The IKMT's action to demolish illegal constructions in the Valbona National Park has shocked the residents of the area, bringing despair, tears and strong accusations.
Elderly people who had built the hostels with savings from their immigrant sons saw the fadromas (farmers' huts) tearing down the walls before their eyes. "We are Albanians, voters of Edi Rama. Today it would be better if they shot us. They put the fadroma on our heads and left us without bread," an elderly man told the media through tears.
According to official data, so far 3 buildings have collapsed, 16 others are being dismantled by the residents themselves to save the materials, and 3 remain on the IKMT list.
The atmosphere in the village is heavy: many families, who lived solely from tourism, feel abandoned and betrayed. "We took out loans, sold livestock and today everything was destroyed. This is not justice, this is crime," said another resident.
"I'm full of medicine, my house is full of water and humidity. We built it to eat a piece of bread. The children are crying... This year we built it, this year they ruined it. Let them kill us if they want to ruin it...", said the old woman through tears.
"It's tearing down the roof... I'm Albanian, I'm not Serb. Tear it down and leave it like that... it didn't work. On our land, in our house, it's a sin. Albanians burn Albanians, there's nothing worse. 3 policemen and 1 woman came and told me 'Look at the money'. We built them before the elections," said the other old man.
Actions to demolish illegal constructions in mountainous areas are not new. Just two months ago, the tourist village of Thethi was rocked by the intervention of the IKMT, where dozens of wooden cabins and guesthouses were demolished. There, residents accused Prime Minister Rama of broken promises and contradictory messages: first he invited them to invest in the lands of the ancestors, then he labeled them as “criminals” and “occupiers”.
Many of them, having returned from emigration with savings and loans, saw their dreams destroyed before their eyes.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Edi Rama has stated that the residents of the area were not affected, but “individuals who had no connection to the country.” “This is not about some poor people, but about construction for profit,” Rama said, adding that the government has legalized over 300 old houses in Theth and that the operation was intended to “liberate the heart of the national park.” He reiterated that there will be no tolerance for unauthorized construction and warned of continued actions across the country.
"It's not about some poor people, it's about individuals who have climbed up there and in a significant number of cases they are not residents of that place and the flagrant case that became the cause are individuals who have not even appeared to claim anything. The police are investigating how it happened and who is behind the occupation of the heart of Theth and it's about constructions that are not for the faint of heart, but are for profit. I don't know if there is any theory that amnesties the lawbreaker by blaming the state structures if they don't catch the violator the second he starts committing the violation. It remains to be seen what responsibility the KLP will take regarding Ms. Gjeli who has not even accepted to start investigations based on the complaints made. 40 buildings have been hit in Theth and the Police have a considerable number of complaints made to the prosecutor's office regarding these buildings and the prosecutor's office has not undertaken any investigation," said Rama.
But the prime minister's words contradict the reality of Valbona, where mainly family houses and guesthouses, built by local residents to ensure survival, have collapsed. "He calls us poor, he calls us invaders. But where can we live? We were born here, here are our parents' graves. We have no other land," a resident reacted.
Editorial
