FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
As Sali Berisha runs alone for the Democratic Party leadership, the blue party has admitted for the first time that the party has shrunk to just 50,000 members, down from 100,000 a decade ago. On the day of the uncontested vote, the process is being accompanied by accusations of “farce,” lack of real competition and doubts about turnout, while critics within the DP accuse Berisha of artificially reducing membership numbers to hide desertions and falling support for the party.
As Sali Berisha runs alone for the leadership of the Democratic Party, the blue party has admitted for the first time that the party's membership has been halved. But alongside the drastic decline of the Democrats, strong questions have also been raised about the real turnout in the elections.
This Saturday's Democratic Party elections are taking place without a contest and amid accusations of farce, while the process has highlighted the Democrats' deepest crisis in more than a decade.
For the first time, the Democratic Party itself officially admitted that it has around 50,000 members, a figure that shows the dramatic shrinkage of the party that once numbered over 100,000 Democrats.
In 2013, after Berisha left power, in the Basha-Olldashi race, the DP had around 100,000 members. The same figure was maintained in 2017, when Lulzim Basha faced Eduard Selami.
The decline began after electoral losses and internal divisions. In 2021, after the defeat to Edi Rama, the DP dropped to 75 thousand members.
But the “Re-establishment,” which Berisha presented as the return of the Democrats to the party after being declared “non grata,” seems to have had the opposite effect. In the last five years alone, the DP has lost or left about 25,000 more members, while historical figures and well-known supporters have distanced themselves from the party.
Even today's process is accompanied by strong doubts about real participation. In 2022, when Berisha ran against Ibsen Elezit, Rithemelimi never published the total number of members, while declaring that around 46 thousand Democrats had voted and Berisha had received over 43 thousand votes.
This time, with Berisha as the sole candidate, the blue headquarters published the figure of 50,000 members for the first time, but critics within the DP claim that this is a way to artificially reduce the base and hide the decline in participation.
According to the Democratic Party's Election Commission, 28,379 members had voted in 77 party branches by 3 p.m. However, critical voices within the Democrats claim that the figures do not match the reality on the ground and have warned of the publication of video footage from polling stations.
In a process where Sali Berisha is competing unopposed, the DP elections are being accompanied not only by a lack of competition, but also by the shadow of doubts over participation and the deep crisis that has engulfed the largest opposition party in the country.
Ne vitin 1992 ka patur mbase 100 mije anetare PD -ja or mik. Kane qene asokohe 3,7 milione ne shqiperi or mik
Ky pa frike konsiderohet referendum i thirrur nga Berisha me pyetjen: A jeni dakort te rrije ne pushtet edhe me tutje Edi Rama? A jeni dakort qe duke votuar Berishen, votoni keni votuar edhe per Ramen dhe te dy te luftojme kunder SPAK?
Pse duhet të kesh patjetër 100 mije antare? Sa antare ka CDU në Gjermanine 84 milioneshe? As 35 mije antare!