Residents of areas affected by the TID project in Durres have expressed dissatisfaction after a meeting held at the municipality, where Prime Minister Edi Rama was also present. According to their representatives, local authorities have been adamant in their stance that the project will be implemented and that the demolition of homes is inevitable.
The residents' representative, architect Entela Koja, stated that during the meeting it was made clear to them that there was no room for revision of the project, but only a selection between the options offered for prices and alternative housing.
"At the beginning of the meeting, we were clearly told that we have no other alternative but to accept that the project will be carried out. We are not against the project, but we have identified errors and requested a review. We were told that there is no review, but only options for prices, housing and facilities where residents can be accommodated," said Koja.
According to her, tensions rose during the discussions, especially when residents raised concerns about historic sites that they said would be affected by the project. “When we started testifying about historic sites, we were told they would be reviewed,” she added.
Residents demand the urgent cancellation of the decisions of the National Inspectorate for Territorial Protection (IKMT), warning that otherwise they will oppose any intervention on the ground.
"The main thing that this municipality and this administration must do is to cancel all IKMT decisions urgently, otherwise people will be together in every facility that will be affected. If they are not canceled, no word said today has any value," Koja declared.
During the meeting, some of the residents protesting against the demolition of their homes were escorted by the police after attempting to participate in the meeting.
According to representatives of the association, 35 families are directly affected in the first phase of the project, while about 100 others will be affected in the future.
