TIRANA, Oct 25 /ATA/-By Maela Marini/ Prime Minister Edi Rama said today that everyone had the right to call for his resignation and protest against the government, but that he could not be forced to step down through violence.
Speaking at the presentation of the new legislative package against urban violence, Rama stressed that the package contained nothing invented “in the Albanian way”.
“Not a single provision or article in it runs counter to the freedoms and rights of the citizens of the Republic of Albania. On the contrary, the spirit and letter of this package uphold a very simple truth: the freedom of each individual ends where the freedom of others begins, and everyone’s rights cease where the rights of others are infringed,” he added.
Rama said that “anyone who opposes the government or wants me to leave office is fully entitled to hold that view, express it, promote it and turn that demand into a protest”.
“My duty, and that of the government, is to ensure that anyone who wants a different government and a different prime minister can protest without any pressure,” he added.
The prime minister also stressed that he was willing to sit down with anyone who wished to express their objections to him face to face and put forward demands they believed the government should consider.
“I believe that those calling for my resignation are mistaken if they think they can impose it through violence or any other means. However, I do not believe that everything they say or demand is wrong,” Rama said.
Rama emphasised that he had a duty to defend the country and its people against any attempt to set Albania back, adding that the state must hold accountable anyone who attacks public or private property or threatens public order and security.
“This is our legal and institutional response to the urban violence and lawlessness fuelled in recent days by various malicious forces and carried out by a mob of violent individuals. The whole of Albania can now see who is bringing them to the centre of Tirana, inciting, paying and orchestrating them, not to build a better Albania, but to push the country backwards, away from the path laid down by our historic mission. And this is happening just as we are closer than ever to reaching our destination, with the flag of Skanderbeg and Ismail Qemali flying higher than ever before,” he said.
However, Rama assured the public that this time the perpetrators would not succeed, arguing that those who vandalise, burn and destroy central Tirana and spread fear across Albania through what he described as corrupt television channels do not represent the Albanian people, either the majority or the minority. He added that although the opposition may oppose the government, it does not support violence and destruction.
“Both the majority that gave me the mandate to lead Albania and the minority that did not vote for me are waiting for greater fairness in the redistribution of the proceeds of economic growth. I will address both groups in the first days of next week, presenting the positive new measures in the 2027 draft budget once it has been approved by the government. I want everyone to understand that what I will share with you will not be mere words or promises, but concrete decisions,” the prime minister added.
Rama called for patience and courage, saying that “not everyone wants Albania to succeed, remain peaceful and secure”.
“This is their final attempt before we turn the last page in the history of Albania’s accession to the European Union. They may be making a lot of noise, but they have zero chance of success. Never forget this: whether you voted for me or not, I have never betrayed the mission entrusted to me by the majority of Albania and its people, and I will never betray the trust of any Albanian who wants a better Albania and wants the flag of Ismail Qemali and Skanderbeg to stand alongside the flags of the other European Union member states,” Rama told Albanians.
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