TIRANA, Aug 3 /ATA/ – Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha on Monday backed protests against the government’s proposed territorial reform, calling on residents of municipalities facing abolition to stage sustained demonstrations and reiterating his party’s pledge to restore the former local government structure.
Berisha made the remarks outside the Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Prosecution Office (SPAK), where he appeared in compliance with a court-ordered reporting requirement linked to the privatization of former “Partizani” sports complex.
He described protests in several municipalities against the Socialist Party’s proposed administrative map as “entirely legitimate” and urged affected communities to continue demonstrating until their demands were met.
Berisha said his main opposition Democratic Party favoured restoring the former municipalities that were abolished under Albania’s 2015 territorial and administrative reform.
He accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of pursuing excessive centralisation through the proposed changes, describing the reform as an arbitrary move that ran counter to the principle of decentralisation.
Commenting on the process to appoint Albania’s next prosecutor general, Berisha said the Democratic Party would not participate in selecting candidates, adding that the opposition had suspended cooperation with the governing majority following the appointment process for the People’s Advocate (Ombudsman).
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