protesters of Tirana

2024-05-29 21:59:00, Politikë CNA

Kelliçi for the Greek media: "Coincidences" for Beleri, Berisha

Belind Kelliçi

The political leader of the DP for Tirana, Belind Kelliçi, in an interview with the Greek media "To Vima", has analyzed a series of political developments that have taken place in the country, from the opposition protests to the meetings of Prime Minister Rama.

The Greek media calls Këlliç, the politician who is at the head of the protests that are shaking the capital of Albania.

Kelliçi has also spoken about a number of developments, including the arrest of Berisha.

The complete article of the Greek media "To Vima"

Belind Kelliçi, the rising opposition politician in Albania, analyzes the common element of the two issues and comments on Edi Rama's visit to Athens.

"It is very painful that Edi Rama did not allow any of the successful members of the Albanian diaspora to speak at the Galaxit event."

Commenting for the newspaper "To Vima" about the last pre-electoral performance of the Albanian KM, in the closed Galaxi stadium, Belind Këlliçi, member of the leadership of the DP of Albania, former deputy and former candidate of his party for the Municipality of Tirana in the elections of 2023.

The 37-year-old American-educated politician, who comes from one of the country's oldest political lineages, the grandson of Masar Këlliç, the deputy who represented Tirana and Durrës in the first Albanian parliament in 1921, has recently been at the helm of the protests that shake the capital of Albania.

Protesters supported by the opposition tried to enter the City Hall, throwing Molotov cocktails. Their request is the resignation of the "corrupt, the chosen one of Edi Rama", the mayor of the Municipality of Tirana, Erion Veliaj.

As he analyzes the deeper causes of the serious mobilizations in the capital, this up-and-coming politician, of the main Albanian opposition, emphasizes a "coincidence" that is hidden behind the security measure of the home confinement of the leader of the Democratic Party Sali Berisha and the detention in the jail of the elected mayor of Himara and candidate for the Eurodeputy for New Democracy, Fredi Beleri: Judge Maneku-Gjoka-Shpata.

"Of course, it is not a coincidence that the same person was chosen to judge both cases, violating both the Constitution and the laws. It is clear that Edi Rama uses the judiciary against the opposition", underlines Kelliçi.

Who are the causes of the protests in Tirana against the mayor Erion Veliaj?

As I have denounced since the pre-election campaign of 2023, the mayor of the Municipality of Tirana and SP candidate Erion Veliaj, has misused public funds, and funds of the administration of the Municipality of Tirana, to ensure his third mandate. In addition to the misuse of state funds and his connections with organized crime groups, he bought votes and intimidated voters.

Are there facts about these allegations?

First, the OSCE report, for the May 2023 elections, referring to these same concerns, required the Albanian judicial authorities to take measures so that the perpetrators face the law. Meanwhile, the Special Prosecutor intervened seven months after the elections by arresting the right wing of the mayor and at the same time at the head of his electoral campaign, with the accusation of abuse of office, in the corrupt scandal of the Tirana Incinerator. Two months ago, the Prosecutor communicated the accusation to six directors of the Municipality.

As it seems, the cases are taking the paths of justice. What exactly are you looking for by demonstrating outside the City Hall?

While the mayor of Tirana denies any involvement in the scandal, the opposition invited citizens to protests.

So far, we have made eight protests in which we invite the mayor to resign and ask the Special Prosecutor to call him to account as the main economic and political beneficiary of the unprecedented corruption scandal.

Rama coexists with corruption"

Do the mobilizations against the mayor of Tirana, but also against the house arrest of the leader of the DP of Albania and the former President and former Prime Minister of the country Sali Berisha, affect Edi Rama himself?

Lord Rama controls all powers. It coexists with corruption and organized crime. All international reports emphasize that corruption is visible, extending to all levels of government. While the DASH report states that Albania has become an operational base for Organized Crime and a gateway for hard drugs in Europe.

Prestigious international mass media such as Times, El Pais, etc. have described Albania as a "narco-state", revealing links between government officials and drug cartels

Why was house arrest imposed on Mr. Berisha?

On October 20, 2023, the SPAK Special Prosecutors and the GJKKO Special Court, which are controlled by Edi Rama, ordered Mr. Berisha to appear regularly before the judicial police and banned him from leaving the country. Mr. Berisha's lawyers requested that the case be sent to the Constitutional Court, but the politically appointed judge refused. Since December 30, 2023 until today, Mr. Berisha is the only politician in Europe who is kept in isolation for political reasons. No criminal charges. He is under house arrest while the case is under investigation.

Furthermore, in violation of the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the Leader of the Opposition is prohibited from communicating with any person other than family members who live with him.

Finally, it was revealed that the judge who gave this decision, Irena Maneku Shpata, has been accused of falsifying documents and has been banned from entering Greece and other Schengen countries for 12 years.

Are there similarities in the imprisonment, the case of Mr. Berisha and the imprisonment of Fredi Beleri??

It is certainly not a coincidence that the same judge, Mrs. Maneku Gjoka Shpata, was chosen to judge both cases, violating both the Constitution and the laws, on the one hand limiting the opposition leader from exercising his duties as a deputy and on the other hand preventing Mr. Beleri from being sworn in as the elected mayor of Himara.

It is obvious that Edi Rama uses the judiciary against the opposition.

What is the reason behind preventing Mr. Beleri from exercising the functions of the Mayor of Himara?

Mr. Beleri was arrested immediately after KM's public threat on a National TV that "I would deal with him personally" Mr. Rama, his government ministers and his oligarch friends, have extraordinary interests in real estate in the south, including Himar, which is a top tourist destination in Albania.

In Himara, they need a Mayor whom they can fully control. To serve their economic interests by paving the way for the construction of tourist resorts, through which the dirty money would be cleaned.

Do you believe that Mr. Rama puts Albania's European progress at risk??

Mr. Rama failed to implement even one of the reference points related to the country's integration procedure in the EU. Rama intends to avoid any supervision or control by EU bodies.

At the same time, it will try to use any pretext as an alibi to divert attention from serious internal problems related to the absence of the rule of law.

Rama's image has collapsed

Why did Mr. Rama choose to come to Greece for a pre-election speech a year before the elections?

The image of Mr. Rama in the country is on the ground. It tries to build a nationalist rhetoric to cover its own scandals and to bear fruit in the next elections. His misgovernance causes mass emigration to Europe, a number of emigrants as much as one third of the total population. According to Eurostat, Albanian asylum seekers are the second most vulnerable group after Syrians. It is painful that Mr. Rama did not allow any of the successful members of the Albanian diaspora to speak at the event in Galaxi. Let's not forget that the Albanian diaspora has played a decisive role in the Albanian economy.../ CNA