A golden nail deep in the conscience of the DP!

A golden nail deep in the conscience of the DP!
This article has been written for Albanian Free Press newspaper and www.afp.al

By Alfred Peza

One may not agree on many things with Eduard Selami during these 27 years of political and public life, but I think that everyone agrees on one thing. His entire political life and activity deserves the following caption: The nail on the brain of the DP!

Eduard Selami has been and continues to be a nail which has gone deep in the conscience of this party. Each time this party needed an alternative figure and a different leader, people inside and outside of it, media and civil society have asked him to come back, when he was and when he was not in Albania. Even when they forced him to cross the ocean and start a new life in the United States of America, even when he was forever forgotten there. Even when they idolized him more than needed, even when they despised him. During its 27 year history, the Democratic Party has had many chairmen. From Azem Hajdari to Sali Berisha, Tritan Shehu, Genc Pollo (appointed temporarily in 1997) and then to Sali Berisha again and lastly, to Lulzim Basha. There have also been many official candidates for the post of the leader, starting with Neritan Ceka, Azem Hajdari, Arben Imami, Ylli Vejsiu, Ferdinand Xhaferri, Pjeter Arbnori, Uran Butka and Sokol Olldashi. But there have also been party elections without any alternative candidates, without mentioning many names who have had the desire, dream and who have attempted or withdrawn in the end without being able to be officially part of this race.

But none of the people of this long list for a position like this one, has had the constant charm created by Eduard Selami’s name and figure. He was permanently called each time people believed that he was forgotten even more, each time the DP was going through a critical moment, each time the party, public opinion, media and opinion makers felt that the DP needed a different voice, figure, leader, chairman and alternative from Sali Berisha’s. Such moments have been numerous.

Although the  official leadership and those surrounding them pretended that they didn’t notice anything, that they were not impressed or simply chose to ignore the situation, it was impossible for them not to worry about it. It was impossible for them to forget something that was present. This even forced them to undertake denigrating campaigns on the media and informal meetings of the capital’s elite. This way, they hoped to supress any voice, any ideas and thought and any possibility for a comeback of Eduard Selami from the USA to participate in the big active political game that was taking place in Tirana.

In fact, in spite of how they pretended or how they wanted to present the situation, the reality was totally different, because the truth is that they feared his return to Albania. I know this from my experience, not only because when I worked in the media, all the political shows’ presenters exploited each one of his presences in Tirana to invite him in the studio, but I have also had the opportunity to be among the last one who invited him as a strong voice against the DP and Prime Minister Berisha’s government from 2013 until 2013. His interview on my program on 15 December 2010 was one of the most followed ones, reaching record numbers of audience. This fact caused a shockwave to the ruling party’s entourage. I remember that night very well, because it marked the end of my long career as founder and general director of that TV network…!

After this, there was long silence for Eduard Selami. The attacks stopped instantly along with the irony, hypocrisy, punches below the belt and this is how it went on for two years in a row, until we met again in Albania. But this time, not for another interview, but as political opponents in the race for Parliament for the same constituency, that of Elbasan in the 23 June 2013 elections. I, as candidate for the SP and he, as candidate for the DP. After our interview and after some appearances that he made for the Voice of America, the DP knew it could not avoid him forever. As the famous Nelson Mandela’s expression goes “in politics, you must keep your friend close and your enemies closer”, Sali Berisha and DP were forced to keep him even closer than they could have ever imaged in 15-20 years, when he was even more present with his absence. Eduard Selami came back not to have the profile and charm that many expected him to have. But protagonism for the protagonist doesn’t seem to be part of his style, because he continued to remain loyal to his way of playing the eternal protagonist, by being in the right place at the right time with his right stances and decisions. He was there every time the DP needed him. He was there even when the DP boycotted Parliament without any good reason. Even when he boycotted the administrative territorial reform. Even when the DP insisted on boycotting the judiciary reform. Even when the DP isolated itself in the tent. Even when the DP didn’t want to participate in the June 25 elections. But even now, when the DP is in the most critical crossroad of its history, electing its chairman following the most catastrophic defeat that it has ever conceded.

There were many who prejudiced him when he raced against Lulzim Basha in this predetermined process. And there were many who considered him as a fake candidate. But as always, he continued his path, being loyal to his way, style and philosophy, by making everyone change their opinion about him the more we get closer to the 22 July election date. People have started to offer him more sympathy than he could wish for, branding him as “the candidate with the discourse of an excellent opponent”.

There have also been many others who have agreed since the very start that Eduard Selami is organizing his race by being very composed in front of Lulzim Basha, but with an unprecedented clarity. In the end, we all know that Lulzim Basha will once again be the “de jure” chairman of the Democratic Party, while Eduard Selami will be the real winner of this ugly race, of this show which doesn’t honor this party which was born from the dream “for an Albania like the rest of Europe”.

He is not only a moral winner, a media winner or an honorable winner of the lost honor of the democratic game rules within the DP. He’s more than that. However his political career proceeds after this, Eduard Selami has won a status that nobody else has had and nobody else will have for a long time in that party. That of the golden nail not only in the brain, but also in the conscience of the Democratic Party and every true democrat in the country.

Note: The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Albanian Free Press’ editorial policy

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