protest-opposition-Berisha – Albanian Telegraphic Agency.

Berisha says protesters chanting against opposition are “the opposition to the opposition”

Sonila Mehmeti — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 18:40:52 +0000

TIRANA, June 20 /ATA/ The DP chairman Sali Berisha spoke with citizens during a public discussion on Saturday, where he commented on recent political developments and protests in the country.

Responding to questions about slogans and chants directed against him and the Democratic Party during recent demonstrations, Berisha described those behind them as an “opposition to the opposition”, arguing that their aim was to target the country’s main opposition force.

Berisha said those critics represented what he called an “opposition to the opposition”, arguing that they sought to strengthen their position by attacking what he described as the country’s genuine opposition.

“By doing so, they help Edi Rama by drawing comparisons that cannot be compared,” he said.

Berisha dismissed the allegations against him as slander and said such individuals were attempting to undermine what he described as the cause of the civic protest movement.

Berisha described the individuals as discredited figures who, he said, were prepared to make unfounded allegations against him.

“These are discredited individuals, willing to resort to any form of slander against Sali Berisha. They are attempting to tarnish what is a significant civic protest movement,” he said.

Addressing preparations for the upcoming local elections, Berisha said the process of selecting candidates for mayoral positions would commence in the near future.

Commenting on Prime Minister Edi Rama’s assertion that the protest had an anti-American and anti-Trump character, Berisha rejected the claim.

“In my assessment, the protesters are absolutely not anti-American,” he said. “They are protesting against the government’s lack of transparency, corruption, violations of citizens’ rights and poor governance.”

Berisha also accused the government of pursuing a propaganda campaign aimed, in his view, at downplaying corruption affairs and creating the perception that the Socialist Party and the Democratic Party are indistinguishable.

He said the narrative was intended to downplay what he described as major abuses under Prime Minister Edi Rama’s administration and to draw what he called a false equivalence between the Socialist Party’s record in government and that of the Democratic Party.

With regard to the possibility of forming a caretaker government, Berisha said it should be composed of specialists, experts and individuals unaffiliated with political parties, and should secure parliamentary approval on the basis of a prior political agreement.

The Democratic Party leader also called on citizens and opposition supporters to take part in the protest.

Berisha called on opposition supporters and citizens to join the demonstration.

“I invite every Democrat and every citizen to take to the streets and boulevards of Tirana in support of this protest, which is fundamentally about defending the free vote and democracy,” he said.

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