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Full statement / Rama's position on Ahmetaj and the message to the socialists

2023-07-14 19:13:00, Politikë CNA

Full statement / Rama's position on Ahmetaj and the message to the

Prime Minister Edi Rama and former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj

Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke for the first time about the accusations raised by SPAK against MP Arben Ahmetaj and about today's vote in the Parliament of Albania.

Rama stated through a video message that SPAK's request for Ahmetaj's arrest is the result of the new Justice Reform.

He distanced himself from the accusations against the former deputy prime minister, as he declared that it is not for him to say whether Ahmetaj is guilty or not, but for justice.

The head of the government stated that he was presented with a voluminous file and they could not stop SPAK from arresting the former minister.

The Prime Minister sent a clear message to all socialists, saying that he does not protect them if they abuse their power.

Full statement:

Dear fellow citizens!

Today we voted on a SPAK request to authorize the arrest of a deputy, who has covered important duties in our governments, as a minister and deputy prime minister!

This of the highest-ranking Albanian official has ended up in the investigation network of SPAK, was another test for us, as the initiators of the Reform in Justice, when we were in the opposition, its determined leaders when we came to the government and the guarantors of its steadfastness since the Reform was approved and entered the path of its implementation.

Anyone who has listened to me, since the beginning of the time, I believe, should remember that I have asked for this reform very persistently. When I said that we don't want another nut from the previous ones for justice, we want an overturn of the old justice system, I thought very carefully about what I said and I said exactly what I thought.

Removal of Ahmetaj's immunity/ Rama comes out with a video message: The SPAK file, a test for the Government
July 14, 18:35

When I spoke about the old system, I did not have in mind only the destructive decay of the semi-democratic justice of the quarter century of transition, where impunity had become a humiliating norm for Albanians and for Albania. I have also taken into account the wretched culture of a brutal justice for the common man and of a justice kneeling before the man clothed in power, a culture that has its roots since the first day of the creation of the Albanian state and until recently in our days because never, since 1912 and until the years when we, the Socialist Party of Albania, entered the sea on foot, in order to get across the Reform in Justice, it had never happened that a law breaker with power, was treated by justice as an ordinary person in violation of the law.

The only case in the historical memory of 33 years since the fall of the proletarian justice system, when a man with power has been punished by the courts of this country, that of the former prime minister Fatos Nano was, in fact, the last case of the Albanian state tradition, the persecution and political imprisonment of an opponent of successive arbitrary power, from the time before the kingdom until very recently.

The period of the communist dictatorship was then the most monstrous example of that barbaric culture of justice according to the appetite of the former.

When I said that we do not want a reform to put justice under the control of one party against the other, we want a new justice, independent of political power, capable of fighting corruption at the highest levels and organized crime, honest in its investigations and judgments, regardless of party colors, clan ties, corrupt temptations, I was not only the leader of the opposition, I was also the prime minister of Albania. I haven't talked about being in line with the prime minister's communication manual like my predecessors.

Nor have I been satisfied with the big words about the need for Justice Reform without action, but I have tried tirelessly to approve it even at the cost of the destruction of the coalition government at that time, and why not the loss of power, if it was need and to support it without any hesitation against its great purpose, even when it happens that it acts not very convincingly in any given case.

I have not only tried for the high level corruption of those who yesterday in the government robbed as much as they could and today in the opposition they smear as much as they can without even a single thorn in the leg, but I also had it for the high level of our government of course because the Albanians entrusted me with this mission and before them, either to those who chose me or to those who did not choose me, to lead this historical effort for the good of all, for this country blessed by the hand of God and hindered for so long by the hand of the slave, I cannot agree with anyone who abuses this trust, turning the mandate of the Albanians, of our voters, and my trust as well, into an impermissible opportunity to fill the pocket, working for the state.

Rama: I don't carry on my back those who inflate their pockets from power
July 14, 19:01

For the sake of this mission and to return to the Albanians, as far as my powers allow me, the extraordinary honor they have done me by entrusting me with the leadership of this country, I am ready to carry without complaint the fruitless mud that the opponents of of all kinds have been unfairly thrown in my face and chest every day for years, but I have not been, am not, and will never be ready, to carry on my back, together with the Socialist Party, anyone who mistakenly remembers the great back of this political family, the back of a horse that he can ride to plow for himself, in the field of power taken from the people.

When I said that I want a justice that sees straight, without lowering its eyes neither in front of the left nor in front of the right, to walk straight, without taking sides, to strike justly, without measuring the issues with the scales of politics, and I knew well what I said, I knew well what was coming.

Of course, to say these things, to strive with flesh and soul for this to finally happen, in this land thirsty for justice, and then to see the things that you have striven for begin to happen like this. with all the governing majority, it is not, it cannot be, the same because unlike any other transformative reform, which in one way or another affects the interests of the people, this one of justice in action affects their lives and harms and people's freedom. And when, among these people, there happen to be people with whom you have worked even very close, you have shared time, thoughts, common challenges, good and bad days, this story becomes much more difficult to live, than as long as you imagine it, plan it, create it with a vote and guarantee it with conviction in its continuity.

