Territorial Reform, Aulon Kalaja: Rama Had a Prepared Plan and Is Seeking to Buy Time; the Administration’s Reactions Are Not Sincere

Journalist Aulon Kalaja, speaking in an interview on “News24,” analyzed the Territorial Reform and the situation created by the wildfires across the country.

According to him, the reform approved in 2015 has failed, while the current proposals do not constitute territorial reorganization but rather electoral reform.

Kalaja said Prime Minister Edi Rama had been alarmed by the reactions in 50 cities across the Republic of Albania. He said Rama had prepared a dossier and a concrete plan in advance, while describing the public hearings that were held as fake.

The journalist said the new map had been drawn up earlier and that it was not territorial but electoral. He also mentioned the burning of Socialist Party membership cards in several areas, adding that the prime minister is merely seeking to buy time.

According to Kalaja, decisions are made without consulting anyone and are implemented according to Rama’s will, which, in his assessment, does not bode well. He said he expected a strong reaction from the international community and argued that this reform would take the country backward at a time when it is claimed that negotiation “chapters are being closed.” Kalaja added that a small group of MPs had been sent out for meetings on the ground, while public administration employees had turned out on the mayor’s orders.

Turning to the wildfires, Kalaja raised concerns about the lack of the equipment and resources firefighters need. He called for major investment in the sector, including the provision of helicopters.

He said the fires in Abazë, Krujë, had been active for five days and that some of them were still burning. At the time of the interview, according to him, the fire was somewhere near kilometer marker 30 in Bojë, Krujë, while the flames had spread as far as the Halil neighborhood of Fushë-Krujë.

Kalaja said there were claims of deliberate arson, including rumors that the fires had been set to clear land for new quarries, but stressed that these remained mere speculation.

He noted that Krujë’s terrain makes it very difficult for firefighters to intervene. According to him, they are often left without the necessary support because they lack equipment and protective clothing. Kalaja said the fire engines used in the country had already been taken out of service in the West in the 1970s.

Citizens have also joined efforts to extinguish the flames, while young men from Krujë have intervened using improvised tools. Kalaja disputed Rama’s statement, saying the fire in Krujë had not been extinguished 100 percent.