Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI) candidate for Elbasani district, Ermir Gjinishi has declared that the transition must end on April 25's parliamentary elections. 

During an interview for "Infowebtv Elbasani", Gjinishi has confessed his family roots, the decision why he entered politics and the expectations of SMI for the next elections. 

Furthermore, Gjinishi commented on the main problems Albania is facing nowadays, stressing that the current government must leave on April 25, to allow Albania returns to Albanians and to put an end to thirty years of transition.

Full interview:

Welcome to the InfoFocus show which you can watch every Friday at 20:00 on our official InfoElbasani Facebook page and on our Youtube channel InfoWebTv. Ermir Gjinishi is the next guest of our show. 

His family origins are as much historical as they are patriotic and intellectual. The members of this family have made an invaluable contribution to Albanian history. They are participants in the congress of Lushnja, Bitola and in many important historical dates and events. Ermir Gjinishi himself continues to hold senior positions in the state administration. He is also a well-known publicist and participant in many debates of national and international importance.

Hello Mr. Gjinishi, thank you for accepting our invitation! As mentioned, you have a family background to admire. What can you tell us about your ancestors? 

-In fact, this is the hardest part, when a person has to talk about himself, but I will certainly share with you a few brief moments. I would say that the whole region of Elbasan has an extraordinary contribution, it is present in all historical events. If we talk about Elbasan, it was seen three centuries ago as the pearl of Rumelia, so together with Peqin are important territories with capacities and intellectual inflows. On all of these areas, of course, there are names, there are families and I modestly believe I belong to one of these big families. I belong to the Gjinishi family, I have never talked about this topic, it is the exclusivity of your show. Since the establishment of the Albanian state, my family is ranked as one of the most influential families with bright personalities who have given their contribution. My great-grandfather Tahsimi was a prominent figure who acted alongside the "heroes" of the renaissance. He participated in the congress of Manastir. Then comes the second very important moment, the declaration of independence. Elbasan is the first city to declare independence, while Peqini is the second city and the flag was raised right in my house. Then we have Adem Gjinishi, organizer of the Congress of Lushnja and participant of many other congresses. After Adem we also have Mustafa Gjinishi. He was an excellent student, who knew several different languages ​​and had a western mindset. He made an indelible contribution during the Second World War. 

Now let's move on to another aspect, your childhood, your education. 

-I was born in Peqin, where I stayed until the age of 18 when the political changes in Albania took place. I continued my studies despite the situation, certainly at the urging of my family. I finished my studies at the University of Tirana for language-literature and theology in 1998. Despite I had the opportunity to study abroad, I chose to stay here and complete my master's degree. I have participated in national and international conferences, and my writings have been published in their journals. 

You have been praised by the UN with the title "Ambassador of Peace". How do you rate this title? 

-It's a title I got in the early 2000s, from an organization that has quite an impact on many countries around the world. In 2006, we even took an initiative for peace between Israel and Palestine. It was an extraordinary experience and I would single it out among others. 

You were also the vice-president of the Albanian Muslim community. What can you tell us about this? 

-I would say that this experience was my first extraordinary experience which helped me grow professionally, as religious institutions are perfectly organized. I am proud that I have managed to have this kind of experience and to be the spokesperson of such a figure as the leader of the community. It has been something memorable and irreplaceable. And today I continue to maintain the same respect.

Another aspect of yours is journalism. 

-I have tried to stay out of politics. Not everything is politics and people do not need it. While incompetent individuals are invited to political shows. I have always tried to be critical, as criticism drives a country forward. 

You have recently been engaged as part of the president's staff. What can you tell us about this commitment? 

-I have been close on several occasions, which has been a civic engagement. This is how I was brought up. The moment I see that my country needs help I contribute as much as I can. Alvin's operation has been one of the most difficult operations and the most important collaboration which fortunately ended successfully. I have been close to the president many times and I can say that the president is a very dedicated and correct man, he does not go to the conflict, but only to the solution. He has good collaborators and is always optimistic. He has been attacked many times by the government, but he has stayed correct. I would also mention the March 2 rally, which was very exciting for me, as the citizens came out to defend the constitution. It was very meaningful to me. A rally which is compared to the rallies of the early 90s. The people did not come out for the party flag, but for Albania and the constitution. 

Then we will move on to another aspect, that of your recent engagement in politics. Have you been involved in politics before? 

