TIRANA, October 8 /ATA/ – The citizens gathered in protest today outside the Parliament over the Socialist Party’s controversial territorial reorganization bill.
The protest was called by the Democratic Party in opposition and its allies, as well as by other groups of protesters who have been demonstrating outside the Prime Minister’s Office for days.
To maintain public order, police established a security perimeter around Parliament, blocking protesters from approaching the building. A water cannon truck was also stationed nearby, ready to deploy if the situation would escalate.
Tensions spiked during the protest when demonstrators blocked the Elbasani Street intersection near the Namazgah Mosque, triggering clashes with police who ordered the roadway cleared.
Tensions escalated on “Joan of Arc” boulevard as protesters attempted to pull down a metal police barrier. Officers responded with tear gas, while the crowd retaliated by throwing eggs and smoke bombs. Nearby, demonstrators set fire to trash bins near the Parliament building. Democratic Party MPs Bardh Spahia, Klevis Balliu, and Saimir Korreshi were also in attendance, joining the demonstration.
The affected mayors by the administrative-territorial reform also joined the protest outside Parliament during the legislative session.
Hilë Curri, the mayor of Fushë-Arrëz, criticized the restructuring, stating that it impacts 300,000 residents across 15 municipalities. He described the map as a clientelist design that ignored EU expert recommendations. Furthermore, he questioned why municipalities like Konispol and Delvina were excluded and placed political responsibility on Arbjan Mazniku. He argued that the map fails European standards, distances services from citizens, and erases local identities.
Albert Malaj, the mayor of Memaliaj, urged Members of Parliament to reject the measure. He noted that residents had been protesting for two months and called on all MPs to vote against a reform he claims violates both the Albanian Constitution and the European Charter of Local Self-Government. Malaj also had a brief confrontation with police officers near the Namazgah Mosque.
Fisnik Qosja, the mayor of Kavaja, joined the demonstration as Parliament debated the territorial changes.
The Socialist Party’s draft law envisages reducing the number of municipalities in the country from 61 to 46 by merging 15 municipalities.
The municipalities slated for merger are Fushë-Arrëz, Klos, Rrogozhina, Dimal, Poliçan, Patos, Divjaka, Selenica, Maliq, Këlcyra, Memaliaj, Libohova, Cërrik, Belsh, and Përrenjas. /r.e/p.s./
