Albanian President Ilir Meta condemned today the agreement of May 17, 2017 between Albanian Premier Edi Rama and former chief of the opposition Lulzim Basha, saying it was “a shameful agreement that was left in the darkness five years ago”. The President told media reporters in a press conference today that the agreement now has been exposed under the burning light of the sun for the Albanian citizens.

“That was not an agreement against the free and fair elections only, it continued also during the electoral campaign and after. Not only that, it continued during the next five years and it’s still thriving”, said Meta.

“The relinquishment of the opposition parliamentary mandates was part of that agreement, guaranteeing the seizure of all powers (from Rama). Part of the agreement was also the boycott of the local elections (of June 2019), offering to the state-party all the municipalities and municipal councils. Also, part of the same agreement was not registering the Democratic Party in the Central Electoral Commission on October 13, 2019; and the haste in passing tens of corruptive concessions, with the citizens’ properties going as gifts to the oligarchs”.

Meta repeated his accusations of Basha selling the elections of April 25, 2021, saying it was a part of the 2017 agreement too.