Unlike all other success stories of politics and governance, this story is difficult to tell as a success, with statistics and with legitimate pride in the results achieved, because it is about people detained, investigated, tried or convicted, to whom you happen to have known family members, hugged children or parents, consoled their death or wished them a happy birthday.

Arben Ahmetaj is neither an unknown person nor a distant collaborator for me. He is one of the collaborators with whom I have met more, communicated more on the phone, discussed more about many of our decisions during these years.

Rama distances himself from Ahmetaj/ "It is not up to me to say whether he is guilty or not, justice is in his hands"
July 14, 18:46

It is not up to me to say whether Arben Ahmetaj is guilty or innocent, but unlike a case a few years ago, when we were convinced that the prosecution's request should be limited and we did so, today's case was a case where the prosecution's request it had to be approved without any changes. Because unlike then, when the Prosecutor's Office came to the Parliament as a morning newspaper reader, without doing any investigation, this time we were presented with the file of a voluminous investigative work. If it does not prove the deputy's guilt, which only the court can and will say, that file creates the impression that there are sufficient doubts, not to stop the authorization requested by SPAK for the Assembly.

This concludes all my comments on the specific case. It is now in the hands of justice to tell us to the end whether it is a case of guilt or innocence, but this message does not end here, because I think it is appropriate to put a few dots on the "i", for this path that continues with the blessing of the majority of Albanians. What I have chosen, that we, the political majority of this country have chosen, is a common path, where common are the well-understood reasons, the announced goals, the concerted efforts, if separate, personal, are the experiences of the power that it is given to an individual, each individual temporarily to make decisions, different are the human virtues and weaknesses of each one, the relationships with oneself, the chair, money.

And therefore the fate of the common road is one, determined by the commonality of our efforts under the light of the sun, while the fates of fellow travelers on this road are not the same, for a hundred and one reasons, but one of which is the level of resistance against the temptation of illegal enrichment, in countless interactions due to duty, away from the public eye and in contacts with all kinds of people and interests, that life in politics or institutions, brings to the door.

Afarmendsh is never good, a day when this truth materializes, taking the face of concrete fellow travelers, because the hurtful feeling, sometimes of disappointment, sometimes of disproportionality and sometimes just surprise, is strong and the difficulty of digesting it is great, but in the end, the fact always remains that we all make our own choices and my choice cannot be changed in any way and under any circumstances.

Therefore, I am repeating once again today for our entire political family, what I have said in other words several times before, I have said it many times, since the first day of entering this building, in all the meetings of meetings of all levels of government, who confuses the common road with a road where he does two jobs, both for the state and for his pocket, takes on a responsibility that he cannot share with me or with us, but he must keep it himself, either when he goes in front of the mirror, or when he looks up from God, or when he finds himself in front of the door of justice.

Rama says it bluntly/ "I don't choose collaborators to keep them when they let themselves go"
July 14, 19:04

I have told you very bluntly and I am repeating it here publicly in front of everyone, I do not choose any collaborator not to let him go, when he lets himself off the common path, but every collaborator chooses him not to let go the way and the people who have chosen all of us to lead them on this path.

As for others, those who are universally known as enemies of the Reform in Justice or as public bullies of the fight for justice, who are in a feverish race among themselves for blood, for muddling us from all four sides or for self-consolation, as the wind blows I am suffocating them from the fear of justice, I tell them that I pity them for the lowness of their being and I welcome them with the greatest patience of their clay balls. Unfortunately, those who should have been the opposition of this country, are the more than one-century-old shame and curse of Albania, but fortunately they do not surprise or convince anyone anymore, great sinners and repressed souls, with whom the Albanian people deal as no one else can handle it, whenever they have the courage to go out and ask for votes from him, more and more bent, more and more frowning, and more and more lost,

This is neither the day to tell the weaknesses and shortcomings of the work of the new bodies of justice, nor to express concerns about the sharp problems of their new activity. This is the day to remind everyone once again what is happening with the fight against the corruption of high officials and the fact that for the first time in the history of Albania, the powerful are losing their power over justice - beyond all reservations that everyone can have, for different reasons, different points of view, the SPAK, the Special Court - has its origin precisely in this majority that governs the country, in the will of the Socialist Party of Albania, in the reluctance of its parliamentary groups yesterday and today, in our decision-making, the most daring in the Albanian political history of these three decades, to enter the sea on foot, in search of justice for Albania, for Albanians and with Albanians. It is clear that when we enter, it never happens. Convinced that only we can go in and do it.

Aware that this sea cannot be crossed without getting wet yourself and even without risking drowning from high waves, from fatigue, from losing patience or from unexpected things on the way.

Mindful of the excruciating length of this road, of the inevitable troubles with weak characters, and of the time that flies by never enough while the shore on the other side is still far away.

I am sure, like the sunlight we see, that this effort is the greatest we can do for the European Albania of our children, who will no longer live in a country with two justices, one strong for the weak and a weak one for the strong, therefore head high and forward alone. Thank you!/ CNA.al