The Central Election Commission has confirmed the candidacy of miner and Head of the United Miners Union Elton Debreshi as an independent candidate for the April 25 elections.
The announcement was made by Debreshi himself via Facebook where he thanked all of his supporters, including journalists that have been kin to him.
“Without the help of all of you, this initiative we have taken would have been impossible. With your help we can achieve a lot for Bulqiza and the whole Diber region, for the miners, and all the workers of Albania.”
Running as an independent candidate he managed to gather the 1350 signatures needed to qualify to run in Diber County.
Debreshi was interviewed by Neritan Sejamini last night and spoke about his determination in achieving the goal of ‘miner status’ in Albania. He added he is running to raise awareness over issues affecting miners and to provide a voice for them.
“The candidacy was not my idea, it was the miners because they feel it’s the only hope to hear the voice and problems of the workers,” he said.
He added that they have been fighting for the status of ‘miner’ for 30 years and it’s their only hope to leave something behind if they are killed or injured at work. Miner status means they will receive a reward in the event of injury or loss of life. It would also guarantee better working conditions for them.
Debreshi said miners face dangers every day, spending eight hours in the mine.,
“I have seen my father injured and I myself have suffered severe blows,” he said.
The miner was adamant that he would never be corrupted or sold out if he was to become a deputy.
“We run to fight our troubles and problems. We have been disappointed for 30 years by politicians and unions. Deputies have only thought about how to get Bulqize, the mountain, the forests, the rivers, and the minerals,” he said.
But the issue is not just with the miners. Debreshi explained that there are big problems in working standards in workshops throughout Albania. Tailoring, oil, and call centers were just some of those mentioned.
“I will not stay in Tirana to eat lunch and dinner and hang out. We will not be sold for any price. I will be in Bulqize every day working on the problems and worries there,” he added.
The miner also discussed the difficulties the electoral system presents to independent candidates. In order to win a seat in just one constituency, they must receive 1% of the votes at a national level. Based on numbers from the 2017 general election, Debreshi would need to receive 16,000 votes to become an MP.
Bad conditions for miners in Bulqize are well known and reported. A total of six injuries have occurred since 2021 and one has been killed. A total of 18 have been killed in the last three years and more than 100 badly injured. The real number of injuries is expected to be significantly higher as smaller injuries are not reported.
Despite the concerning death and injury rate, no individual or company has faced any charges to date. Furthermore, administrative fines decreased from EUR 43,000 in 2019 to just EUR 7500 in 2020.
The company, owned by businessman Saimir Mane has often placed the blame on the miners, in some cases eliciting letters of admission of fault.
Debreshi was a leading figure in miner strikes during 2019 and 2020, calling for better wages, terms, and conditions for miners. You can read more about it here.