-No, I have never been in politics and for the sake of truth, direct involvement in politics has been one of the excluded options. It is the first time that I engage with the SMI. Of course, I have had offers from both the left and the right, I have tried to dedicate myself to my academic life. But Albania has come at a time when the numbers, the black balance situation, all that every Albanian family feels, there has come a time when I think indifference does not work for anyone. We feel them despite working in different fields, we feel the difficulty. Poverty does not only affect those who are unemployed, but it affects all sectors of life, above all depopulation. But I will not hide the main reason. I can not accept any government, to force me to leave the country. I can not stand this. I can endure everything else, but to have a prime minister, a government, I do not have it personally but reality and figures show this, to force me to leave my country, I can not stand that. This has been one of the main reasons for my political involvement. The second reason why I chose the Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI) is that it is the only movement that has survived the pressures of a bipartisan policy * since the 1990s, which has shown resilience. It has shown a duality. It has made alliances for the benefit of Albanians to serve the country. Despite being criticized many times, it has taken them into account and made this kind of sacrifice. People who take political responsibility have to forget personal seduction and self-interest, sometimes you have to sacrifice as well. We talked a little while ago about Adem Gjinishi, Mustafa Gjinishi. They no longer live, but today we remember them as an extraordinary constellation, together with other figures of the Elbasan region such as Lef Nosi, Kristoforidhi - is a very large cradle Elbasan. Tday we no longer have the moments to fall as a martyr and make these great sacrifices. But an honest citizen the moment he sees that his country has fled in the wrong direction, what should he do, should he wait? I can not accept being treated as an immigrant in my country. I repeat it as it weighs on me a lot. It can not happen that a politician makes his people depart. Should allow him to make the youth leave, expel me, to force me to leave? No! Albania is an open country, if someone wants to create his future abroad very well let him do it. But, if this is imposed by the government, then the government must be changed. This mentality must be changed. That is why this time I have decided to dedicate myself to politics. And last but not least, I'm against the bipartisan political market in Albania. The political market must be liberalized! There has been no more important than the SMI I mean. Maybe there will be others tomorrow, It's good for breathing. We come from a one-party system, which at different moments went to terror. This is where this candle brought us. A party that takes all power as if we are on the verge of a state of terror. I can not stand this, so I join all Albanians in this part. let's say it because there is a national reaction. This time in my opinion there will be no elections, this time it is a referendum. I see the referendum in the people I meet every day. To return democracy, pluralism, parliamentarism, because we ended up in a parliament that is full of criminals, with people with precedents. We ended up in a country where 140 people have a lower average level than the Albanian people, while they should be the elite. This mentality needs to change.

Was Albania more advanced a century ago? 

-It does not compare at all. 

You are one of the candidates for the district of Elbasan, but have you formed the complete list of candidates or not yet? 

-Beyond the abuses, the list will come out according to the code definitions, within the code deadline, they will come out very quickly. At the top of the list in Elbasan, due to the code made by the Prime Minister and due to the abuse he made with the June agreement, party leaders will run in several constituencies. We will have the chairwoman of the party, I believe Mrs. Kryemadhi, who has also been an MP, therefore she has the responsibility of continuing this political tradition. I know that the SMI will have a list of candidates from the first to the last with the same integrity, with the same weight, with the same value. We will not make lists to meet expectations. For example, if in a city you pretend to try to get 4 MPs and stay in the first 4 places and mark the others enough to fill the list. No! You will see that not only in Elbasan, but in all of Albania, the SMI lists from the first to the last will be a model, a form, a standard, without giving up at all. You have to give people a chance, you have to give people pride, trust. By offering these personalities, we do not have those burdens that other parties have. The fact that I, who have never been involved in politics, participate in the SMI lists shows that it is a very open party, it is a party beyond the mud and attacks that have been made all the time because it is the only party that determines power. Especially in these moments. So the opening of the SMI, its vision has made tremendous feeds. You will see what debate will open when the SMI lists come out. 

You said that the SMI determines the fate of the elections. In fact, to be precise, in the 2017 elections, the SMI collected 225'975 votes, 14. 28% of the total, but also won 19 seats in parliament. Will you keep these mandates? 

