Opposition within the Socialist Party to the new territorial map proposal is now emerging openly on the ground. Josif Gorrea, the Socialist mayor of Divjakë, has publicly come out against the draft proposing the merger of 15 municipalities across the country, including the municipality he leads, and has joined the citizens’ protest.
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Speaking in the square, Gorrea said that a large number of municipal administration employees had taken part in the rallies. According to him, the proposed reorganization has left them feeling threatened by the possibility of losing their jobs.
The mayor said that all municipal employees support the protesters and that many of them were present in the square.
He said that participation by administration employees over the four days had been considerable, but stressed that services would not be disrupted. Gorrea added that every employee feels personally at risk of losing their job and that the administration has been part of this movement since the first day.
He urged citizens not to direct accusations at municipal employees, emphasizing that the protest should have only one objective: preserving Divjakë as a municipality.
Gorrea called for political actions and demands to be addressed elsewhere, as the rally in the square had the sole purpose of defending the Municipality of Divjakë.
He called for misunderstandings and other demands to be moved to another venue, while the square should remain dedicated to Divjakë’s cause.
The mayor reiterated that no administration employee should be accused because they all supported the citizens, and said the protest would continue until the municipality was preserved.
During his speech, the citizens gathered in the square could be heard chanting in unison: “Let’s do what Poliçan did!”
A few days earlier, in Poliçan, Socialist Party structures and supporters burned their party membership cards as an extreme form of protest against the new territorial division. Meanwhile, the head of the Socialist Party in the town submitted his resignation, highlighting the deep rift between the party’s grassroots and the government’s position.
