By Desada Metaj
The opposition has no candidate for the November 9 elections in Tirana—at least not the opposition that exists outside Sali Berisha’s orbit. He, of course, has chosen his own candidate, and willingly or not, has drawn both Adriatik Lapaj and Agron Shehaj back into the courtyard of the Democratic Party.
Lapaj, mocked for his endless tales of aunts and cousins, has no reason whatsoever to test himself electorally in Tirana. As for Shehaj—who believed he had cleverly ensnared Sali Berisha with the massively endorsed candidacy of Ermal Hasime—he ultimately found himself returning, without much glory, to Berisha’s pen.
Now, in Tirana, the race is between Ogerta Manastirliu and Florian Binaj. In this case, Agron Shehaj will at least save the money he’d spend on polls through his call center—he already knows the outcome. But those Democrats and opposition supporters who dared to hope that, at last, a glimmer of light might appear—a candidate emerging free from Berisha’s imposition—are once again left disillusioned. Many of them may abstain from voting on November 9; some might cast a ballot for Binaj; and a few may even lean toward Arlind Qorri—the only one who kept his word and stood against the establishment, even if the ideology he represents is outdated and dangerous.
The ones who will shrink further in number, and grow more embittered, are the citizens of Tirana who still wait for a spark of change from the opposition—an opposition that once again serves up the same stale dish cooked in Sali Berisha’s kitchen, garnished by his loyalists. This time, Agron Shehaj and Adriatik Lapaj have added their own seasoning to the mix, helping to spoil even that faint hope of an alternative that was beginning to emerge.
Facing Sali Berisha—and the phenomenon of berishizëm—is the only way to reclaim ground within the opposition. The rest of it—Berisha has built, fortified, and will likely hold onto forever. And when it comes to political trickery, no one has ever outplayed him. Confrontation is the only path forward. Otherwise, in this political stew, Adriatik’s family gossip is more respectable than the schemers who believe they can become players in the opposition while using the same methods Berisha has long used to keep it hostage.
He is the master.
You are merely the apprentices—tools Sali uses whenever he needs you, in moments just like this.