Few Pogradec residents ventured to the capital today to protest in front of the prime minister’s office. Although Genti Çela confirmed that 300 sympathizers had set out from Pogradec to Tirana, other official sources within the Democratic Party (PD) stated that the number of participants was no more than 100. This situation arises as a portion of the de facto leadership has resigned and does not participate in any party organization, many Democrats have switched to the Socialist Party (PS) for job opportunities, and others refrain from participating as they are part of Basha’s faction.
Under these circumstances, today’s PD Rethink Movement demonstrated a historic decline in popularity, partly due to mismanagement by elected individuals within the party. The fate of PD Pogradec remains uncertain, but the stubborn facts indicate that the figures currently within the PD in Pogradec do not elicit any reaction or hope from citizens.
The call for protest from local Democrats comes after a long period of lethargy. The structures of the PD Rethink Movement have not taken any official stance on the abuses of the Pogradec Municipality, nor have they participated in any recent citizen protests in the Pogradec region. It seems that the few Democrats in positions of power only want to exploit citizens when it serves their interests and do not bother to advocate for any of their issues.
