Socialist Mayor of Divjakë Opposes Municipality Merger and Joins Protest: The Entire Administration Stands With You!

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 plan to merge 15 municipalities across the country, including the local authority he leads, and has joined the citizens’ protest.

In his speech 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 stated that all municipal employees supported the protesters and that many of them were in the square.

He said the administration’s participation over all four days had been considerable, but stressed that services would not be interrupted. Gorrea added that every employee personally felt at risk of losing their job and that the administration had been part of the movement since the first day.

He urged citizens not to level accusations against municipal employees, emphasizing that the protest should have only one objective: preserving Divjakë’s status 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 taken 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 declared that 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 clash between the party’s grassroots and the government’s position.