During the meeting with the citizens of Saranda, as part of the electoral campaign for the local elections on May 14, where he presented the socialist candidate Olti Çaçin, Prime Minister Edi Rama had a message for the independent candidate Gjergj Merkuri, who was previously the head of the branch of the Socialist Party. in Saranda.
Due to debates within the base, Mekuri entered the race as an independent candidate, while today Rama asked him to withdraw from the campaign. Rama called on the citizens not to vote outside the ranks of the socialists, while he told Merkur to stop the campaign and after May 14 to sit at the table and talk to unite again
After this statement, there was a reaction from the candidate for the head of the Municipality of Saranda, Gjergji Merkuri, who in a post on social networks says that there is no going back. According to him, today the citizens decide, not the parties.
Full reaction:
Dear friends, our slogan of this electoral campaign for the Municipality of Saranda "Citizens decide, not parties", made all political actors clearly understand our victory on May 14.
We are united and with a single ambition, that on May 14, the citizens will triumph. We entered this competition to win and take Saranda to another stage of development, based on the love we have for this city where we carry out our daily life activities.
Yesterday Saranda was visited by the Prime Minister of Albania, Mr. Edi Rama, listening to the good words in my address and his request, we as citizens respond with his election campaign slogan:
"THERE IS NO BACK, ONLY FORWARD".
As we are separated by a week from the election date, I inform all my fellow citizens that our campaign continues intensively this week as well.
We will be everywhere, we will talk to every citizen who loves Saranda, whether left or right.
This is not a political battle, this is a battle for Saranda and the citizens will triumph on May 14.
So this week I invite every supporter and sympathizer to talk to everyone they can, to convey the message to every corner of the city, to unify our forces, since we are only one week away from victory. CITIZENS DECIDE, NOT PARTIES!