The Democratic Party reacted after Premier Edi Rama dismissed the deputy minister of Tourism Ornela Çuçi, saying he fired “the wrong Çuçi”, eight days after the death of seven-year-old Jonada Avdia.

The girl was hit by a speedboat driven from an off-duty police commissioner. Speedboats and jet skis are a permanent problem in the Albanian beaches as they pass very close to the coast and risk the lives of the holidaymakers. After a series of tragic incidents, citizens have requested the dismissals of the minister of Culture Mirela Kumbaro and of the Interior Minister Bledi Çuçi. Rama decided to fire “the wrong Çuçi”, a deputy minister of Tourism, Ornela Çuçi.

The member of the Democrat National Council Akil Kraja said in a statement today that Ornela Çuçi was only a scapegoat instead of Interior Minister Çuçi, whose resignation and dismissal was requested from the indignant citizens.

“We condemn as unacceptable the effort to sell the departure of a deputy minister as a reaction to the citizens protest and as an apology for Jonada’s murder”, said Kraja.

“Edi Rama must give up Bledi Çuçi and Kumbaro. The citizens did not ask for the dismissal of a surname but of a function and responsible person”.

Kraja also appealed to the citizens to reject the mockery of the government and see Jonada’s death for what it really is, a sacrifice in Albania’s coast before Rama’s charter took off for vacations in Turkey’s resorts.