On the 106th day of the protest in front of the Prime Minister's Office, activist Ilir Xhemalaj declared in the studio News24 that the popular action will not stop without the departure of Prime Minister Edi Rama and the opening of the way for a technical government.
"I personally hope that this protest ends tomorrow, Rama resigns and we return to our troubles and problems in our homes, but it seems that it will be difficult. I believe that we will definitely succeed," Xhemalaj said at the start of the interview.
During the conversation, the activist focused particularly on the key role being played by the Albanian diaspora from Great Britain, Germany, Italy and other parts of Europe, which has taken the reins of the protest for five days in a row, escalating the reaction into civil disobedience.
"The diaspora is the epicenter of the protest, it is what inspires and supports this protest. The issue is the magnet they are for the population in Albania. When they come, even the citizen of Tirana, Fier or Elbasan says: 'They are coming from the diaspora, they are coming all that way and protesting, why shouldn't I come too?'" he emphasized.
Xhemalaj raised with concern the phenomenon of the massive departure of young people and the replacement of the workforce with foreign workers: "The main issue we are talking about is precisely the depopulation that is being done to this country. It seems like it is a deliberate depopulation for the departure of the Albanian population and the influx of other populations. We are too small a nation to cope with such a large influx of emigration."
Analyzing the reasons for the resistance, the activist underlined that the cause goes beyond the individual contested laws and encompasses the capture of the state as a whole.
"We have the law on protected areas, the sale of agricultural land to foreigners, the mountain package and KAYO, which is an open theft of Albanian taxes. However, all these laws have a common denominator, which is Edi Rama. Therefore, without Edi Rama leaving, these laws cannot be repealed. He must leave, a technical government must come and electoral reform must be carried out," declared Xhemalaj.
In closing, the activist called on the justice system to act against those responsible for the rampant corruption in the country.
"We have a group of young people who protest daily in front of SPAK demanding that the investigations be deepened. At the end of the day, that lek of corruption is lek that has been taken from hospitals, from pensions and from social assistance. It is lek that has been stolen from us," concluded Ilir Xhemalaj.
