New party representing those persecuted under communism formed
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- “The alliance will cooperate with associations of former political persecuted people, to ensure a fair representation of our cause and guarantee our rights,” says Bilal Kola, the head of the Popular Alliance for Justice party, a former head of the Institute for the Integration of the Former Politically Persecuted
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TIRANA, Jan. 30 – A new political party – Popular Alliance for Justice — which has pledged to represent those who were politically persecuted under Albania’s brutal communist regime was launched in Albania this week, ahead of early general elections.
The founding meeting elected Bilal Kola as leader of Popular Alliance for Justice, the party said in a statement. According to Kola, the former persecuted people have not had proper political representation in the last two decades. He accused main political parties in Albania of using and abusing with issues that matter to the former persecuted people.
“The alliance will cooperate with associations of former political persecuted people, to ensure a fair representation of our cause and guarantee our rights,” he said in a press release.
Kola, former head of the Institute for the Integration of the Former Politically Persecuted, said that 6,000 people were executed with or without trial during the communist regime.
He explained that during those 45 years in Albania’s dark history “18,000 people were imprisoned for political reasons and 30,000 were sent to internment camps.”
The Popular Alliance for Justice is the fourth political party launched so far ahead of general elections in June. Earlier this month, three members of the Albanian diaspora launched new political movement called Bleta Shqiptare (The Albanian Bee), criticizing the current political class of “not securing a normal dignified life for the people.”
Almost at the same time, the former chairman of Albania’s Power Corporation (KESH), Gjergj Bojaxhi formed another anti-establishment party called Sfida, while in November 2016, former Socialist Party MPs Ben Blushi and Mimoza Hafizi founded the a new political party called Libra.
All of these new anti-establishment movements have pledged to intensify fighting corruption and reforming the judiciary, increase internal party democracy as well as unlock the country’s economic growth potential.
The country is expected to hold early general elections on June 18, 2017.
