Prrenjas residents reject merger with Librazhd: Call for the community’s voice to be respected

The Prrenjas Municipal Council has officially opened public consultations on the new Administrative-Territorial Reform. A total of six public hearings with citizens are planned across the territory of this municipality.

The first meeting was held in the Qukës Administrative Unit, where residents unanimously spoke out against the possibility of merging Prrenjas Municipality with Librazhd Municipality.

During the debate, citizens listed economic, geographical and administrative reasons for opposing any further territorial expansion of their local government unit.

According to them, moving the administrative center would create obstacles to accessing public services. Residents said that greater distances would make it more difficult to access local institutions, while also increasing the costs and logistical difficulties involved in obtaining documents and basic services.

The hearing also highlighted the need to protect local identity and representation. Citizens argued that any territorial reorganization should respect the distinct characteristics of communities and ensure an administration as close as possible to residents.

In addition to opposing a possible merger with Librazhd, participants also voiced strong criticism of the way the consultations were being conducted.

Some residents described the hearing as a “facade” and “yet another farce,” saying that the Special Parliamentary Commission should have consulted communities on the ground before drafting proposals or recommendations to change the administrative map.

Attention was also directed toward the MPs representing the area in the Assembly of Albania. Residents called on them to take a clear position and convey the community’s expressed will during the parliamentary process.

According to the citizens, the area’s MPs should take their opposition into account and, if the proposal to merge the municipalities is put to a vote in the Assembly, vote against it.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the residents of Qukës requested that every argument and position presented at the meeting be fully reflected in the official minutes and sent to the responsible institutions.

They called for the public consultation not to be treated as a formality, but for the community’s opinion to be genuinely taken into account in the final decision on the Administrative-Territorial Reform.

The consultations will continue in the other administrative units of Prrenjas Municipality. The position expressed by the residents of Qukës represents the first public response in this series of hearings to the proposal for a possible territorial reorganization.