The Democratic Party of Albania has asked Premier Edi Rama to explain why he is playing “the advocate of the concessionaire of the Road of the Nation highway, why he isn’t using the circulation tax for roads construction and maintenance”. As long as Rama fails to explain that, “the citizens are in their right to refuse to pay the new highway toll”, the Democrat deputy Jorida Tabaku said today at Tirana’s Police Department, where opposition is demanding the release of the protesters arrested three days ago.

"Where are the taxes of the Albanian citizens? Where have they gone? Not a single kilometer road has been constructed or maintained. The Road of the Nation has not been maintained for five years now”, Tabaku said. “It needs a minimal budget only, 10 million Euros per year, which the government hasn’t done. They still lie today, saying the road maintenance demands an extraordinary high amount of money, stratospheric for the Albanians budget. Rama and (minister) Gjiknuri lied by saying that budget is unaffordable (for the government) and the citizens must pay for it”.

“The new highway toll is anti-constitutional, illegitimate. The government must protect the citizens’ interest instead of the concessionaire’s”.