-19 mandates are not little, but we are not talking about maintaining them, but we are talking about doubling these mandates. I will raise a few points: Are we poorer than 4 years ago? We are extremely unemployed, corruption has reached its peak. Do we have a party-state? Has the democratic structure of this country been destroyed? Are fair elections held in this country? Were there single-party elections in 2019 and local government filled with incriminated people when it was time for clean people to come? So there are all the opportunities for the SMI to double. We have our surveys, we have contacts with people, we see people's expectations. All this waste and all this abuse of the state will certainly be vented. The renaissance sect is trying to demoralize participation in the elections because the anti-COVID measures are simply enough to hinder the political activity of the opposition. While we have seen restaurants full, scared Mr. Rama does not allow political rallies with over 8 people, while he himself is committing "massacre" in large gatherings. Even television has degraded extremely badly. We will double, we have two months ahead, here we will be talking.

Let us return to the district of Elbasan, because at the regional level in the last elections SMI collected 23,536 votes and won two MPs. Will you save this result or do you have other ambitions? 

-We almost would have taken the third with these figures. In Elbasan currently, according to all polls, we have 3 MPs and we are ready to get 4 MPs. The growth trend is galloping. I think that Elbasan, like the whole of Albania, will give its contribution and civic resilience so that this sect finally leaves the political class. I do not give this lecture because of my position, I told you the reasons why I decided to enter politics as I told you the cases when I refused to be in politics, but the whole of Albania will react. Albanians will not tolerate this kind of arrogance. Beyond poverty, abuses, theft, the public debt has reached EUR 13 billion, while we have EUR 14 billion budget. 1 billion is needed for the state to go bankrupt. We have 6,000 dead from Covid and you can't find them in the papers. It is a great insult that the state does not recognize the victims of this pandemic. Why? Because it wants to cover up its inability, cover up galloping corruption. It took the health PPP and gave it to the private sector. How can you give taxpayers' money to private individuals? Where is the service today? 800 doctors left during the reign of the Renaissance sect alone. In just one year, 1600 and some nurses have left, while in Albania less than 1400 nurses graduate in a year. What is happening with this country? Did you know that there are unemployed doctors in Albania? Have you seen that doctors appear on television and talk professionally about the pandemic and the Renaissance sect fires them? Remove professionals in a moment of great crisis. The arrogance of this sect is unbearable, we are led by a man who instead of taking responsibility, appears every day on television and shows jokes. Excuse me do we have any prime minister in the world who does this? It lacks seriousness, it lacks training, it lacks commitment and above all, I feel hurt how a prime minister can manage to behave like this with his citizens. 

Are you for the majority or proportional system? Who do you think is more efficient in Albanian reality? 

-At the moment, we will respond to the code, but if you ask me, the majority system is quite interesting, because it focuses the evaluation on the quality of the individual, increases the quality. While the closed lists that continue to be held hostage by the renaissance sect have reduced the quality of our political representation. It needs to be raised. 

Will the SMI come out alone in this election? 

-No, the SMI is in opposition. We are in opposition with the right-wing, but above all the SMI is with the people. This time there will be no election like the next time. The opposition has been unveiling its program for so long, the government has not done so. Do you know why it does not? Because Edi Rama will frustrate an element of our program, to get them in his program. After eight years in power, a government must take responsibility for what it has not done. No one believes you who said free health care and let people die. Let me make a personal parenthesis. Like all Albanians, I have lost very close family members. I have seen in hospitals people alive and lying on the ground. I saw them with my own eyes in the Tirana emergency and I wanted to record them. I took out the phone a few times, but I felt sorry for their family members. Understand me for this personal experience, but, after all, not everything that is promised can be achieved. This government promised what it promised, but you also need dignity when you lose the race. It is not dignified to deny the memory of 6,000 victims. 

After the election, is it possible to have a possible alliance with the socialist party? 

-Never! We can not join the underworld! We can not join the oligarchs who have led the country to this point. We cannot join a man who mocks Albanians from morning to night. We can not join a sect that has depopulated the country. Elbasan as a region has 75,000 people who left Albania during 8 years of government, due to the man who came to power saying he would create 300,000 jobs. Elbasan is in second place in terms of poverty. To end up to this point is unacceptable! While they appear on television day by day and deal with false statements. There is a saying of Freud that says: "The first indicator of idiocy is the lack of shame." I would not like to offend anyone, but we have managed to be led by people who are on the verge of idiocy. This must end.

How is the campaign going in the region of Elbasan? 

-Well, we have endless meetings with people, we listen to their problems. There is an extraordinary rage, there is readiness. I told you that this time there will be a turnout in the referendum. 

Are there polls for Elbasan? What do they look like? 

Yes, we have our polls for Elbasan, I told you a little above that we aim to have 8 to 9 MPs. 

