Speech of Prime Minister Edi Rama at today’s parliamentary session:

This is another unfortunate moment for the parliament, as every Thursday when important issues that have a great impact on citizens, such as the Territorial and Administrative Reform and the Electoral Code, are discussed, and they are directly connected to the Democratic Party but the Democratic Party has absolutely nothing to say. Neither on this nor on other issues that are directly related to what citizens expect and certainly to what is expected by those “300 thousand” democrats remained who were on the boulevard last time, and who would like to know the opinion of the DP on these issues. What the DP sees differently, what the DP thinks, how the DP thinks that what it sees differently can be done differently. So they want to know from those who they elected to represent them, how Albania can become better, because they have a right to be in opposition with us. But it never happens, because the DP is not related at all to what it takes to be a democratic party, a functional party, a representative party, that is leadership. They continue to be a body without the head, appearing in the form of two cut heads cut, and besides this they have no program, they have no idea how things can change, not to mention that from the point of views of idea they are totally disconnected with the liberal right wing which they say they represent.

As always, today they are using this Parliament – and I am sure they will continue doing so – in order the go on with their unbridled propaganda for the criminalization of the State Police. A propaganda, which has started since the first day of this government and continues intensively and sometimes escalates, being captured by facts that in fact are indisputable evidence of a big change that has happened in Albania, commenting events that actually are the result of police operations, and attacking results that in fact are the result of the work of a reinvigorated police force. Since they are very keen on using in their speeches words such as the world, Europe, internationals, Berlin that was shaken, Brussels that is trembling, and all these other capital cities that are terrified by the truths on which they are shedding a light, with great pleasure and very proudly, today I say that yesterday we finalized a communication process with FBI, which has come in Albania after the process of communication and following an invitation made to the Minister of Interior, and after a long discussion in the FBI headquarters on an early request of ours to have FBI twinned with our National Bureau of Investigation. They told us they are ready to start working together, the FBI and the National Bureau of Investigation, to escalate the fight against economic crime, organized crime, tax evasion and corruption in justice and politics. We were explicitly told by the delegation of FBI senior officials that this is a result of the fact that the most prestigious Agency against crime is persuaded of the seriousness, commitment and valid work done so far by the State Police and the Minister of Interior. Since you have many contacts with internationals, as they come to you intensively to urge you to come to your senses, use the contacts to verify what I am saying.

The Head of Delegation, one of FBI highest officials, told me among other things his brother was put in jail following an investigation conducted by FBI. So, the brother of one of the senior officials of the FBI is in prison in the US thanks to the FBI investigation. If this man were here, he would end definitely in jail because, according to your logic, he would be the real culprit hidden behind his brother. Meanwhile, the contrary is true. We are showing how we are different from you and what change we want to bring in this country. Because, this is not just propaganda for us, this is not only rhetoric, this is not only communication with the public, but this is our policy to demonstrate that everybody is equal before the law and that anyone who becomes an obstacle on our path of separation from the past will be held responsible. In fact, we have proved what you never did, neither in the beginning nor during and at the end of all those years you were in power. You never separated from your power, so it was unthinkable for you to undertake a penal prosecution following the incrimination of your power. On the contrary, you were a refuge for all those who in the name of your power killed, stole, on behalf of your power manipulated justice and used the hammer of the judge to oppress human rights and freedom in this country. You! Now as you can see there is a big difference. I am not the only one saying this. This is said by those to whom you refer. Ask them, I would add that it is up to you to act.  You know what they ask you to do, so do not be deluded that you can avoid them. You know well, because they have said publicly and repeatedly that the example of the Socialist Party must be followed by the others, and you have the names, so do not pretend you do not understand.

On the other hand, there is a trial going on between me and your first leader here and your second leader there, who in this Parliament but also outside this Parliament have become spokesman of one of these monstrous charges that you present on a daily basis to criminalize the State Police, to criminalize Minister of Interior, to criminalize the government, with little hope that in doing so the Albanian people will return to you.

