This is not the first time that Sali Berisha has run alone in a race. In fact, this also happened when he was elected president in 1992. In an article by Abdi Baleta, published in the newspaper “Rimëkembja” in 1996, it is clearly and coolly analyzed why Berisha made that decision, also frightened by the possibility that his rival at the time could be Ismail Kadare.
Referring to that period, Baleta writes:
"Before the vote was held, he insisted that the constitutional law be changed and that it would not be mandatory to have an alternative candidacy."
According to him, this was not a formal matter, but a way to avoid any real danger from a potential adversary:
"It remains unclear why Berisha insisted so much then, did he not want to put any of his associates in the position of 'buffoon candidate', or was he afraid that instead of his buffoon, a real competitor might emerge."
The ballet also describes the climate of tension at that time, when rumors circulated in Tirana about a possible candidacy of Kadare:
"In those days, there was talk in Tirana that someone was preparing to present Ismail Kadare's candidacy, and even in close circles close to Berisha, news that Kadare could land in Rinas on voting day aroused concern."
Three decades later, although reduced in political strength and size, Sali Berisha continues to use the same forms and methods: avoiding competition and controlling the race. What in 1992 was justified as a spur-of-the-moment decision, today appears as a recurring pattern, which indicates more about his relationship with the race than the circumstances of the time.
