FLASH
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In a move that has surprised many within the Socialist Party, Edi Rama has been seen in a one-on-one meeting with former MP Koço Kokëdhima, one of his closest figures, with whom he had not had any public contact for nearly a decade. The meeting took place in a bar near the National Arena and comes at a time when the prime minister is in a very uncomfortable situation....
Edi Rama is known for his infidelities. There are dozens of people he once considered friends, but almost all of them he either expelled from the SP or sent to prison. Only those who know how to say "Yes" and are ready to do everything he tells them follow him. Whoever said "No", today has either gone behind bars, or is looking after his affairs away from the SP. However, in the situation he finds himself in, Rama has started to look back. SPAK is "eating" everyone one by one and now Babloku seems to be trying to restore old friendships.
The news of the day today was a meeting between Edi Rama and Koço Kokëdhima. Once two very close friends who had even made plans to "grow old in Vuno", at least that's what Rama had declared. But then they parted ways. Even today there is a lot of mystery about why they broke up, but undoubtedly the suspicions are that there are bargains in between.
However, the two "licked what they spat" and according to "News 24" a few days ago they had dinner at a bar at the "Arena Kombëtare". According to media reports, they were both happy and laughing throughout the meeting. This meeting comes after 10 years of separation.
The Rama-Kokëdhima friendship did not arise by chance. It began to become public about 18 years ago, in the late 1990s, at a key moment for both. Edi Rama returned from Paris to Tirana, summoned by Fatos Nano to head the Ministry of Culture, while Koço Kokëdhima moved from Fier to the capital, where he founded the newspaper “Shekulli”. From the first years, “Shekulli” was openly positioned in support of Rama and for almost 15 years remained one of the strongest media voices in his favor, despite the political costs and controversies.
The relationship between them quickly developed into a very close personal and functional bond. Rama was seen as a kind of mentor to Kokëdhima in the development of his businesses, while Kokëdhima provided public support, influence and a wide network of contacts. Within and outside the SP, this relationship was constantly criticized, but it remained strong and unchanged for years. Kokëdhima himself called Rama “my investment”, while Rama described Kokëdhima as a “model businessman”.
For a long time, Kokëdhima was perceived as a key figure behind the scenes, a kind of “eminence grise” of Rama. He played important roles in political negotiations, including contacts with Ilir Meta during 2012–2013, as well as communications with other political forces. This influence was formalized when Kokëdhima himself entered politics and was elected as an MP, taking on a leading role in the South of the country and creating quite a few clashes within the SP.
The breakup came in 2016, when the Constitutional Court stripped Kokëdhima of his parliamentary mandate for conflict of interest. After this decision, the relationship between him and Rama was almost completely severed. Kokëdhima gradually withdrew from active politics and today operates as a businessman, but receives tenders from the government. However, the separation remained unclear and never fully explained.
The latest meeting between them comes at a delicate moment for Rama. With the pressure of justice and the crackdown on close government figures, the resumption of communication with a powerful former ally is not seen as a coincidence. Whether this dinner was simply a closure of the past or a step towards a new relationship behind the scenes remains to be seen.
But one thing is certain: the Rama-Kokëdhima story is no ordinary friendship. It is a model of how political power and economic influence have been intertwined for years in Albania. /Pamphlet
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