Albania Opposition Civil Disobedience Begins with Protesters Blocking Main Roads

Tirana, Apr 06 (Tirana Echo) – Hundreds of protesters blocked the four main road highways across Albania in what was the first day of ‘civil disobedience’ called by the country’s opposition parties.

Opposition parties DP and LSI which boycotted Thursday’s parliamentary session called people to join their civil disobedience action in protest of a new toll fee of €5 introduced on the Albania Kosovo highway last week.

Protesters demand that Albania’s government scrap the newly introduced toll fee on Athe Albania Kosovo highway as well as the cancelation of all new taxes introduced by Edi Rama’s socialist government.

Angry demonstrators and DP & LSI political representatives blocked four main road points and paralyzed Albania’s traffic for over three hours.

Opposition parties have asked people to rise up in civil disobedience and refuse to pay any taxes to what they call a corrupt and criminal government led by prime minister Edi Rama.

“We ask for the release of 11 Kukës residents imprisoned unjustly and demand the cancelation of the road toll on the ‘Nation’s Highway’. This is just the beginning of a popular revolt against your private and criminal regime,” opposition DP chairman Lulzim Basha said during the protest.

Albania’s government says the newly introduced toll of €5 Euros is necessary to maintain a constantly degrading and expensive highway which links Albania with its northern parts and then with Kosovo.

The highway was started in 2009 by the former government of then prime minister Sali Berisha and was left unfinished in several areas close to the Kosovo border.

Lulzim Basha who at the time was Albania’s transport minister faced corruption charges over $400 million USD missing from the highway contract, charges which were later dropped for procedural shortcomings.

The Albania Kosovo highway was initially planned to cost around $600 million. By the end of the public works, the final bill ended up in the region of $1,3 billon USD.

The highway remains unfinished and will need several millions of dollars to be completed and properly secured.