At a time when the Democratic Party has not yet conducted an analysis to understand the causes of the deep defeat of May 11, Chairman Sali Berisha declared that the DP will open up to young people and people with values.
He made the comments during a meeting of the DP Presidency, where he emphasized that opening up the political force to the younger generation is vital for the future of the party.
"But we must know one thing: nothing will determine our fate and future more than a powerful renewal of this political force, so that with the means of peaceful uprising, powerful protests, we can give this crumbling state a hand, take it to where it deserves. We are not in power, as the one who recruits people with 100 flags and presents them as renewal does. No, we must bring together idealists, people with values who accept to face this great evil even in opposition," Berisha said.
But Berisha's statements are yet another hypocrisy, coming from a leader who has not left the party chair for 35 years. While the DP no longer manages to inspire citizens, but only a narrow circle of its militants, Berisha talks about openness and renewal.
If he were truly serious about reaching out to young people, and not just rhetoric to appear to be reflecting, he would have withdrawn himself in the first place, making room for others. Or at least he would have guaranteed real competition for young people within the party.
But he has not done this either. Everyone is witness to how in the primaries held for the May 11 elections, Berisha excluded many new candidates, who had secured the support of the party's base, while choosing to fill the lists with old and worn-out figures, known for their servility towards him.
Today, after a heavy defeat, neither Berisha nor the leaders around him reflect. If he truly wants to "renew" the DP, the first person to open his arms is himself, and then all those around him who not only brought him the catastrophic defeat on May 11, but are no longer seen by the citizens as a real alternative for change.
