The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, responded to criticism regarding the demolition of unauthorized constructions in Theth. During a meeting with deputies from Tirana, Rama said that 40 illegal buildings have been demolished in Theth, emphasizing that their owners, according to him, are not even residents of the area. The Prime Minister stated that these are buildings constructed for profit purposes, adding that the police have launched investigations to uncover “who is behind the invasion of the heart of Theth.”
“This is not about some poor people; it is about individuals who have climbed up there and in a considerable number of cases are not residents of that place. The flagrant case that triggered this was individuals who have not even appeared to claim anything. The police are investigating how this happened and who is behind the invasion of the heart of Theth. These are constructions not made for living in but for profit purposes. I don’t know of any theory that excuses the lawbreaker by blaming state structures if they do not catch the offender the second he begins breaking the law. It remains to be seen what responsibility the KLP will take regarding Mrs. Gjeli, who has refused to even start investigations based on the complaints made. In Theth, 40 buildings have been targeted, and the police have a considerable number of complaints filed with the prosecution about these buildings, but the prosecution has not initiated any investigation,” Rama said.
Prime Minister Rama added that the government’s promise in Theth has been the legalization of old houses, a promise he says has been fulfilled.
“We went to Theth and promised the legalization of all the old houses there, which was the main problem; we completed that process with about 300 legalizations. Our promise was that we would legalize the property of the grandparents and never give you the vote to build without permission. All the demolished buildings are constructions made in recent months; they are not constructions from the time when we were there. These constructions are by individuals who have no connection at all with Theth. All the theories related to this operation are ridiculous. Theth and its residents are not those who came on television to make noise, but a group of people who have no connection with this story,” the Prime Minister said.
He added that the government will continue to support those who own property in the north of the country, but on the condition that they approach the institutions and obtain the proper permits.
The head of government reiterated that there will be no tolerance regarding unauthorized constructions.
“The story of building today to legalize tomorrow will no longer continue. All structures built for profit or that infringe on public spaces, public infrastructure, protected areas, or critical infrastructure will be leveled. There will be no tolerance, no dialogue. The entire team of deputies should be close to the communities and on the side of the vast majority of people who are hindered every day in their communal lives by those who have occupied public spaces,” he declared, as reported by RTSh.
Stopping at the capital, Rama said that information is being gathered for the entire territory, adding that a group of 80 architects has also been formed to design the renewal of the spaces that will be freed.
