SPAK announced today that it has completed investigations into five people accused of vote buying in the 2023 local elections. Among them is the former Democratic Party candidate for mayor of Rrogozhina, Shkëlqim Hoxha.
According to the official announcement, Hoxha is accused of the criminal offense of "Failure to report a crime", as he was aware of illegal actions, but did not refer them to the competent authorities, in violation of Article 300 of the Criminal Code.
Investigations show that the suspects, in collaboration with each other, have secured and distributed prepaid travel tickets to various individuals, a practice documented in 64 cases, with the aim of influencing the vote in favor of candidate Shkëlqim Hoxha.
This case highlights a paradox that haunts the Democratic Party and its candidates: at a time when the leader of the DP appears daily at conferences to denounce the "electoral crime of the state of Edi Rama", it turns out that the same sins haunt the party he leads. It is not a question of Rama being better, but of the fact that the integrity of a party or the candidates it puts forward in the elections is essential when denouncing the illegalities of others. Because otherwise, a case like this of the SPAK investigation is enough to undermine the credibility of citizens towards any other public denunciation.
