Former Chairman of the Democratic Party Sali Berisha said his position in the party will be decided by members’ vote. He added Premier Edi Rama can be removed only with protests, but first the Democratic Party must establish free vote as its standard. Berisha was meeting with Democrat base in Korça, southeastern Albania, his latest stop of the meetings tour across the country after Democratic Party Chairman Lulzim Basha decided to expel him from the parliamentary group, which was not welcomed from the base. Basha has rejected so far calls for an extraordinary assembly of the party, saying it would be anti-American.

“I invite every delegate of Korça to sign the petition for the convocation of the Assembly. It is imperative. We must unite, vote and accept the outcome. My efforts are not personal. My major goal is restoring the values to the Democratic Party, the free vote”, Berisha said.

“We will never rise to power unless be become a sovereign political force. If someone else decides for us, we are not a sovereign force. We are a façade opposition”, Berisha said.

“We must renounce the idea that he (Basha) lost (the elections), but we have no one better than him. Armin Laschet was the CDU Chairman in Germany for eight months. He resigned after losing the elections. I am for the resignation (of the chairman in case of losing)”, Berisha said.