TIRANA, June 19 /ATA/ – Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha on Friday called on his main opposition party supporters to lend their full backing to a citizen-led protest against a planned investment project in Zvërnec, urging them to participate in large numbers regardless of party affiliation.
Speaking at a news conference, Berisha was asked about Thursday’s demonstration, which briefly shifted to the headquarters of the Democratic Party.
He dismissed the move as a minor provocation, saying Democrats should not allow such incidents to distract them from what he described as the broader significance of the youth-driven civic movement.
“Attempts to draw parallels between Rama and Berisha are part of an effort by those who oppose the opposition and serve the interests of the government,” Berisha said. He also alleged that some individuals and small groups involved were funded by George Soros and his foundation.
Berisha urged Democrats to join the protest en masse, stressing that they remain Albania’s most powerful opposition force.
“They have stood, and continue to stand, as an undefeated opposition,” he said. “Since the elections, they have worked tirelessly to demonstrate to the international community the lack of legitimacy of Edi Rama’s fourth mandate, and they have succeeded.”
He noted that the opposition had staged eight nationwide protests calling for Rama’s resignation and the formation of a technocratic government to oversee free and fair elections.
Berisha said the protest movement’s five key demands were fully aligned with the views of Democratic Party members and supporters.
He added that protesters were also seeking the repeal of legislation governing environmental protection, protected areas and the Strategic Investments Corporation, measures that the Democratic Party has consistently opposed in parliamentary committees, in parliament and through legal challenges.
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