TIRANA, June 25 /ATA/ – The main opposition Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha appealed to Albanian citizens on Tuesday evening to boycott the June 30 local election process, saying the polls were “the last-ditch effort of an autocratic regime to hold power.”
In a press statement at his party headquarters, Basha compared the Sunday’s administrative elections with the elections held during Albania’s communist dictatorship-era.
“People used to go to the voting centres, where they were given the ballot paper containing one name only and openly cast the vote in the ballot box. While the state propaganda echoed everywhere, saying the vote was a bullet to the enemy, because the latter didn’t want the people to vote for the party. Farce elections amid fear and terror were the main elements of the dictatorship,” the DP leader said.
“The best way to speed up his collapse is to abandon him. Abandon his oligarchs. Abandon his media! Abandon his civil servants! Raise your voice against them! Protest against them and hamper them,” Basha appealed.
“I know that many honest people, who work in the public administration, own a small business or any other activity that is controlled by the inspectors and policemen are being terrorized to take part in the Sunday’s elections,” Basha said, urging them not to participate in elections.
According to Basha “these elections are null and they won’t be recognized.”
“The opposition and I will do whatever we can against this illegal and criminal farce! I invite you all to do your part by boycotting the elections. I assure you all that Albania has the opportunities and the strength to get out of the abyss it has been plunged into and start building a decent future, just like any other European nation,” Basha concluded.
/j.p/u.sh/
