English
DUI party leader Ali Ahmeti today denied reports in the Albanian language press that he intends to withdraw from politics after the second round of local elections. Ahmeti staked it all in beating his chief rival – VLEN – in a couple of high profile local races. Not only that DUI lost the key races in Cair and Tetovo, they lost in areas they were widely expected to win such as Saraj – even though they, with two large coalition partners, were able to score more votes than VLEN overall.
Why should I withdraw from politics? See the results. If you can find one defeat for Ali Ahmeti in 25 years, I will resign. We’ve been winning for 25 years. We have the Gazimestan syndrome, where the losers declare themselves the winners. Is the winner the one with 159 or the one with 122 elected council members?, Ahmeti insisted.
VLEN responded that their victories in nearly all major urban areas with majority Albanian population, such as Cair, Tetovo, Debar, as well as Saraj, Aracinovo and Bogovinje dwarf Ahmeti’s victories in the rural areas of Plasnica and Lipkovo.
Ahmeti built his politics for 20 years only on power. He can no longer face the free voices of the Albanians who are not afraid of him. VLEN is the present and DUI is the past, the VLEN coalition said in response.
