“I have evidence of the crimes committed by the state against Vlora during the protests” Page 2

Yesterday, they spent more than six hours on the expected changes involving three Secretaries in the Socialist Party. The tense exchanges, provoked by a clash between party leader Nano and Prime Minister Majko over the party’s relations with the executive, were the only high point of a meeting that, in every other respect, could be called routine. The outcome of the vote, however, was not routine. After a reshuffle among the expected candidates—or, more accurately, of the positions they were expected to take—the vote elected Ndre Legisi over Ardian Mylliu and Elmaz Sherifi to the post of Organizational Secretary; Ilir Zela over Luan Rama to the post of Secretary for Public Relations; and Arta Dade over Ben Blushi to the post of Secretary for Foreign Relations. The trio of Secretaries who will fill the vacancies left by Ulqini, Koçi and Lakrori’s move to ministerial offices cannot pass without comment. The first step in a serious analysis is to place them within the possible groupings inside the SP and consider the new balances that emerge from this. At a glance, two of the three winners are founders and former FRESH officials. Legisi and Zela were once close to Majko and Meta, and all the speculation leads one to think that they have returned to their old lobbies and that their election was a compromise between two powerful figures in the state and the SP. Dade can be discussed in the same vein. Her falling-out with Nano became public after she left the post of Minister of Culture, and this rift has remained constant in subsequent developments within the party. Yesterday’s vote was also a surprise because none of the former ministers who left the government together with Nano ran for senior posts in the SP. Fino, Islami and Malaj did not even try to enter a contest that, in one way or another, was theirs to take part in. Their absence from senior leadership positions seems to leave Nano without any significant support within the party he leads. Yesterday’s developments, and those to come, have created a paradoxical situation. They have shown that Nano is [?]. They have undeniably shown [?] in his party, in his authority, he can trust [?] who are representatives of his critics. On the other hand, the vote showed that, outside the contest for the number-one position, Nano finds it difficult to impose his will and preferences. Yesterday’s vote is therefore seen less as a victory for one group than as a weakening of Nano’s position in the party leadership.

Alban Bushi covers his head after scoring the first goal last night in Oslo against Norway. Photo: REUTERS

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