I assure you that if you were present in the hearing or if come to attend the court hearing, you will be surprised by the behavior of those two, who are the accused, and instead of using the Supreme Court and the possibility I have given them bring just one evidence, do you know what they say before the court? Differently from here where they act like fearless men, before the court, just like chickens, they stand up and say: “What do we have to do here? Why are we here? We have nothing at all to do with this one (with me). We speak on behalf of the Democratic Party. What evidence do you want from us? The opinion of the Democratic Party is the evidence”. The judge replies: “Sir, do you have evidence that can support your accusations that this sir here is associated with … We will print them, because they are too many. Ok, do you have at least one piece of evidence”? “And the US Embassy statement”. Then the lawyer stands up and says: “The right of defamation is not a human right, but when someone is involved in politics, he is entitled to defame because politics is not the field of the evidence; it is the field of opinions. An opinion may be false, but it is opinion”. This is how you manage to get out of a situation in which you are drowning? With a criminalization process at any cost and by any means of the police, government, politics, with the vilest slanders that no human mind can conceive but those who are able to do what they accuse others of. As you have actually done, not every one of you, but those who had the real power in the DP, and you know who they are, and they have done that consistently. They laughed when the Minister of Interior recalled them some episodes that everybody knows, episodes that clearly show that your power was the power of the untouchable people, of the tribe, of the clan, the tribe of the one who had actually the real power. They laughed shamelessly. And shamelessness you come and attack the government for the right decisions that we take, for the categorical separation and red line we have defined between the majority and any policy that is against the law or the morality of this policy that we are making. And every police operations, that have proved to be successful and which I am not asking you to applaud, but at least to not criminalize, are by you criminalized.

In the end, you are not answering a very simple question. These operations, and all these people who are caught and punished within the police – and you mentioned here few of them – are 11% of the entire body of the State Police that we have inherited from you that is being legally prosecuted. Now what is this called? Is this called criminalization or it is called establishing standards in relation to the law, in relation to the morality of police uniforms?

Another trial will be done for this concrete case, and this time we will invite also the Professor in trial – why the professor was involved in this story, there is someone who tells you what to say and you write it down and then go to the podium and recite it – and again you have the opportunity to appear before the Supreme Court and to say on what do you base what you are saying. Just one fact, a little piece of evidence.

Finally, it is really unfortunate that this process is guided by an individual who is carrying a banner and who came out here and told us that he was innocent. I have addressed this problem since this issue came out, and I told you: you have expounded this issue I’ve said, “Okay! Let’s do it together and listen to your ideas, but what are we going to do with this person?! “Domestic courts have sentenced this man to prison for corruption, but was here and stand in any podium and shamelessly takes out what his mouth whatever others put in his mouth, something just prepared, so that he should vomit before the Albanian public, who would rather know what the Democratic Party thinks about so many issues. And you would have had many more supporters than you think you are having by means of this ordinary politics; an ordinary politics by ordinary people and with ordinary individuals. This is your right, and nobody can deny this to you. You are capable of doing to yourself the greatest irony, placing on the frontline of battle people who have real problems with justice. Those are real problems with justice that the people leading you have to deal with. Not to mention your absolute hypocrisy in believing that these people will make Albanians watching you say: let us to hear what they say because they have changed. Besides this, you don’t miss a chance to say that not only you have not changed, but you’re proud of what you have done, which is the reason why Albanians put you in this roost of people you are now.

In conclusion, I have only one suggestion: Do not talk too much, because you will have then to swallow everything comes out of your mouth, starting from the evening of 21 June, when the results of the election will come out. There you will see how many hearts you have won since last 23 June and how many Albanians believe this crap of yours. Meanwhile, it is clear to us that there is no friendship, no blood ties, no tribe relation, not party relation that prevails on our obligation to change this country once and for all. If any of these elements – that to you are more sacred than the service to this country – violates our service to this country, we choose but the service to the country; we do not choose any of these others.

I am absolutely proud that we are the first political force in the parliament, as the ruling alliance, we have the strength, we have the courage and determination to not call black what is white when it is in front of us, and white what is black when it is near us. We call white what is white and black what is black. Those who choose the white are honored, and those who chose black are out. Then, let justice do its job, not only for these two, but also for everyone else who, be sure that will follow the first ones.

Thank you!