Former Albanian Premier Sali Berisha spoke again today in favor of the area 5 Maji residents in Tirana that are protesting against the demolition of their homes and livelihood from the government and the municipality without proper compensation. Berisha said the residents are totally legitimate in their requests.

“You are seeing Rama’s treatment for the citizens”, Berisha said in a meeting where he introduced the mayoral candidate for Shkodra Bardh Spahia. “It is your brothers and sisters protesting under terror in Tirana’s streets. They are absolutely lawful – I say this with my full responsibility – not only under our laws but under the laws of any democratic country, and yet they are being treated like foes”.

“How could they be illegitimate in their property? They have paid for power, water. To whom did they pay? They paid their bills to the state and they are legitimate there”, Berisha said.

“This is an arrogant government with arrogant persons, they are not humane. The farmers here are risking bankruptcy, because fuel has become more expensive than in Switzerland where farmers sell their products 5-6 times more expensive than here”.

Berisha said the average salaries and pensions in Albania in 2013 – when he was Prime Minister – were the highest in the region, whereas today the average salary in Montenegro is twice as high as in Albania.

“Montenegro is not richer than Albania. They have the sea, but so do we. But you don’t find fields, arable lands like ours in Montenegro. The problem is we have impoverished them, did not develop or support them”, Berisha highlighted.