TIRANA, Sept. 6 /ATA/ – Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Sunday that Albania retains ownership of the island of Sazan, while criticising the Special Anticorruption and Anticrime Prosecution Structure (SPAK) for “using the media to discredit people it intended to prosecute.”
The government Rama made the comments in a preview of a new episode of his “Let’s Talk” (Flasim) podcast, featuring journalist Rudina Xhunga, who is due to ask him 330 questions in a marathon interview.
In excerpts released on social media, Rama also criticised the role of prosecutors and judges in political affairs, saying judicial institutions should not assume powers belonging to elected political institutions.
“A prosecutor, together with another, joined forces and decided to become the prime minister, parliament and president. I cannot accept that,” Rama said.
He also criticised SPAK’s communication with the media.
“One of the worst things SPAK has done is use the media to smear those it was going to charge. This should not happen,” Rama said.
Commenting on the situation in Tirana Municipality, Rama described its current leadership as “a social and economic experiment”, referring to the fact that Mayor Erion Veliaj remains in pre-trial detention.
“The municipality has no head. It is a social and economic experiment to run a capital city without a head,” Rama said.
Rama also rejected claims that Albania was selling off Sazan, an island off the country’s southern coast that has been the subject of a proposed tourism development.
“They are not buying the island, nor are they taking ownership of it. That island will remain the property of the Republic of Albania … I am not the seller of Albania,” Rama said.
The prime minister also reflected on his political career and the relationship between power and individuals, saying: “It was a great political talent that could not bear the weight. Power is a monstrous beast; it has consumed and absorbed many men.”
The full “Flasim Shqip” episode with Xhunga is expected to be released as part of the new season of Rama’s podcast.
/A.Fortuzi/u.sh/
