Former Democratic MP Ervin Salianji has harshly attacked the process for electing the leader of the Democratic Party, calling it a "farce" and a process without democratic standards.
Invited to Euronews, Salianji stated that voting with a single candidate cannot be considered a referendum or a real competition, while also casting doubt on the turnout figures reported by the Democratic Party.
" There is no referendum here because the referendum is not recognized by the statute. Parties operate on the basis of the law and the statute. For there to be a referendum, there must be conditions, participation, representatives who keep the votes, a membership list. They have issued a list with 51 thousand members, when the DP had 120 thousand. With one stroke of the pen, they have removed more than half of the members ," said Salianji.
He claimed that the actual turnout in the elections was much lower than what is officially reported by the blue headquarters.
" As of 1:00 p.m., only 1,898 members have voted in all of Albania. This data does not match what the media and Mrs. Vokshi are stating. They could even say 111 million, who is controlling this? Tomorrow I will publish clear videos from the voting centers where everything is visible, how many are entering and leaving ," he declared.
Salianji said that the Democrats are rejecting the process and compared the climate in the DP to the communist period.
" There is an abandonment of this process. Those who have gone en masse have put my name on the ballot. Others say that we have fought for 50 years not to be in communism and now we are going back. This is a reaction from all of Albania ," said the former democratic MP.
In the end, Salianji also issued a direct challenge to Sali Berisha, stating that the DP leader avoided the race out of fear of losing.
" This farce showed Sali Berisha's fear of facing the competition. If I were in the competition with Sali Berisha, I would defeat him overwhelmingly. Democrats are tired of losing, cheating and avoiding responsibility ," he said.
Një gjë më bën përshtypje. Po ku i gjen të ardhurat ky njeri,që del në çdo televizor? Ku punon ? Sa paguhet? Kush e paguan? Që PD- ke ka marrë fund me Berishën kjo nuk do shkollë,por ky të jetë i sinqertë e transparent me njerëzit me që pretendon se e duan për udhëheqës