16-storey tower in Tirana/ Letter to Prime Minister Edi Rama

2025-04-07 19:23:00, Politikë CNA

The residents of three buildings in the square near the "Emin Duraku" school in Tirana addressed a letter to Prime Minister Edi Rama on March 31, 2025.

In this letter, residents raise their deep concern and indignation regarding the project to build a 16-story tower, just a few meters from their homes and school premises.

According to residents, this 16-story tower directly threatens their lives and safety as residents, as well as the hundreds of students at the "Emin Duraku" school.

They also point out that urban planning laws and construction standards have been violated. Residents suspect corruption and clientelism, as they believe that individuals with power and political connections, including well-known names in the administration, are involved in this project. In particular, the role of a former Minister of Culture and her family and professional ties to the construction firm are mentioned, which makes them believe that the construction permit was granted through procedures that are neither normal nor transparent.

The full letter from Prime Minister Edi Rama.

PRIME MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA

Mr. Edi RAMA

Tirana, March 31, 2025

Honorable Mr. Prime Minister Edi Rama,

We, the residents of the three buildings in the square near the “Emin Duraku” school in Tirana, address you with this public letter to express our deep concern and indignation regarding the project to build a 16-story tower, just a few meters away from our homes and the school premises. On this occasion, we would like to bring to your attention the following:

Risk to the life and safety of residents and students

The 16-story tower directly threatens our lives and safety as residents, as well as the hundreds of students at the “Emin Duraku” school. Two of our buildings were built in 1938 and do not have a structure that can withstand the excavation and massive foundations of such a tall tower. Building in this very limited space creates a real risk of cracking or collapse. Also, the “Emin Duraku” school could suffer serious damage from future works and developments, putting the safety of the hundreds of children who learn there every day at risk.

Violation of urban planning laws and construction standards

This project has received a building permit in violation of every urban planning norm known to date. Previous requests for construction on this site have been rejected precisely because of its proximity to our three buildings and the “Emin Duraku” school. Now, unexpectedly, a 16-story project has been approved, which is only 7 meters away from the existing buildings and next to the school, ignoring legal distances and basic safety standards.

Suspicions of corruption and clientelism

From the documents and information we have obtained, individuals with power and political connections, including well-known names in the administration, are involved in this project. In particular, the role of a former Minister of Culture and her family and professional ties to the construction firm are mentioned—which leads us to believe that the construction permit was granted through procedures that are neither normal nor transparent. Manipulation of the “Emin Duraku” school project

The building permit shows the old “Emin Duraku” school. The construction company waited about a year, until the construction of the new school was completed, to create a greater “distance” from the existing school. There is a strong possibility that the original plan of the school was changed on purpose, to leave artificial free space for this tower. Such a maneuver—if proven—could not happen without the cooperation of officials and designers, seriously violating the public interest.

Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

We address your institution as the highest executive authority in the country, with an urgent request to:

Immediate cessation of work, pending the final review of the matter through legal channels.

Review and cancellation of the construction permit. o Full administrative investigation, to verify the entire permit issuance procedure and any possible changes to the “Emin Duraku” school project. o Guarantee for our safety as residents and for the learning conditions of the children of the “Emin Duraku” school.

Dear Prime Minister,

We would like to publicly raise two important issues:

First: Violation of fundamental principles and suspicions of unconstitutionality Our consultations with legal experts raise serious doubts about the legal basis on which the National Council of Territories (NKT) was based to issue the construction permit, especially by granting this institution unlimited powers that violate the criteria set for minimum distances between buildings. We believe that the legal amendments approved by Law No. 42/2019 allow bodies such as the KKT to act outside any standard set out in the law regarding urban development conditions. This means that:

There are no clear criteria regarding distances between buildings, construction intensity, or other safety conditions.

The KKT can adopt special regulations for cases under its jurisdiction, without having any legal framework or independent control to assess whether these regulations are in line with the public interest.

This unlimited discretion of the KKT conflicts with the principles of the rule of law, enabling abuses and favoritism that violate the constitutional principle of equality of citizens before the law.

Second: The dubious process and favoritism of individuals connected to the government. According to the information we have obtained, it results that:

The KKT decision supports dubious private interests, linked to high-ranking officials or former officials, at the expense of the safety of residents and children at the school. Specifically, the owners of the land, among them the former Minister of Culture, as well as well-known figures from the construction firm (Gentian Parruca and Fation Alliu).

The KKT has supported the private interest of these four individuals against the interest of hundreds of citizens, jeopardizing the life and safety of the community, as well as the public interest.

The project was approved under a new law — considered unconstitutional — which gives the KKT unlimited powers to bypass urban distances.

This legal act hides behind the term "strategic", without any clear explanation of how a 16-story tower could be of "strategic" benefit to the community.

Honorable Mr. Prime Minister, we believe that the KKT granted this dangerous construction permit for our community without your knowledge or consent.

We are convinced that the construction firm has chosen precisely the election campaign as the "appropriate" moment for abuses, thinking that: The authorities will have low attention during this interval, busy with the electoral process. The will to intervene may be weak, creating ideal conditions to advance a controversial and dangerous project.

Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

On behalf of the residents and in the interest of hundreds of students of the "Emin Duraku" school, we demand:

1. Immediate revocation of the construction permit, which was issued in flagrant violation of urban planning norms, the Constitution, and existing court decisions.

2. Compensating the landowners — including the former Minister of Culture — but only in accordance with the law and public interest standards, instead of justifying this dangerous project as "development."

3. Turning the square between our buildings and the school into a flower garden, where the community can invest itself, to improve the environment and the quality of life of residents and students.

4. Legal guarantee that the decisions of the KKT are not used to bypass urban planning criteria, so that no other community faces the risk and injustice that we are facing.

Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

We trust you a lot when you talk in these election days about the "European passport". We all want this passport

We believe we share the same view: the European passport means the European standards that we want to see in Tirana and everywhere in the country. But, according to this building permit for the 16-story tower, the “standards” are clientelistic, based on corruption, and violate the laws and the Constitution.

Our appeal is simple and direct: do not support the interests of three or four people and their financial greed, but stand in defense of the public interest and the European future of our capital.

We are determined to follow the legal and procedural paths, but we still have faith that the state institutions—with you at the helm—will establish justice and guarantee the safety of citizens.

With respect and hoping for your urgent intervention,

Residents of the three buildings in the square near the "Emin Duraku" school/ CNA