Rama-Veliaj open hostility turns Tirana Municipality into a 'war arena'

Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj and Prime Minister Edi Rama have now officially declared an open war between them.

Until recently, Veliaj was the most talked about person as Edi Rama's successor at the head of the Socialist Party, but today they openly appear as sworn enemies. 

Thus, for several hours now, a document dated March 18, signed by Veliaj in the premises of the Durrës detention cell, has been circulating in the media, dismissing the acting mayor of Rama's confidant, Anuela Ristani, and appointing his confidant, Sara Goxhaj, in her place. There are still no details on how this document was processed by Veliaj. 

Meanwhile, Goxhaj is also known as the chief of staff of the Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, before being appointed to the position of Deputy Mayor.

After the 'burning' letter, Rama wasted no time writing to the Tirana Municipality yesterday evening and asked Ristan not to implement Veliaj's decision, and ordered him not to record the order issued by Veliaj for Sara Goxhaj to take over the duties of mayor.

Not only that, but Edi Rama has asked Ristan to sign the dismissal of Alban Dokushi from the position of Secretary General of the Municipality and appoint Jonida Halili in her place.

But, the media reports that Veliaj has ordered the Municipal Police from prison not to allow Halil to enter the Municipality building.

In short, the municipality of Tirana has turned into a war zone between two senior officials, creating a stalemate in its normal functioning for services to citizens. 

Expert Pano Soko declared today in outrage that work in the municipality has been paralyzed. "Just today, 3 entities have contacted me, work in the municipality administration has been completely paralyzed. The Council of Ministers must dismiss the mayor and the President must announce new elections so that the administration can be liberated and have legitimate political direction. The municipality is being treated as everyone's property, I can appoint whoever I want," Soko said through a video message on social networks. 

Revenge beyond the bars of the cell 

The Socialist Party led by Prime Minister Edi Rama submitted to the CEC a few days ago the names of 186 candidates for MPs for the May 11 elections.

The Socialist list had some surprises, although the strategy used this time by Rama was warned by himself. According to him, the single-mandate deputies would not run on the closed list, but would enter the electoral battle to collect the votes themselves to secure a seat in the next Assembly. 

What stood out was that a large number of current MPs were left out of the race, definitively excluding them, while many prominent names with years of contributions to the SP are in the 'risk' zone.

Thus, we are talking about names like Erion Braçe, Pandeli Majko, Damian Gjiknuri, the person who played a role in changing the new Electoral Code so that the vote of emigrants would be counted within the legal deadlines, Fatmir Xhafaj, former minister Etilda Gjonaj, Anila Denaj, etc. These names were listed on the open list for the Tirana district, just as another detail cannot fail to catch our eye.

Etjen Xhafaj, Klotilda Bushka, and Toni Gogu, also considered the 'hand' of Mayor Erion Veliaj , who was arrested on February 10 of this year,  also remain on the open list .

We recall that MP and chairwoman of the Laws Committee Klotilda Bushka has been placed under investigation by SPAK in the context of the Veliaj-Xoxa corruption case. SPAK officially announced that the socialist MP is being investigated for committing the criminal offense of "acts that hinder the discovery of the truth."

How far will the Rama-Veliaj war go? The war between Rama and Veliaj has already begun on the eve of the electoral elections and it is still not known how it will end. It remains to be seen their movements in the coming hours, a challenge turned between them like a game of chess since the prime minister himself has often described politics as 'chess'.