Freedom Party MP Monika Kryemadhe said Tirana’s Socialist mayor Erion Veliaj has lobbied against Premier Edi Rama in the United States. She added Veliaj wouldn’t have run for another term if Rama wouldn’t have been affected by the Charles McGonigal affair.

“Had the McGonigal case had not been revealed, Erion Veliaj wouldn’t be a candidate. I think Veliaj has played a huge part in the attacks against Edi Rama in the United States, and there is strong lobbying against him, because Erion Veliaj thinks he is Edi Rama’s successor, he aims to take the Socialist party very soon”, Kryemadhi told EuroNews Albania.

She said if Rama wouldn’t have been weakened by the McGonigal case he would be powerful enough to appoint another candidate for Tirana’s Municipality.

Kryemadhi added Rama is using his own face in the electoral posters because the citizens hate Veliaj’s image. In case of another victory, Rama would claim it was thanks to him, whereas in the opposite case he would says that Veliaj’s image was so tarnished that even Rama’s image could make him win.