"Theatre, where it was, as it was!"/ Belind Kelliçi is committed to the creation of the Inspectorate that will protect the Cultural Heritage

2023-05-08 10:27:00, Politikë CNA

"Theatre, where it was, as it was!"/ Belind Kelliçi is

Illustrative photo

The reconstruction of the National Theater in the same place where it was and as it was, remains one of the steadfast commitments of Belind Këlliç as mayor of Tirana after May 14. He emphasized this promise during a meeting with the Alliance for the Protection of the National Theatre, held in the square in front of the place where one of the most important monuments of the historical ensemble of the center of Tirana used to stand. Belind Kelliçi accused Erion Veliaj of being the destroyer of the National Theatre.

"On May 17, on that terrible night when the National Theater was treacherously demolished by the mayor, I tasted the taste of handcuffs for the first time. For the sake of the truth, I was not the only one, but there were dozens of citizens, the artists who were arrested, were beaten that night, are you saying that the criminal gangs were being beaten" - said Kelliçi.

He added that the National Theater will be built where it was and as it was.

"I am in favor of development and I have always been "in favor" of building a new theater in Tirana, but without destroying the theater we had, which stood proudly here behind our shoulders. Today as we speak, we saw in December a ceremony that cost tens of thousands of euros, for the inauguration of the works and where today we speak we only have a financial hole, but above all a spiritual one, for all the citizens of the capital. I want to pledge to you that the National Theater with Belind Kelliçi as mayor will be rebuilt where it was and as it was," said Kelliçi.

Another commitment given to the artists and citizens of Tirana by Belind Kelliçi was the restoration of the historical area of ??Tirana.

"Undoubtedly, we will restore the protected historical area of ??the center of Tirana, as it was before 2018. This is of vital importance for the entire city because we have seen many times that buildings, historical monuments of the city, as many as 37 of them have been removed from the protection list and 17 of them, today as we speak, have been flattened, demolished to pave the way for the construction of concrete towers. All this in the name of development" said the opposition candidate for Tirana municipality.

Belind Kelliçi accused the current mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, of having prepared the plan for the demolition of the Puppet Theater. However, this plan will be stopped after May 14, said Këlliçi, adding that with the local referendums, the citizens will be the ones who will decide on the fate of the monuments.

"A city that today risks collapsing and demolishing the Puppet Theatre, the building of the first Albanian Parliament, which in the projects of the municipality of Tirana is planned to be built with several restaurants on the first floors and bars. I will propose them after May 14, through the return of referendums, through giving space to all citizens to decide them, that is, the opportunity for the city to decide on the Puppet Theatre. Do the citizens want it to be an ethnographic museum, do they want it to be a museum of Albanian parliamentarism, or do we make it a functional building, revive it by turning it into the building of the Municipal Council of Tirana", said Belind Këlliçi.

In the end, Belind Këlliçi made a promise for the establishment of the Inspectorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Tirana.

"In order to restore normality in the Capital and to preserve our cultural heritage, today in this square, I want to give a third promise of mine, that after May 14, I will establish the Inspectorate of Cultural Heritage as a special and permanent structure of Tirana municipality. With clear and complete competences, decisive for the protection of Cultural Heritage and the identity of the city of Tirana" - said Këlliçi.

Some of the members of the Alliance for the Protection of the Theatre, including activist Adriana Kalaja, artists Edmond Budina, Mehdi Malkaj, etc., expressed their gratitude to Belind Këlliç for the promise given by him, for the return of the National Theatre. They call on the citizens to support Këlliç in the race for the municipality of Tirana, so that after May 14 this city's identity will be protected./ CNA.al