The leader of the opposition party, Lulzim Basha, has undertaken an action expected of him for a long time now. He called a massive protest and has been stuck for a few days now on the boulevard in front of the prime minister’s office. The opposition wants one thing. It demands a technical government as a guarantee for free and fair elections, and threatens that if this doesn’t happen, there will be no elections in the country. Basha has repeated his declaration in an accidental meeting with journalists, indirectly stating that the clash with the majority will be long and escalated.
There is no doubt that Basha has placed a tough bet. If the pressure he and the opposition are putting on propels the government to withdraw, he has won a major battle.
If he succeeds in turning the heads of the international block and wins their support, this will be a great victory.
If the opposition pulls back without achieving anything, this will be regarded as a defeat and could have high costs for PD and Basha in the upcoming elections. This is the hard bet that Basha is playing.
Political leaders grow and develop their personality only through tough struggles and bets. The decision to protest, taking into account every possible outcome, will strengthen him as a political leader.
Personally I have another viewpoint, different, however, to the protest in the square. I believe that despite the end result, the protest of the opposition serves to create another aspect in Albania, the aspect of people’s protest, that has been missing for many years. Not a political party protest but the people’s protest. Let it be PD or the opposition present on the boulevard today. Tomorrow or in other cases more citizens will be there too. The people should understand that protest is their legitimate right and is a means to improve their everyday lives; a means to call political representatives they have voted for but who abuse their power to account.
People protest all around the world. They protest in democratic countries. In countries that are undeveloped and in despair, there are no demonstrations. There is violence, but no protest. Albania ought to learn to protest peacefully. The logic that you vote once in four years is outdated and isn’t enough. Americans are the first who are currently protesting; French people are protesting every week; the British take to the streets and stay out for many days for issues concerning them; so do our neighbors: Greeks, Macedonians, and Romanians. The protest helps to make officials more responsible.
The people in this country should protest so that parliament and government are not filled with criminals. They should protest against a parliament that is for 20% filled with people with criminal records.
The people should protest against municipalities and their ruling officials who were former convicts linked to crime. How can citizens live free, in their small municipalities, when they are headed by people who were regular and proud violators of the law?
The people should protest so that the justice system and courts no longer function based on the motto: “There is justice but justice is expensive!”
The people should protest protest against judges and prosecutors who jail people that are desperate and need support while letting out the real criminals.
The people should protest to abolish the conviction that powerful people can escape the law and destroy its power so they can justify their monkey business.
The people should protest so that the common good is not owned by four or five oligarchs who have appropriated all power through their concessions. The oligarchs are the exclusive profiteers no matter if the right or the left is in power. This doesn’t happen anywhere in the world.
The people should protest so that ministers are not arrogant and to not avoid their responsibility.
The people should protest for taxes and the way their money is spent.
The people should protest everywhere, everyday, and if they learn to do their math and not only the math of the political parties, this country will certainly be a better one. From this point of view, the ignition of the spirit of protest will teach us how to confront evil and how citizens are masters of their own destinies. Masters of their own destinies every day, not only once every four years in the voting booth.
