President Denounces Storm on NDS Offices by Tirana Municipality Police Calling It an Attack against Opposition

In an escalation of the political tension in Albania in the frame of the April 25 general elections and an aggravating health crisis due to the pandemic, President Ilir Meta was confronted with police forces at the premises of the opposition New Democratic Spirit (NDS) party in Tirana on Friday.
The clash started as the police of the Municipality of Tirana committed an unprecedented act going to the offices of this party without any warning. Police have demanded the removal of its officials from the building.
Meanwhile, the President, who had gone for a meeting there, clashed with the police, who were trying to vacate the headquarters of the New Democratic Spirit party. “Why are you violating the opposition party?” “Get out or I will take you to prison with my own hands!” were the words of the President.
Afterwards Meta told the media that the police intervention is a political and unjustifiable act.
“I consider it an attempt to carry out a coup d’etat. Bringing a document to an official opposition party immediately after signing an agreement with the Democratic Party to run in the election which is a letter without a stamp and title, bearing no protocol number is a physical violation of any opposition force intending to run in the election,” he said Meta whose confrontation with police was broadcast live by many local TVs.
“This is the Municipality gang. It is extremely irritating. It is a warning to the citizens about the mafia attempts to interfere in the election process. I call on the opposition to wake up and stop allowing the rules of the race to be touched, or it will be too late,” Meta warned.
In a reaction on the event, the Tirana mayor, Erion Veliaj said that the President is shaming his institution and that his intervention in support of the NDS offices is wrong since the contract with this party ended some time ago.
The NDS building belongs to the municipality and according to Veliaj no one can usurp public property, much less the President of the republic. Mayor Veliaj invited the parties to go to court to find the right solution. /argumentum. al