Albanians honor martyrs

The government, led by the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama,  and the Parliament Speaker, Ilir Meta, were the first to pay homage. The opposition joined the commemorative ceremony organized by the Tirana Municipality.

Parliament Speaker Ilir Meta declared that this is an extraordinary day in the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for freedom.

“This is a special May 5th, because it is on the verge of the 70th anniversary of Liberation, and certainly that this is a day when we all honor Qemal Stafa, Vojo Kushi, Margarita Tutulani and thousands of other men and women who gave their lives for the future of our country”, Meta declared.

A group of ambassadors were present for this ceremony, together with the Russian and German ones.

The opposition waited for the government representatives to leave and they visited the Martyrs’ Cemetery with the Tirana Municipality band. The Albanian former Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, joined the Democratic Party group.

The Democratic Party leader, Lulzim Basham declared that “our duty today is to build and remember the sacrifices of those who fell for freedom, and do everything possible to not betray these ideals”.

“70 years after the end of the anti-fascist war, by honoring the martyrs of this war we remind that decades were needed for their ideals to come to live. A long time was needed to complete the national freedom dream with the liberation of Kosovo and guaranteeing the dignity of the Albanian people”, Basha declared.

National Guard leaves communists outside

The communists had planned to go to the Martyrs’ cemetery with photos of Enver Hoxha, but the National Guard did not allow them.

Top Channel contacted the State Protocol, which explained that the Communist Party was not part of the official ceremony, in which were invited the President, the Parliament Speaker, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, the Prefect of Tirana, the Mayor of Tirana and the Organization of War Veterans.

Top Channel