In an interview with News24, prominent analyst Fatos Lubonja commented on statements by Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj concerning Prime Minister Edi Rama. Veliaj claimed he had been threatened with more prison time unless he admitted to involvement in protests against the government and agreed to delegate municipal powers to Arbër Hajdari.
Lubonja compared the situation to practices under Enver Hoxha’s dictatorship, referring to Veliaj’s statement that he was being asked to admit involvement in protests against the prime minister.
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He stressed that his main concern was what he described as Prime Minister Rama’s belief that he can control everything and wield the same absolute power as Enver Hoxha.
“For those of us who lived through Enver Hoxha’s era, the sentences and the party purges, this inevitably brings it back to mind, albeit in a somewhat strange way. You find both similarities and differences. What immediately struck me, perhaps because of my experience of that time, was that he was being asked to admit to an accusation that the Supreme Leader was also making publicly: that we are dealing with an enemy of the party who sought to destabilize the order. And what is interesting is that he demands that he admit it or face the consequences.
“On the one hand, I see Rama as believing he has Enver Hoxha’s absolute power, and thinking that this man would accept it. I believe he sent Gogu because he thought Veliaj would agree. Instead, he received a response of a kind that could not have happened in Hoxha’s time. What concerns me is this mindset of his: he thinks he controls everything, SPAK and all the rest, and makes threats in this way. It shows that he can activate extralegal mechanisms against any enemy or opponent. I do not think we are living in a time when the justice system is controlled as absolutely as it was under Enver Hoxha. Today, the justice system is more cautious, and if this man sees that his absolute power cannot be exercised through the courts, he may mobilize elements that bring crime into play. To retain power, a dictator can mobilize other actors. In other words, bypassing every law and putting criminals into action,” Lubonja said.
Referring to Justice Minister Toni Gogu’s meeting with Veliaj, he said:
“He did not go there as a friend. The idea that he went to check on his condition is not credible. It is hard to go so far as to believe that Veliaj, in the circumstances he is in, would make something like this up. There are several elements that lead you to believe this happened,” Lubonja said.
According to him, the prime minister is paranoid and may believe that Veliaj poses a threat to him.
“Even though he is not dangerous, in his paranoia Edi Rama may consider him dangerous and take such drastic measures. In other words, he almost believes himself that it was Veliaj who encouraged those people to take to the streets in protest,” Lubonja added.
