Andi Tepelena: The protest has overcome attacks by patronage operatives; parties must either reform or remain in the history of the past

Amid the ongoing protests across the country, Andi Tepelena said that the civic movement has, in his view, managed to withstand efforts to discredit it on social media and by organized political structures.

He stated that “the regime has activated an army of patronage operatives to smear the protest,” but stressed that this confrontation has been won by the citizens and those who support them.

According to Tepelena, the protesters are united by the demand for the government’s removal, as well as the need for a profound transformation of the political system.

He underlined that political parties must enter a new stage of reformatting; otherwise, as he put it, “they will end up in the dustbin of history.”

“The regime has activated an army of patronage operatives who are trying to smear us, but we have won this battle because the citizens themselves and the influencers are a media outlet in their own right that is overcoming every form of censorship. What unites us is the fact that we all want the government removed and we are anti-caste; in order to free up a political system, a new era must begin in which political parties have a great chance to reform, otherwise they will end up in the dustbin of history. Perhaps a new political movement could begin, one that could be called ‘New Albania’ or ‘The Other Albania,’ which could happen after electoral reform,” he said.