From the election as president, Gërdeci, constitutional changes and “January 21” / Bamir Topi in a different interview on Top Story

From the moments before he was elected president, the serious event in Gërdec, the talks with Sali Berisha, “January 21” or the constitutional changes, the consequences of which are still felt today.

Called the president of “difficult times”, Topi said that he managed to connect the bridges of communication with the majority and the opposition.

Bamir Topi: It was people close to Mr. Nano who voted for me. I am grateful to Mr. Nano, not only did he bring votes to get me elected, but he contributed, especially in those years. It was a moment that Albania spent to avoid an institutional crisis. It was a purely political process, said Mr. Nano himself.

Participation of all exponents of the handover ceremony at the brigade palace. on July 24, Rama and Blushi were also present. The bridges of communication started, I was the president of the Football Club of Tirana, I was sorry to leave. They were forced movements, I tried to maintain this status. My presidency had many prejudices. For me, March 15 was a very serious event, but then other problems arose, in the national security advisory meeting that I organized after a week. It turned out that there was a lack of transparency. All the representatives we were dealing with discussed at the consultation meeting. The man when he is in that position, gets information, from the sources I got information that sporadic talks had started, about what was not known, but a political pact that was revealed a little later, which was not difficult. In the law committee, a former deputy of Shkodra, with a letter which contained important things, makes a proposal. For the sake of ethics I do not want to express it. It does not matter who the deputy was. He says that I think there should be a significant change in the relationship between the president and the prime minister. The president was the last stage of the decree, the lady proposed to be counter-signed by the prime minister. This provoked strong reaction, but today I am convinced that it was a shashke. The talks started 2-three days after Gerdec, the talks started. We are the small place, things come out exposed. Thankfully, even though we passed covid, my memory is very strong. I will remember the moment at 1, March 15 at the military hospital. I made my visit and left and from TV I see that in the hospital the former prime minister meets Rama who was accompanied by Brace. That shrug as if the house slaves had died. It was a scene that did not suit him. The events that followed, it was there that the need for another political communication began. The shoulder pounding was a reflective moment, from it came the need. It was clear that Berisha’s government had received a strong blow, it seemed that his overthrow would be very fast. It was neither the time nor the need to make constitutional changes. Those changes were not just for the president or the parties, but with the motion of no confidence in the prime minister. Guarantee to the next prime minister not to be fragile. Then they introduced another change, so that the majority would not fall into crisis.

Topi also recounted the moments before he was elected head of the Albanian state, saying that he had thought of every other figure in that post and not only himself.

“In my nature I kept the spirit of the group, not having an official report, but the spirit was also kept outside the parliament, at the lunch tables more than one lunch. I asked him for time to think, that it was beyond any imagination to go to the presidency, I had thought of every other figure, only myself I had not thought. The moment I heard this proposal I considered it a privilege“, Said Topi.

The former president recounted the moment when the PD took power led by Berisha and why he was irritated with the former prime minister.

“2005 provided us with a close victory, for a week or 10 days there was a full equality of 70 to 70 and the signal came that the victory went to the DP 71 to 69, the reason I was irritated was that Berisha without consulting the meeting the first was done with Mr. Xhuvele as chairman of the Agrarian Party and the result went from 75 to 65. This number gave guarantees for governance. It did not give good signals for the perspective, Berisha came out in his traditional position, took power and decided important things without consulting. “The problem was not just the name or the need for a coalition.” tha Topi.

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