Proposal to remove Delvina and Konispol from the administrative map strongly opposed: “It’s not reform, it’s centralization”

Democratic Party MP Ina Zhupa has spoken out against the draft of a new territorial reform, which according to media reports aims to merge the municipalities of Delvina and Konispol with that of Saranda. In her reaction, Zhupa describes this move as a further step towards centralization of power and the emptying of southern Albania, stressing that it is not about administrative reorganization but about stripping residents of the right to representation and services.

According to her, Delvina and Konispol are deeply rooted in history, identity and national heritage, and therefore their disappearance as local units cannot be allowed. She urges the residents of these two areas, regardless of political colors, to resist any proposal that merges them with Saranda.

Zhupa argued that after institutions and economic development opportunities were taken away, the majority has no right to now remove their names from the country’s map. She described this as a policy of depopulation turned into a legal act. According to the MP, removing the status of municipalities is not a reform but consolidates centralism, driving services away from citizens, weakening local representation and abandoning areas that need more investment attention, not a weaker voice.

She further elaborated on the chronology of abandonment: “After institutions were closed, after state offices were removed, after services were withdrawn, after thousands of young people were forced to emigrate due to lack of opportunities, now the government has found the ‘solution’: to also remove the municipality status for Delvina and Konispol.”

Arguing for the inalienable values of the areas, Zhupa stressed that Delvina is one of the earliest historical centers of Albania. It has played a major role in national history, education, culture and spiritual life, being for centuries an administrative and economic hub of the region, with strong patriotic features and a cultural wealth that cannot be degraded into a mere dependency of another municipality.

For Konispol, the MP noted that as the southernmost city, it has national strategic importance due to its border position, history and ties to the tradition of Çamëria. She highlighted the extraordinary archaeological, cultural and ethnographic richness of the area, as well as the specific needs that necessarily require decision-making close to the community and not from dozens of kilometers away.

In closing, Mrs. Zhupa called on all residents of Delvina and Konispol to unite against this plan, without party distinctions. She also directly challenged fellow socialist MPs from the Vlora region to openly oppose this initiative, by not voting for it and rejecting a plan that acts against the interests of citizens.