There are people who understand it quickly. There are others who understand it a little later. And then there is the case of Jola Hysaj, who took a full 20 years in the Democratic Party to discover a secret that has been circulating in Albanian politics for decades: meritocracy is not always the main criterion.
After failing to qualify for the People's Advocate race and being left out of the closed lists for representation, Hysaj decided to leave the DP. Not quietly, but with a long status on Facebook, where he lists a series of complaints about the way the party functions.
According to her, the position she held as public relations secretary was devoid of real powers. Representation on municipal councils, she says, was not given to people with contributions, while the lists for the Durrës region were drawn up in a way that left out figures who had worked in the field for years.
In her status, Hysaj also criticizes the way the opposition managed the process for the People's Advocate, calling it a political and institutional mistake. The problem, she says, is deeper: a party that makes decisions in a narrow circle and where even the members of the Presidency learn from the media.
In short, after two decades of engagement, she has concluded that the party is not as open and meritocratic as it should be.
An important discovery.
Perhaps even a little overdue.
