The chairman of the Alliance for Albanians party, Arben Taravari, has decided to join the Albanian opposition in the upcoming spring elections. He made the announcement on social media, sparking debates among some of his closest collaborators, but also garnering support from others.
Taravari called on the highest party organs to support him in “this journey towards the long-awaited major change”. Explaining the reason for joining the opposition coalition, he wrote that he chose “to listen to the voice of the people, which speaks clearer today than ever”.
“Citizens are demanding Change! The people are demanding a political system free from the epidemic of corruption, which has become the biggest obstacle to the well-being and development of Albanians in North Macedonia,” according to Taravari.
He made this unexpected decision a few days after a joint meeting in Pristina called by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti with leaders of Albanian opposition parties (European Movement for Change – LEN) from North Macedonia. The leaders of the parties Besa, Alternativa, and the Democratic Party Movement, which make up the LEN coalition, had offered him to run for the presidential race on April 24 and May 8 (the second round), but the head of the Alliance for Albanians told media he was not interested. He is currently also the mayor of Gostivar Municipality. His decision followed a meeting a day earlier with coalition government partners, Dimitar Kovačevski (SDSM) and Ali Ahmeti (BDI).
While Taravari seeks the trust of his party colleagues to enter the electoral race with the Albanian opposition, sharp reactions have come from key exponents of the party. Former chairman of the Alliance for Albanians, now Chairman of the Central Assembly of the party, Ziadin Sela, also wrote on social media that he was not informed of any offer for a coalition with any other political party, and that other party structures were not aware of such.
“The individual, in this case, the party chairman, is not the decision-making body, he has the right to propose to the body that has the right to make decisions, and that is the Party Presidency, which currently has a decision, and this is that the Alliance for Albanians runs alone in the elections. The other decision-making body is the Party Assembly. The tendencies of smuggling the party on behalf of I don’t know who through a status on Facebook are a serious violation of the Party Statute, for which the Party Chairman must be accountable to its organs,” Sela emphasized.
The General Secretary of the Alliance for Albanians, Krenar Lloga, who is also the Minister of Justice, also opposes the proposal of the chairman.
“There is a decision of the Central Presidency in force, which was unanimously voted to go alone in the elections. I call on the Assembly of the Alliance of Albanians to adhere to the unanimous proposal of the Presidency, which is: the Alliance for Albanians to run alone in the parliamentary elections 2024,” Lloga stated.
Opposing reactions have also come from some of the lawmakers of the Alliance for Albanians.
Meanwhile, Taravari’s decision has garnered support from leaders of the Albanian opposition. “Unity stands strong,” wrote Bilall Kasami of the Besa Movement on Facebook, above a photo from the meeting with Prime Minister Kurti and his colleagues from North Macedonia, including Arben Taravari of the Alliance for Albanians.
Afrim Gashi of the Alternative also welcomed Taravari’s decision, saying that “he listened to the voice of the Albanians and that on May 8, there will be a change for the Albanians of North Macedonia”.
However, some analysts believe that divisions within the Alliance for Albanians over an important issue such as the upcoming elections could seriously damage the party.
