Blendi Gonxhja revealed tonight on "Off the Record" with Andrea Danglli, on A2 CNN, his personal objectives and those of the Socialist Party, regarding the Tirana district for the May 11 elections, where he is running on the open list.
The Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation did not escape a question regarding the arrested mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, and the fact that the Socialist Party is suffering from his absence in this electoral campaign in the capital.
Gonxhja expressed his hope that Veliaj will be cleared of the charges against him, but underlined that the investigation against the mayor of Tirana does not affect the May 11 race, much less the socialist camp in the offer they present to the citizens.
"First of all, we, with all our desire, do not let the accusations against him be proven and do not let there be evidence that he is as he is accused, and we want him to come out of this legal battle clean and come out as he claims. But this is outside, outside of us. We have no connection with the investigation or the process. We cannot influence, nor do we have any role in this part," Gonxha said.
He then addressed an appeal to the capital's socialist camp, asking for more solidarity with the Tirana Municipality administration and a united stance in the face of the situation created with justice.
"We need to be much more united, precisely because this incident also happened with the Municipality of Tirana. We need to be more in solidarity with the Municipality of Tirana. There, of course, there was a shock at the first moment, it is an entire administration that is missing their mayor. So we need to be much closer to the people, in the sense of the electorate, much more understanding, and ultimately we belong to the same political force, the same structures, so it would be a kind of hara-kiri if we start and break each other to pieces. That is, if we start and do not trust, doubt, or are not correct with each other. This situation has strengthened us, we have become much more focused on the objectives and the work we want to do. We have the people of the municipality with us when we have to give an account, when we have to explain what did not work. There are also residents who, misunderstood, have been pushed to file reports and objections that have taken us years. "There are also problems that come from local government," Gonxha underlined.
Asked if he would run to replace Erjon Veliaj as mayor of Tirana, in the event of early local elections, Gonxhe said: " No. How could that be the objective. It is neither the place nor the time ."
" I have tagged my campaign: 'The Kombinati is speaking to you'. I have associated myself there because the area definitely needs to have priority representation from a deputy who has the area in mind. Since these are district elections, we cannot make these areas accessible with visas. We cannot close these areas with police so that no other candidate can enter or leave. There is no question that the other 37 candidates will enter and leave all areas and there will undoubtedly be votes, sympathy, closeness, acquaintances, family, obligations that will vote for other candidates, I am talking within the SP. That is why I have to work outside Unit 6 because I need votes outside the unit as well. Therefore, the next mission of the SP, and mine of course, is to bring even more votes to the SP if I can get the 19th and 20th mandates ," he explained further. (A2 Televizion)
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