The member of the Presidency of the Democratic Party, Ervin Salianji, has addressed a letter to the President of the European People's Party (EPP), Mr. Manfred Weber, as well as the leaders of the main European center-right parties part of the EPP, among them German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to express concern regarding recent developments in the Democratic Party of Albania and the violation of democratic standards of its functioning.
In the letter, Salianji raises concerns about the blocking of the Democratic Party presidential race, the disregard for the party's statute, the arbitrary exclusion of members and candidates, the lack of transparency, and the violation of the basic rules of political pluralism.
Salianji emphasizes that: “The issue is not an individual candidacy, but the protection of democratic standards, internal pluralism and the institutional credibility of the largest opposition party in Albania.” In his communication to the EPP and the leaders of sister European parties, he underlines that the Democratic Party, as part of the European political family, should be a model of internal democracy and not a symbol of closure, exclusion and personal interests.
The letter also highlights the fact that:
* candidacies for the internal competition were effectively obstructed;
* the office responsible for submitting the documentation did not function within the deadline;
* supporters and candidates were excluded without formal decisions and without statutory justification;
* the article of the statute that provides for the resignation of the president after losing the parliamentary elections was not respected.
Salianji asks the EPP and the leaders of the European right-wing parties for a principled and constructive commitment to encourage dialogue, respect for statutory norms and the preservation of democratic standards within the Democratic Party of Albania. He reiterates at the end of the letter his commitment to European values, democracy, the rule of law, pluralism and the European integration of Albania.
