#BREAKING Albania’s Interior Minister Resigns on Day 22 of Opposition Protest – Others Expected to Resign

Tirana, Albania | Tirana Echo – Albania’s Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri has resigned today amid non-stop opposition protests and allegations of police involvement with drug trafficking and massive cannabis cultivation across the country.

Tahiri handed in his resignation after a meeting today with Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is widely seen to have let his close aide go, hoping to ease political tensions in the country.

Tahiri has been under constant attacks by the opposition democrats over his personal influence over police neglect of massive cultivation of cannabis plantations across Albania last year. The interior minister is alleged to have also disturbed relations between coalition allies, with several LSI Ministers expressing dissatisfaction with his work.

Several analysts have commented that Tahiri was under target as his men were active going after LSI representatives in several departments of the Albanian state structures while his police force has been accused of turning a blind eye to Albania’s huge drug problem and the massive invasion of its green mountains with cannabis plantations.

The move comes after 22 days of non-stop protesting by the opposition parties demanding PM Rama’s resignation and was immediately attacked as a tactical move by Rama to defuse political tensions.

Democratic chairman Lulzim Basha was quick to denounce the move as mere attempt to hide from the real problem.

“The news that he has fired Tahiri is a poor attempt to escape from responsibilities which Edi Rama himself should bear, because of the state of the country and because of distrust of every Albanian that free and fair elections are possible. Our message is one and remains unchanged, our resistance is determined to the end, until the creation of a technical government” – said a clearly joyous Basha in front of his supporters this evening.

Prime Minister Edi Rama has not commented on the resignation but earlier he posted on his Facebook account that ‘He who laughs last, laughs best“.

Others like former justice minister Ylli Manjani who was fired a month ago, had commented in January that Tahiri’s departure had been requested by ‘foreign secret services’ which had substantial proof on Tahiri’s involvement with criminal networks and drug trafficking from Albania to other European countries.

Saimir Tahiri, 37, is one of PM Rama’s closest confidants and one of the few names of the socialist party tipped for inheriting Rama’s party leadership.

His departure has started a political avalanche in Albania’s executive, with several other names being talked of across local media who may resign in coming days.

Albania has been in a deadlock since the opposition parties led by Basha’s democrats have entered a non-stop protest and a parliamentary boycott demanding the resignation of the prime minister and the establishment of a technical government ahead of June’s general elections.

The political crisis has blocked the entire process of Vetting of judges and prosecutors, crucial for the start of the reformation of the country’s corrupt justice system.

The EU and US expect Albania to deliver on justice affairs and rule of law before accession talks for EU membership can be formally opened.