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.

Topi 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.

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

“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. Attendance of all exponents of the handover ceremony at the Palace of the Brigades. 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 quick. 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.

The former president recounted the moment when the DP 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.

During the interview, Topi commented on the constitutional changes that took place after the serious event in Gërdec, giving the reason why he signed them.

“It was time to deduce the end of the mandate and give the guarantee to the next prime minister to make him safer, they made another change so that the majority would not enter the crisis. It was April 15, 2008 the motive was to make me real issues of a principled nature, I saw that something serious would happen, I am expressing myself for the first time I have entered politics from the academic world, I came to Albania when then everyone 89 with offers to stay, I became a minister in 96, I had grown up in a civic family, which had suffered persecution, without, the reason was to contribute precisely to the strong principles of democracy, my major concern. I wanted to give an exclusive interview, in this media that do not need to be commented, my political experience, in parliament, knowing the political actors closely, made me give an extreme call for democracy, I was seeing that nothing depended on the president . I saw that the political actors had come together, and even a few days later they applauded after the vote, they were in a frenzy, with a great desire without knowing what would happen. The infamous law, one is the author in, Sali Berisha was also in the case. He is the author of the Albanian transition. The whole trajectory of the Albanian transition. The reason why I signed them, professionally, 115 deputies passed not only the number of the election of the president 84, but also the majority of 2/3 of the constitutional majority. I declared war, take care of it as many people have seen it, we have destroyed institutions, there is no one more disappointed, it is not me who is suffering, but I am proud that I defended it in time, this drama rotates and rotates, this that headquarters is suffering drama “said Topi.

In the interview, there was no way not to miss the memories of “January 21”, one of the events left deep in the memories of Albanians.

“The biggest preoccupation was the serious event that was accompanied by loss of life. Things should be remembered that they forget very easily. At 20 in the evening I gathered the diplomatic corps. I was preparing a written speech receiving information that the tension was increasing. I left the speech and addressed myself, not only to have access to influence the diplomatic corps about the situation that foreshadowed the clash. What happened happened. What confused the waters was that I considered it an event on the boulevard that the event took place there. What I had to say I said, the events came the next day, my attitude was blunt. The prosecution had problems with obtaining evidence, but here it started and went to absurdity. That is why I addressed Rama when he became prime minister. When he said that I have no tag, but there was a political trial and I was left in the middle. The trial should have ended there, they should have done it. I do not allude to the end of the process, but it is a process left in the middle, it has nothing to do with justice institutions but with politics. He who is in power today has a great obligation, the reason why he touches the political trial he knows. I am not alluding at all, but it is the duty of the parliament to turn its head back, that there is a committee that has no report. “At the end of the report, this is an indication of the institutions of justice,” he said.

While we are in a hot political situation and the country is preparing for presidential elections, Topi said that there are some figures with strong political values ​​today outside the Albanian parliament, who could be strong candidates for the post of head of state. Without mentioning names, he said some of the qualities that the Albanian president should have.

“I stand by the opinion that I have always had that the president and the one who will come or this should be a political president, it is a necessity, you will say you are prejudiced, I am convinced that even with the few competencies they have left the president, after all, is the last institution, it does not matter if the president can be overthrown and go to parliament, he must have political experience, the current polarized political climate. It is difficult to separate left and right, I am moving away from the current political formations. Who is out of politics today? There are some very strong political, academic values ​​that are seen as enemies and today they are out of parliament, they are a group of people, at least 5-6 who are out of parliament, they are at an age that has reached equilibrium, I have them but since I also have acquaintances,. With a kind of character that does not eat the pressures “, tha Topi.

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