Zvërnec Issue, Berisha Adamant: I Do Not Support Projects That Do Not Comply With the Law

Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha, speaking about the Zvërnec issue, said the project does not comply with the law. In an interview on A2CNN’s “Off the Record,” the Democratic Party leader stressed that he does not support any project that does not comply with the law. Regarding the Zvërnec project, the opposition leader said that development and construction permits had been issued, but the construction permit was subsequently revoked by the owner through a notarized document. He leveled harsh accusations against Prime Minister Edi Rama, saying that he had acted as though it were his private garden.

“I do not support any project that does not comply with the law. In the case of Zvërnec, it is absolutely not in compliance with the law. I look into the property, and the owner goes and tells him… I am a former prime minister and cannot be driven by emotion; I make judgments based on the law. The owner says: Ask Ardit Bido who owns the land. He did not say that for no reason. He said it to Rama. It is in his conversation with Rama, because Rama secretly went there and met with him. He told him: ‘Mr. Prime Minister, ask Ardit Bido who owns the land.’ You cannot make an investment where there are ongoing court proceedings. I see that he had not complied with a single law.

What are the laws? The law is this: In a protected natural landscape, national and international law stipulates that you may not be able to invest, but you may also be permitted to invest. If you decide to invest, you must meet four European conditions. He has not complied with a single law, acting as though it were his own garden. He issued a development permit and a construction permit, so that Albanians are aware. There is a construction permit. Not only did he issue a construction permit, but that construction permit was revoked through a notarized document. He issued a permit without meeting a single condition. I have made every detail public. How can you hide it?! He issued a construction permit in January—and not one, but two permits. The developer asked for them to be revoked through a notarized document. The project violated national and international law,” Berisha said.