FLASH
Shkruar nga Skënder Minxhozi
Berisha's shadow over the elections, along with its negative effect, floats in the minds and calculations made today by the leaders of the entire Albanian opposition...
The "Bashke" movement, which received 13,300 out of the 67,000 votes secured by new parties in the May 11 elections in Tirana, announced today that it is ready to cooperate with the Democratic Party for the elections for the mayor of the capital. But there is one condition. In fact, the only condition that those who want real refreshment for the opposition, which has been dragged by the nose by nostalgia for the past and the stubbornness of the leadership, have regularly had: the removal of Sali Berisha from the leadership of the Democratic Party!
Arlind Qori's stance towards Berisha is well-known, even though he is labeled as an extreme leftist, Marxist, etc. Similar to this stance has been the position of Endri Shabani towards the historical leader of the opposition, but also the public stances of Agron Shehaj and Adriatik Lapaj, who have expressed that the rotation of the political elite should be real and without exceptions of names. Berisha has long been engaged in the anathematization of Shehaj when he left the party, while the supporters close to the Doctor have staged real scenes of fights with him on the podium of the Parliament. Dashamir Shehi, who has long distanced himself from the legacy of Sali Berisha, is also swimming in the same dilemmas.
The long-standing debate within the opposition about whether Berisha is an electoral asset or a major obstacle to power has emerged victorious for the supporters of the first hypothesis. The immediate river of loyalists that the Doctor brings every time there is an election has won, even though this river is regularly insufficient to break the socialist dam that for years has seen Berisha as a secret ally during the campaign. Berisha's position atop the DP's horse is giving the upcoming election campaign in Tirana an opaque, pale and sluggish dimension, as well as the opposition that Berisha has built. While they did not worry about the 50 mandates on May 11, the Democrats do not seem to have much of a problem losing Tirana and the other five municipalities once again. After all, the socialists had them until today...
This climate of distrust to achieve a major electoral victory has become the basic political stereotype of the DP when it comes to the relationship with the government. The shadow of Berisha over the elections, along with its negative effect, floats in the minds and calculations that the leaders of the entire Albanian opposition are making today. Above all, this situation is being carefully weighed in Tirana, where the figures are more balanced than in small municipalities and where the coordination of the opposition is a primary factor in hoping for a positive result against Ogerta Manastirliu. 67 thousand votes in the electoral scale of the capital's municipality are a figure that is not at all indifferent even for a party like the DP, which has governed Tirana for many years in the past. However, we are talking in principle, since in the harsh reality of elections much more is needed than that!
What is noticeable these hours within the "SHQUP" fence is, on the one hand, an almost complete passivity to give the spark to the electoral race (as the opponent has already done), and on the other hand, the rejections of those who could have a chance against the socialists come one after another.
Tabaku, Alimehmeti and some others, who on May 11th came out with a personal bag of votes, are doing their best these hours to avoid an anemic race and half-abandoned by the party leaders. They understand that they are starting to lose even before the campaign gong has rung.
Even the enthusiasm "on paper" of Belind Këlliç, who today recalled that if you collect all the opposition votes in Tirana, they would once amount to 52% of the voters, is a faint note of motivation that does not convince even the author of the statement. Especially when talking about the politician who received only 34.6% of the votes against Veliaj in the 2023 municipal elections!
An opposition that for 12 years has been practically begging for no elections, for electoral deadlines to be postponed and for ballot boxes to be avoided, is de facto an opposition that has become accustomed to the position of the political minority in the country. It has forgotten the reflexes of power, has fallen away from the former greatness of the country's governments and the results they produced (for better or worse), leaving power in Rama's lap for as long as he wants to hold the scepter of victory.
In short, we have an opposition that is starting to be content with a lifelong mandate of oppositionism, finally taking its eyes off the seat of power. Here lies the essence of the opposition's fear of the next elections. And then we are surprised by the next Silva who crosses the opposition fence and throws himself into state offices...
Pa Berishën PD nuk fiton dot zgjedhje, me Berishën PD nuk fiton dot zgjedhje.