Why Sali Berisha has always divided the former political prisoners of communism?

24 Tetor 2022, 02:16Op-Ed Mero Baze

Sali Berisha’ greatest political achievement in thirty two years is the division that he has instigated upon every political party and organization in relation to him and not to the goal for which they were created. The most impacted groups are those of former political prisoners and former politically persecuted individuals by the Communist regime.

Since the beginning of pluralism in Albania in 1992, they have always been divided into two different groups: one, which tried to fight for their rights and the other, which fought to support Berisha. From their first protest in the summer of 1992, Berisha decided which side of the former political prisoners he would support and which one he would continue to harass.

The first leader of the organisation for the rights of former political prisoners, Kurt Kola resisted Sali Berisha. Later, also through the help and support of Azem Hajdari, Kola fought gainst Berisha by organizing several strikes and revolts against his government. However, this was not enough to stop Sali Berisha. In order to take attention away from such protests, Berisha launched a separate organisation, called the “society for Democrat political prisoners,” which was a fraction of former politically persecuted individuals, who did not fight for their rights, but rather for his power.

The same strategy was repeated with political parties. Sali Berisha created a second Republican Party to compete against that of Sabri Godo, until later on he managed to take the latter’s party under control through Fatmir Mediu. He separated Skender Gjinushi’s Social Democrats into two fractions, one of which supported Berisha. The same happened to the National Front and the Movement for Legality, which were also divided into fractions that supported Berisha.

When protests from former political prisoners were reaching their peak in 1990, Sali Berisha blackmailed them, since he was in possession of state security records. One of the leaders of the organisation was even forced to admit that he had himself collaborated with the communist secret service. This was the key of Berisha’s success. Having possession of the state security records, he could blackmail anyone to either be on his side or be accused of collaboration with state security.

After the Parliament’s recent approving of correcting transparency records for public officials and Berisha’s refusal to vote the new law, a new wave of division is expected. Former political prisoners will be forced to either support Berisha or stand against him. While it will be difficult for him to succeed this time, it seems that he will try to defend the victims that he had so far blackmailed. On the other hand, it is safe to say that he will continue to gather his former politically persecuted individuals to fight against the victims of communism. This is the only way for Berisha to steal attention and humiliate the victims of the communist regime by forcing them to fight against each other. It is precisely the strategy that state security followed, by putting in the same prison cell the weaker prisoners with the more important one. The only remaining officer of the state security in Albanian politics today is Sali Berisha and apparently, he will continue to play the part until the end.

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