When we chose Elvis Roshi as a candidate for Kavaja, we required his criminal record just like we have done with everybody else, and it resulted nil. In addition, when we supported him in his running again, we clarified in operational ways all the allegations made against him. And none of what his accusers have claimed publicly until today has proven true.

Since I have always known and respected the hardships that young Albanians have gone through amid the waves of the exile, I have believed and still believe that the story of Elvis, or Ervin, was just one of the countless stories of the young men crashing into those waves, living between the dream to succeed and the nightmare to be sent back. Changing your name to avoid being returned, deportation for staying illegally in a country, illegal crossing of border, etc. are illegal acts that many immigrants have committed since the 90s on the path to their dreams.

Therefore, I have not concealed my contempt towards the extreme hypocrisy of those who despite having many things to be ashamed of, or hide in relation to their life in politics, would lash out at the mayor of Kavaja with all sorts of slanders and accusations. Just as I have had no reason to conceal my respect for the outstanding work that Elvis Roshi has done for Kavaja, a town that today has become an excellent example of transformation.

Today, unfortunately, a thorough verification highlighted a fact hitherto completely unknown and never mentioned about Elvis Roshi, about whom every sort of lie has been told. Elvis Roshi was sentenced by the juvenile court in Italy when he was underage! I’m sorry for this, but I am firm in my belief that when a problem with justice arises, decision cannot have any other colour but black and white.

I was and remain firm in this point: Guilt is determined neither by the parties nor by the media, but by the courts. Whoever is attacked by criminal opinions that are not based on facts, but on slander, deserves solidarity. But, whoever has been sentenced by a court to imprisonment, cannot have the support of the Socialist Party to run for anything or stay in the public office he holds. In this case, the fact that Elvis Roshi has not served a single day his sentence because he was under age, cannot change anything.

That has been my line in this respect since long before the “decriminalization” law passed, and this is our line today. Nothing changes in relation to the aforementioned hypocrites, and nothing will change in relation to the aforementioned issue. And unlike the opposite party that does the contrary to what it says in relation to the stunning impurities in its parliamentary group, even by openly justifying the violation of the “decriminalization” law by one of its parliamentary members, there is no more idle talk in our political family face to proven facts. Whoever is found in violation of this line can neither be assigned nor hold any office with our support.

I have believed and will certainly always believe that treating a person as a criminal for crimes he has not committed, is something criminal. It was something criminal yesterday, and it remains something criminal today every slander, accusation, fabrication intended to criminalize a person because of the duty he holds. This applies also to Elvis Roshi!

I also believe that the resignation of Elvis Roshi today gives everyone another evidence that in these 32 months of government, a non-negotiable principle has prevailed in the Socialist Party: when a proven fact highlights a problem that belongs to justice, our government will never go between justice and any one of us.

Deeming Elvis Roshi’s service as mayor of Kavaja terminated, I will continue to support wholeheartedly the ambitious project of the Urban Renaissance of Kavaja.