In Albania, former Prime Minister Sali Berisha will not be part of the Democratic Party parliamentary group, the political force he founded in 1990, which he led until 2013, when he resigned after losing that year's election. The decision to leave him out was announced yesterday by the Democratic Parti leader Lulzim Basha, in a public statement, explaining that this act comes after the US State Department has banned the former prime minister and former president of the country, and his family, from entering in the territory of the United States.
Mr. Basha devoted a good part of his speech to the evaluation of the figure of Mr. Berisha. "Today's decision does not affect at all the contribution and achievements of Mr. Berisha as a historical leader of the Democratic Party and as President or Prime Minister of Albania during these 30 years. It does not affect at all what Sali Berisha represents for the history of the Democratic Party", said Basha, while underlined further that "this decision today, not at all easy for me, both in the political aspect, but above all in the human one, but I also believe for every democrat, he has as his guide, as always, only the interest of the democrats, the interest of the Democratic Party, the interest of the Albanian citizens "
According to Mr. Basha, the decision to leave Mr. Berisha out of the Democratic parliamentary group is related to this very interest. "You have entrusted me with the leadership of the Democratic Party to make decisions that shake our emotions. However, each of us, starting from me first, has the obligation to sacrifice ourselves for the interest of the Democratic Party, for the interest of the Democrats, for the interest of the Albanian citizens", declared Mr. Basha.
A few weeks ago, US Ambassador Yuri Kim publicly demanded, after a meeting with Mr. Basha, the distancing of the Democratic Party from Mr. Berisha, announcing that he expected a reflection on the issue before the start of the parliamentary session.
For his part, former Prime Minister Berisha reacted harshly to Ms. Kim's statements, stating that he would not relinquish his mandate and that the DP should seek evidence and facts.
Following the decision announced by Mr. Basha, the former historic leader of the Democrats spoke in a disappointing tone. "Decision outside any kind of statutory and legal norms of the country. Such a decision cannod be made by a man who respects the most basic principles of a free political force. I understand the extraordinary pressure he has had, but despite the pressure, I think that several times before, Mr. Basha should have considered his resignation rather than handing over the sovereignty of the Democratic Party," he said in an interview on a local TV channel.
The decision announced by Mr. Basha has caused confusion among the deputies of the Democratic Party. The meeting of the parliamentary group held immediately after the statement of the Democratic President, took place in a no less tense atmosphere, where there were voices that harshly criticized Mr. Basha, accusing him of killing the DP and denying the history of this political force.
While the new Albanian Parliament convened today in its first session, all the attention was on the Democratic Party, after last night's decision announced by its chairman Lulzim Basha to leave out of the parliamentary group the historical leader of this political force. Democrats return to the hall after a two-year absence due to the boycott. But this comeback finds them in an extremely complicated situation and under the threat of a deep rift.
Despite the numerous oppositions within the party and the cyclical clashes, mainly after the election losses, Mr. Basha has managed to stay at the helm of the party, enjoying the support of its former leader Mr. Berisha. But after yesterday's decision, the Democratic leader now faces Mr. Berisha himself.
The created breach was noticed today, openly when while Mr. Basha entered the parliament accompanied by most of his parliamentary group, Mr. Berisha, appeared separately, accompanied by three other deputies, Tritan Shehu, Edi Paloka and Flamur Noka. Near the parliament headquarters, a group of his supporters greeted him with cheers and flowers.
Mr. Berisha sat in the hall in the last rows on the right. At the exit, with harsher tones than those of last night's statements, he again openly attacked Mr. Basha, but this time talking about an agreement between him and Prime Minister Rama. "What happened is a Rama-Basha agreement at the expense of the Albanian voters and should be dismantled as soon as possible," he said, openly challenging last night's decision that leaves him out of the Democratic parliamentary group. "Out of any kind of discussion, I am a member of the PD group. Basha Rama's compromise is null and void, there is no legal support, except for the moral filth of bargaining behind a political force that stands strong in its position as opposition."
Mr. Berisha warned again that “I will take every legal and statutory initiative within the DP for its return to the pedestal it deserves. I can enter the PD headquarters at any time and you can be sure that the day will be very close when the PD regains all the strength, determination, and legitimacy to oust a ruling clique based on crime, drugs, theft of the vote of the Albanian citizens and the dirty bargains with those who turned the DP into an opposition facade", he said.
Mr. Basha avoided issuing a statement, preferring to respond only to accusations of bargaining between him and Prime Minister Rama. "Albania, Albanians, Albanian democracy, the future of Albanian families, has only one enemy, Edi Rama and his regime resulting from illegal elections which the DP does not recognize," he said.
(1/2) The difficult decision announced yesterday by Chairman Lulzim Basha deserves respect. This decision demonstrates that - as was the case 30 years ago and at other critical moments in 🇦🇱’s history - the Democratic Party has the courage to break from the past… pic.twitter.com/JCKEUH3BuO
— USEmbassyTirana (@USEmbassyTirana) September 10, 2021
Shortly before the start of today's session, Mr. Basha received the support of the American embassy for last night's action. "The difficult decision announced yesterday by President Lulzim Basha deserves respect. This decision demonstrates that, as happened 30 years ago and at other critical moments in the history of Albania, the Democratic Party has the courage to break with the past in order to build the future, to help lead Albania forward", embassy notes in a statement.