Residents of Patos rose up this morning for the second time in protest to oppose the Socialist Party's proposal for a new territorial map that foresees the merger of the Patos municipality with that of Fier.
With banners in their hands and several speeches, they have unanimously requested that Prime Minister Rama review this proposal since Patos is a city with identity and history, while emphasizing that the municipality's performance is also ranked among the best in the country. "I am an old oil worker. We have built this Patos with voluntary contributions. The hospital, ambulance, school were built with voluntary contributions. We worked 8 hours in oil and we would come back here." "We call on Rama to talk to the oil workers, to get their opinion. It is a crime to dissolve the Patos municipality. We say no to the reform made by the Socialist Party," said some of the residents.
They have argued that if Patos joins Fier, they will lose all services, making their daily lives more difficult, while they have emphasized that there is also a risk of the merger of many institutions. “If the municipality is closed, the workforce will be reduced by 50%. The smaller the municipality, the more organization and accountability it has. It controls everything.” “The closer the municipality and the commune are, the more solvable the problems are. They will not defeat us. “The municipality of Patos is among the best, where everything is green and flourishing,” said the citizens. The protesters have warned of an escalation of the protests as they have expressed their determination to oppose this proposal of the Socialist Party to the end.
