Former Democratic Party MP Ervin Salianji has reacted sharply after the results of the partial local elections held on Sunday in five municipalities in the country, describing them as "a black day for democracy and the future of Albania."
Through a long post on Facebook, Salianji states that citizens no longer believe that their vote can bring change, blaming the government for high corruption and the concentration of power in Prime Minister Edi Rama.
"Citizens showed that they no longer have confidence that with their vote they can change anything in the cities where they live. Due to the high corruption of the government and the concentrated power in one hand, no citizen without interests thought that local governance matters to them," he emphasizes.
Salianji also criticizes the Democratic Party itself, which chose not to run political candidates in these elections, admitting that the opposition has lost the spirit of confronting the majority.
"The Democratic Party has lost the passion and heart to fight. We chose comfort over confrontation, peace over battle," he writes, expressing disappointment with the political direction of the opposition since the May 11 elections.
The former MP says that the recent defeats should serve as an alarm for changes within the party, with the aim of restoring trust among citizens.
"Our task as the opposition is to change this apathy that is damaging the future of the country. Albanians rightly judge us not only for our helplessness, but also for the wrong decisions that have left the country in the hands of an autocrat," says Salianji.
In conclusion, he calls for immediate reflection and action within the DP, warning that any delay "is fuel for the autocrat."
