In an interview with his “friend” Ilva Tare, Prime Minister Edi Rama responded to the accusations of the LSI that he tried to involve the State Police into the elections, suggesting that there were “no justifications” for his comments:
It was a rhetoric that I would have liked not to have happened. It wasn’t the aim to urge the police to do politics, it was to address the police as individuals off duty but there are no justifications.
No matter what the aim was, the fact that it was perceived in that form, makes the mistake mine.
During a campaign meeting on June 16 in Kuçova, Prime Minister Rama had stated:
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.
According to a Decision passed by his own Council of Ministers, the police is explicitly prohibited from engaging in political activity, whether on or off duty. The LSI has filed a lawsuit against the prime minister over his comments.
