Residents of the former swamp area in Durres, which is rated as one of the most informal settlements in the country, were beneficiaries of the next round in the free legalization process. Here, in the presence of Prime Minister Edi Rama one thousand legalization permits were distributed as a fulfillment of the government’s promise for free legalizations.
Director of ALUIZNI Artan Lame said that the legalization process in this area started again after it was stopped for many years, and only after the government solved a specific problem given that the swamp area was classified as a B archaeological zone. According to Lame, this problem was solved with a special DCM. In addition, other issues such as preservation of cultural heritage and the advancement of the legalization process are being addressed.
The distribution of legalization permits was considered by Minister of Urban Development Eglantina Gjermeni as a first step towards the transformation of this area. “Through the Regional Development Fund, with a 4 million dollar project, work is being performed on infrastructure and urbanization of the area. It will be a model project, which will be implemented in other informal areas of the country” – Gjermeni said.
The first legalization permit was delivered by the Mayor of Durres Vangjush Dako. He noted that legalization is a promise kept to residents of the area, as well as the promise to build internal infrastructure is already being actualized. “We have an ambitious project for every road, alley, fencing and greenery throughout the area, as we have promised for the city to have the well-deserved name of New Durres” – Dako said.
Sami Shtufi is one of the residents of the area who, after 10 years of waiting, received today the legalization permit of his apartment. “We support the reforms you are doing in every area of life, because people need a state and not a regime”.
Afrim Alla was another resident of the area who applied in 2000, settled financial obligation, but who could become owner of his own home only today.
“I built my home 20 years ago. I am exhausted, I paid the money and received nothing”- confessed Luma Koxhaj, another resident who today was given the legalization permit.
A Democrat told his story: he paid the money, his name has been published four times in the newspaper as beneficiary of the legalization permit, but he has never received it. A similar experience was shared by other right-wing supporters, residents this area. “I built my home on my land. I paid the money in 2009, but my party did not give me anything. My name has been published in the newspaper four times”.
The Prime Minister stressed that he is proud because this process does not make any party differences. “I am very proud, I am sincerely proud, therefore I emphasize this when I have the pleasure to give the permit to those sympathizers, supporters or voters of the DP who are simple people, honest people, working people. It is their right to believe this as they used to believe that soap is cheese, but on the other hand we are proud to say that in this process we make no difference, since this is not the work of Socialists and Democrats, but is the work of Albanians, Albanian families who have built their homes with sacrifices and have been deceived unjustly all these years. We are proud because we make no distinctions. If you look at those 530 legalizations made in eight years, you will see that they are for hotels, motels, fuel stations, businesses. They are not for homes of ordinary people, nor of those who used to go to the party rallies with two fingers up in the air for all these years, and never received that piece of paper that is neither more nor less but the recognition of their hard work. So this is the big difference between us and them, but not between us and you, simple Democrats and ordinary people of this country, who have built your homes with hard work. Therefore, I wholeheartedly wish you to enjoy it for yourself and your children”.
In a conversation with residents, the Prime Minister also assured a greater support for Durres in the coming years. “You can see by yourself the transformation that has started in Durres in these 18 months during which the government in Tirana has been more attentive to this city. I assure you that in the next four years, we will do for the entire municipality of Durres what has not been done in 25 years taken together”.
