This Thursday at 12:00, the deadline for submitting candidacies that want to be part of the race for the leadership of the Democratic Party expires. But for Sali Berisha, the May 23 elections seem to be without any rivals.
The only candidate in the race so far is the historic leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, who seems to be the only candidate to lead the Democratic Party in the next 4 years.
According to the DP's instructions dated March 18, those who want to run for president of the DP must submit their documentation by 12:00 on April 30.
This instruction specifies that candidates must meet several criteria; be members of the Democratic Party for at least 10 years, have a very high public and political profile, have leadership experience in the political battles of the Democratic Party, and not be affected by the decriminalization law.
On March 17, the leadership of the Democratic Party decided that the elections for the chairman of the DP would be held on May 23. Former MP Ervin Salianji has also publicly expressed his ambition to run for the chairman of the DP, but the DP has declared that he has been expelled from the party, making it clear that he has no right to run.
In this situation, it seems that on May 23, the only candidate will be Sali Berisha, who will seek the trust of the Democrats to lead them for the next 4 years.
Sali Berisha has dominated the Democratic Party since its creation in December 1990. He was elected chairman of the DP in 1991 and remained in this position until 1992 when he became President of Albania.
Berisha returned to the leadership of the DP in 1997 and led the party until 2013 when he resigned after losing the parliamentary elections.
In September 2021, Berisha launched the "Foltorja" movement after Lulzim Basha, then leader of the Democratic Party, expelled him from the Parliamentary Group. In December 2021, the Democrats dismissed Lulzim Basha and on May 22, 2022, Sali Berisha was elected leader of the Democratic Party.