Dashamir Shehi, the leader of LZHK, has proposed a different formula for the Tirana mayoral race, asking the head of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, to take on the electoral challenge himself. According to Shehi, if Berisha aims to return the opposition to power, he must be the one to face the challenge directly in one of the most important political races in the country.
“Are you, Berisha, the leader of the opposition? Here is the Municipality, go and run. The opposition has no bigger game than this,” Shehi said. To support his position, the LZHK leader brought attention to Edi Rama’s political journey, stressing that leading Tirana Municipality served as a springboard for him to later reach the head of government.
“Berisha should run for the Municipality, as Rama did. How did he become prime minister? Through Tirana Municipality. Rama would enter the race and, unfortunately, win,” Shehi declared. He also criticized the idea that the opposition’s candidate for the capital must necessarily come from civil society, considering this approach unnecessary.
“What is the most important thing in the race? The Municipality, go and enter it. No, I won’t get in. Let the party’s number two come. This pointless theory that it must be from civil society seems pointless to me,” Shehi concluded. With this stance, Shehi places the political responsibility for the capital’s race directly on the opposition leadership, asking that the ambition for power be accompanied by electoral confrontation as well.