TIRANA, June 4  /ATA/ The Chairman of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, commented today outside Parliament on the recent developments in Zvërnec and the ongoing civic protests.

When asked about remarks made by certain protesters near the Democratic Party headquarters, who alleged that the opposition had been “sold out,” Berisha stated that every citizen has the right to express his or her views and opinions.

“Absolutely every protester has the right to say whatever they wish, and no one interferes with them. Of course, there is a distinction between protesters, free citizens, and opposition supporters on the one hand, and those who present themselves as an opposition to the opposition on the other; the latter are servants of the government, which is a different matter altogether.

Therefore, every free citizen within the opposition has the right to use whatever slogan they choose and to express whatever they think or believe. As for those who are artificially portrayed as an opposition to the opposition, they represent the misery of politics,” he said.

Commenting on the objections raised against development projects in the Zvërnec area, Berisha stated that the key difference between the opposition and the government lies in adherence to standards and transparency. He asserted that any development project should be carried out only in accordance with the environmental directives of the European Union and the regulations of the Natura 2000 program.

“There is zero transparency. If development is permitted on the basis of environmental assessments conducted in accordance with European directives, then it may proceed. If the indicators do not support it, the project should not be implemented,” Berisha said.

The leader of the Democratic Party stated that the opposition supports protests but does not claim ownership of them.

“We have expressed this clearly: we respect every citizen’s right to protest. But it is not for us to take credit for someone else’s protest. We never do that! There is a matter of principle,” said the party leader.

“In every case, you have never seen us step forward; we absolutely support any protest by any citizen, but we do not claim ownership of it. That would be immoral. We follow the situation—if someone goes and organizes an anti-rally in Vlora, they will face us there. That is the red line,” Berisha added.

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