Andi Bushati: The old man with a cane, as an anti-model to a deaf government

The iconic images of an elderly man from Maliqi threatening the socialist head of the municipal council with a cane go far beyond the tensions that the government's attempt to impose a new territorial division on the country has raised. The problem is not that every claim made by the opposition in the bipartisan commission is being ignored, nor that for many centers, access to the municipality is becoming increasingly remote. By reducing the number of current municipalities by 15, the socialists claim to create stronger and more financially stable administrations that would better respond to citizens. 

But the question arises: how are they doing this? 

At this point, the symbolic images of an elderly man from Selca, Reiz Petritajt, raising his stick in the face of the Maliqi authorities, say a lot. Maliqi is one of those centers that is intended to merge with Korça in the future. Its veteran mayor, Gëzim Topçiu, had publicly expressed himself against this solution. But this Thursday, apparently under great pressure, he, as well as the socialist councilors, have backtracked. Why? From blackmail and pressure? This is the most likely option, if you rewind the film and see what has happened so far. 

Outraged by the territorial division project, the socialists of Poliçan took to the streets and demonstratively burned their party's posters. The same thing was done by those of Divjaka, who continue to protest every evening. But, to this revolt, not of their opponents, but of their own, Prime Minister Rama responded with arrogance and arrogance. He insulted and offended the mayor of Poliçan during a meeting with local leaders, reminding him of the "shame" of burning posters. He mocked his counterpart from Dimal, ironically mocking "great leaders" who dare to use their brains to question decisions made at the top, while after Juliana Dedaj replied that she did not feel like a "great leader", but like a "municipal worker: the Prime Minister threatened to throw her out. 

It is precisely this ignorance of listening to the voices, whether right or wrong, that come from the base and then turn into blackmail to implement the order, that may have also led to the downfall of the mayor of Maliq, Topçiu. That is why the public saw those significant images from the municipal council hall today. They show only one thing: the citizen revolt against a government that no longer has the nerve to even listen to them. Instead of persuasion, the Renaissance is increasingly using another weapon: violence and subjugation. There is no stronger argument for this claim than an SP mayor who is forced to turn the tables under pressure. There is no more significant example than those socialists of Dimal, Poliçan or Divjaka who want to be heard, but on the contrary are mocked and despised. And here we are not judging whether they are right or wrong. Whether the new territorial division can create more good or not for the citizens of the municipalities that are merging. The problem here is simply the method being applied: "You are a herd of cattle, we know your best, so there is no need to ask you." 

This is the bed on which territorial reform is moving. This procedure completely contradicts the propaganda of the Besa platform, which Edi Rama himself announced a few days ago. One of the points of this document that sought to respond to the massive protests against the authoritarian leadership of the country was more empathy towards the citizen, to explain to him even those right decisions that he understands are in his best interest. But, when it comes to practical implementation, the behavior is different: those who have positions and do not obey are threatened, while those who only have the power to protest are ridiculed and ignored. And this happens because this government has been deaf for years. The fact that it can no longer even hear its own is the clearest proof that it is incapable of behaving differently. And therefore, the only way to communicate with it is to raise your cane. 

LAPSI.AL