During a campaign meeting in Kuçova on Friday, Prime Minister Edi Rama called upon the State Police to gather votes for the Socialist Party:
I call upon all the employees of the State Police, at the moment they take their uniform off, after work, to dedicate themselves to take as many votes as possible for the PS, so that we prevent the shadow of shame from returning on their uniform.
Prime Minister Rama’s call is a violation of the Decision of the Council of Ministers (VKM) approved on June 2, which explicitly prohibits the police from taking part in any campaign activity, whether on or off duty.
According to the VKM, art. 8:
State Police employees are prohibited from being a member of a political party or political organization; to support the campaign of a party, political organization, of a member of a political party, or of an independent candidate, by participating or contributing physically or financially.
It is not the first time that Prime Minister Rama violates his own orders. A campaign advertisement of the PS illegally used a police car, identifying Rama with the police forces of the country and thus violating the neutrality of the state during the elections.
