Prime Minister Edi Rama’s press statement after parliament vote on new President of Republic of Albania:
Prime Minister Edi Rama: I think we have clearly delivered on what was our goal since the very beginning of this process and all reactions clearly speak for themselves, definitely except for some irrelevant reactions within the political spectrum. This means we have already given Albania a normal President, an indisputable and irrefutable figure in terms of integrity, humanism and, definitely, in terms of devotion and commitment to the country and the people.
– Are you Mr. Rama happy with this Socialist Party’s choice? Are you happy today? Are you happy about this newest victory of the Socialist Party?
PM Edi Rama: Happiness is actually a very big word to use, but what I can fully affirm is that I am very pleased that in a quite difficult process given the mixture salad of the factions within the other half of the Parliament’s sphere , we succeeded in finalizing a process, where everyone had the chance to contribute to without any exception and a process that has already produced a figure that is clearly no identifiable with us as the party to propose him, but a figure that is identifiable with the Albanian, decent and highly respectable Albanian, with the man loyal to the country and the post, a model of the calm, reasonable and normal man.
-Mr. Rama, Mr. Begaj has been referred to SPAK regarding…(inaudible)
PM Edi Rama: These are irrelevant words and I repeat, because there are so many indictments and allegations are a sort of a national sport in this country, with lawsuits having been developed more than the democratic processes, as it used to take place in the form of anonymous letters in the past. So, I am not impressed by this fact. What I am pleased about and which is the reason I am here to issue a final statement on this issue, which was successfully finalized today, is that we have succeeded in providing Albanians with a meaningful example of the fact that we are here not for ourselves, but we are here with them and for them. This is the most important thing and time will show everything else. Everyone can be evaluated for their actions and deeds and their daily work performance. What we finalized today is the outcome of the work and a relatively long and absolutely difficult effort made by whole leadership of the Socialist Party, the parliamentary group and the party’s chairmanship to deliver on this outcome.
– Mr Rama, with the process now over, do you regret that not a consensus President was elected, a figure that would have received the opposition backing too?
PM Edi Rama: We have never asked and we have never expected to reach consensus with the dead ones. We have been here to reach a consensus with the living people and I believe that consensus with the living people, and by it I mean all the people who believe and work for this country, people who wish to raise their children in this country, people who want this country to become better, and we have fully delivered on this by electing this President.
