An unauthorized portrait of Enkelejd Alibeaj

By Flutura Açka

In the question I asked myself at the end of this parliamentary term, who would be the first person I would like to meet even after the dissolution of this Parliament, to talk about politics, or above all, about politics, among many friends and colleagues regardless of the logo they represent, the first name that would come to my mind would be Enkelejd Alibeaj.

With the certainty of what I have seen, what I have known, what I have understood in these four years, and not only in relation to myself, but also to the political dimension of the time, I have a political obligation to single out his name.

Due to some personal situations, from the end of December 2021 to June 2022, a time when the Democratic Party was going through major upheavals - from which it has not escaped even today - I was not present at some of the political decisions that were made, so I met the deputy chairman of the DP at the time, Enkelejd Alibeaj, on the street, while we were trying with a group of deputies to maintain a reformist backbone of the DP.

In many important events, decisions, and political approaches, trusting in his clarity, professionalism, and consistency, I have asked him for advice on my decisions. Often his answer has been surprising: to act as I thought best, as I felt best!

For myself, I could not find anything more democratic than this, and everything that happened to us during the difficult months of 2022 and 2023 convinced me that in Enkelejd Alibeaj's stature and attitudes, there lay the bed and behavior of a strong, uncompromising democracy.

It has never happened at any of our frequent dinners with friends that he has vulgarly insulted Sali Berisha, Lulzim Basha, as many others have done. His political stances towards them have been public, moderated by a self-control that came from political cooperation with them, which I have understood well. His caution was not a remorse for the past, but a responsibility to give the democrats time to reflect on themselves.

Modestly speaking, in our political, but also human, friendship, we have made some political decisions that seem not to have affected the Albanian political scene that much - since they were accompanied by a fierce opposition campaign to the point of public accusation and acute blame before the democrats - but they have created the core, or nucleus, as they say in political language, of a nebula, which increasingly manifested itself, a political will that demanded change, reform and democratization of the DP, why not even through the self-sacrifice of a political career.

Every battle has its martyrs.

Perhaps this peak of opposition action will still need time to mature, but a group of very honorable opposition colleagues, among whom was Enkelejd Alibeaj, deserve all the honors of the opposition. The battles are beautifully documented and have no cries, flares, oaths, but the seriousness of each fragment of time.

In this not easy battle amidst the chaos of the democrats, chaos bought with money, with alibis, with lies, with blackmail, Enkelejd Alibeaj has stood democratically, without ever seeking to proclaim himself as the leader of some wandering political comet.

Despite the anger that many Democrats may have, due to what has happened, is happening, and will happen to the Democratic Party, I have an obligation to tell you that in Enkelejd Alibeaj I have found both the democrat, the right-wing, the conservative, the sparing of words, the non-populist, the collaborator, the uncompromising, the man who negotiates with internationals, and the one who sits and drinks raki with Democrats.

I have found patience. Political patience that I myself sometimes lack.

Betrayed by pseudo-reformers during the May 2023 elections and perhaps disappointed by Basha after his phoenix-like return, he chose the decisive, almost solitary path.

Thus, due to the play or incompetence of others, we were unable to carry the battle to the end, because we were thwarted and betrayed by those whose political honor we sacrificed our personal honor for.

Tania, that nucleus I spoke of, is there, and it has even flourished beautifully even in the conditions of the political desert that this parliamentary legislature has given to the new parties. They are a convincing reality today, and they will be the realities of change on May 11th.

Of course, if Albanians truly understand the momentum of the "meeting (without thieves) with history."

In this core of resistance to improve Albanian democracy, Albanians will not forget some honorable names of MPs, who perhaps had to sacrifice their careers for the reason why they chose to give a - truly - European face to the Parliament of Albanians and the Democratic Party of Albania.

Among them is undoubtedly Enkelejd Alibeaj. The citizens of Tirana have the opportunity to have this honorable politician back in the Albanian Parliament, to continue the battle for their democracy.

A + (plus) to his name is enough. (A2 Televizion)