TIRANA, Jan. 10 – The office of Prime Minister Edi Rama said its legal department was filing suit against Edi Paloka, head of the main opposition Democratic Party parliamentary group, for defamation. They said the same action was also being taken against the Democrats’ Secretary General Arben Ristani.
The moves come as the two opposition officials accused Rama of being directly connected to the criminal gang led by Emiljano Shullazi, who was shot and injured last week in an attack.
The move also signifies a change in the policy of the premier’s office toward such opposition accusations, which are often made personal on him whenever they want to accuse the governing majority.
Rama also said that if the prosecutors would find the slightest hint of any connection he could have with criminals he would immediately resign from the post so he could immediately be prosecuted. He would also withdraw from politics as well.
“Guaranteeing all Albanians that this government is and will fight crime and violation of the law from anyone, ever strongly, the premier also guarantees Albanians that the anti-crime shouts from the opposition are an encouraging expression of the fact that the strong foundations of the old cooperation between politics and crime are being shaken,” his office statement said.
The latest move will likely going to turn into a political tool that will serve both sides, especially now ahead of the municipal elections expected in June.
The main opposition leader Lulzim Basha has also received stronger personal protection, after Shullazi, who has previously been accused of different crimes and was found with a small cache of weapons after an attack last week, allegedly had threatened him through a message sent to Democratic Party lawmaker.
