Omonia does not withdraw/Rama's request: Give Fredi Beler a few hours' leave to take the oath

2023-08-18 19:37:00, Politikë CNA

Omonia does not withdraw/Rama's request: Give Fredi Beler a few hours'

Prime Minister Edi Rama

4 days ago, a protest was held in support of the elected mayor of Himara, Fredi Beleri, who is still in prison for election corruption.

After this protest came a reaction from Prime Minister Edi Rama, who stated that such events can bring regressive consequences in the rekindling of nationalist tones and hatred between Albania and Greece.

But Omonia sees Rama's concern as a success of the protest.

In a statement made this Friday to the media, Omonia says the protest was not organized by Greek politicians, but by people who put a stop to the Government's plans.

Omonia asks the Prime Minister to resolve the impasse and accept the request to give Fredi Beleri a few hours leave for swearing in.

Full statement:

A protest, which can well be described as an advertisement of morals and democratic values, took place in Himara on Monday, August 14, with the main slogan the immediate release of the mayor of Himara, Fredi Beleri.

More than 1,500 people from the area of ??the Himara Municipality, as well as friends from Greece and Albania, joined their voices in the central pedestrian walkway of Spile and asked the Albanian government to respect the will of the people of Himara, as reflected in the votes of May 14.

Alongside the members of the municipal council of the electoral coalition and the local branch of OMONOIA, the former minister of justice Mr. Ylli Manjani, representative of the Democratic Party Mr. Ivi Kaso, the general chairman of OMONOIA, Mr. Vasilis Kajos, the chairman of PBDNJ and deputy, Mr. Vangjel Dule, the mayor of Igoumenica, Mr. Ioannis Lolos, the mayor of Thessaloniki, Mr. Konstantinos Zervas and the mayor of Athens, Mr. Kostas Bakojanis. In the end, the activity was closed with an audio message from the mayor of Himara, Mr. Fred Beller.

We were honored with their presence, the deputy of Zone A' of Thessaloniki of the New Democracy Party Mr. Konstantinos Giulekas, the deputy of Thesprotia of the New Democracy Party Mr. Vassilis Giogiakas, East Attica MP of the Hellenic Solution Party. Mr. Stylianos Fotopoulos.

Unfortunately, there was no shortage of disagreements as the local police, in an attempt to silence the voice of the protest but also to provoke us, tried to prevent the development of the protest, responding negatively to the submitted request with the ridiculous excuse that the correct address had not been declared . All of us in Himara know that behind these schemes is the agent of Edi Rama and the orchestrator of the fabricated case against Fredi Beler and the illegal surveillance of him and his associates and he is none other than the chief of police of Himara, Ermal Ajdini .

What characterizes our protest as very successful, in addition to the excellent organization and massive participation, is the fact that it provoked the intervention of the Albanian Prime Minister, Mr. Edi Rama, who didn't even have the right tact to wait for 24 hours to pass from the development of the protest, thus showing his desperation and concern. The truth is that Mr. Rama has long been obliged to make an intervention since during a press conference after the local elections he had promised that he would take a more detailed position on the issue of Fredi Beleri's arrest after the elections in Greece, which which he did not do but was content with positioning himself on this issue with anonymous articles in the Albanian media that he controls.

In his long post, Mr. Rama mentions, among other things, that the protest was organized by Greek politicians and that it is unprecedented in the history of Europe. Dear Mr. Rama, we know it is difficult, but please understand, the protest was organized by those who put a stop to your plans on May 14, by the simple people of Himara whom you despise and belittle, calling them a bunch of extremists. However, we must agree that it is indeed an unprecedented situation, as is the whole matter of the arrest and prolonged detention of the elected mayor of Himara, Mr. Fred Beller. Finally, regarding the separation of powers and independent justice in Albania, we residents of Jerusalem know very well that obstructing the oath of our mayor is only your political decision and has nothing to do with justice.

As for Himara and the Himarjotes, don't worry, we will continue to give lectures on ethics and democracy and we will continue to be an example of the harmonious coexistence of Greeks and Albanians.

We are all Freddy Beleri!

Good night, Mr. Rama!/ CNA