You mentioned some problems of Elbasan. What are some of the major ones for the county? 

The biggest problem is poverty. It ranks second nationally for poverty and first county in terms of unemployment. Depopulation has hit Elbasan terribly. Here is just one example; the average per capita income in Albania is EUR 517, while Elbasan has it EUR 348. These are the official INSTAT figures. Here we have businesses in Elbasan that are closing every day. Infrastructure is a horror. I was one day in some villages of Bishqem, I wonder how a road 2-3 km per 3000 inhabitants was not built. And inside the city, the streets are full of potholes. It snowed a little and you could not get out, all the streets of Elbasan froze. At this point did we not have a handful of salt to throw on the streets for people to live normally? People want people to serve them. This government is not serving the people. We were talking before about great families, despite not in large numbers, sold everything they had for this country, while today this government is selling Albania for itself. Let me give you an example. Albania has a budget of EUR 4 billion per year. In 8 years of government EUR 32 billion. Calculating the public debt, penalties, international courts we should have about EUR 40 billion. Where have EUR 40 billion of Albanians gone in 8 years? We have become more impoverished, we have become more depopulated, the health system has failed completely, education has also failed, young people are departing, salaries have not increased. Even in the conditions of the pandemic, the salaries of the doctors and nurses who were in the front line were not increased. So where did the EUR 40 billion go? in the hands of the rulers, in the hands of crime, in the hands of the oligarchs. As we talk together about Elbasan, Elbasan was once the cradle of education, and now it is the cradle of crime. I will speak very openly, as I did not come here to abuse, but to say things as they are. During the history of Elbasan, all the personalities that have emerged have been only at the national level. Now it has degraded. Elbasan is occupied by the rural mentality? It has never been seen. An oligarch comes and invades the whole city. Where is the harmony, peace, culture of Elbasan? It is occupied by the vision of Edvin Rama and his emissary Taulant Balla. A power gained without justice cannot create justice. While they are trying to hold Elbasan hostage to crime, hostage to terror. Forget it! Elbasan and Albania have shown themselves. This time they will understand even better what it means to touch the value and history of such a region.

Are there SMI strongholds in the district of Elbasan? 

-Yes, as I said, we have extremely good new incomes, we also have our strongholds, we also had local leaders, we have Mrs. Miranda Rira who led Prrenjas, we have many other personalities. We attach importance to the vote. We have followed other mindsets. A person who takes a position, whether at the local or parliamentary level, sees the post as a way to serve. But he has completely ruined the whole vision and mentality. They manipulate, steal, buy. For 8 years! Five oligarchs have disrupted the entire economic order in Albania. This place cannot go that way. Medium business is completely destroyed, small business is bankrupt. Zero foreign investment in this country. Meanwhile, our people have shown that with dedication, honor, integrity and above all with love for the country and the citizens, you can do many things. Above all, desire and purity are needed. Remember! SMI in the district of Elbasan had 4 MPs. While as an opposition we will get a minimum of 9 MPs.

Which categories support you? 

-There is a tradition in the SMI, where there was a very strong youth base. The focus is on youth. Youth is very important. It has tremendous energy. Firstly, it has no burdens. Secondly, it has the soul to face challenges. Youth have made changes all over the world. The woman is also a very important factor. While our Prime Minister comes out and attacks in public debates our Chairwoman, Mrs. Kryemadhi only because she is female. This shows the seriousness of the government, as it just adds points to us. In such a situation, you keep asking me what the opposition's expectations are. The referendum: this is the expectation of the opposition. You will see that the Renaissance sect will not get 40 seats. Every government has had its sins, but Albania has not had a black day and it has not been down. These dark days have been brought to us by the oligarch Edi Rama, his crime and his power. Therefore, they should all come out on April 25 and return power to the Albanians. This time there is no party vote, this time there is a vote for Albanians. 

You just said that every Albanian government has its sins. What is your opinion about the Albanian politics of these 30 years? 

-Of course, Albanian politics has its sins. We have a sharp, young, only 30-year-old pluralism behind a very savage monist system. It has had its achievements but also its failures. Today we are discussing free elections after 30 years of democracy and 100 years of a modern Albanian state, while Kosovo in 24 hours released the election results. What does Kosovo have more? People there, people here. Who delays the result? Power and politicians. It took Edi Rama three weeks to announce the results in 2019 while only he had entered the elections. And when he came in he just forged. This must eventually change. The vote must be read as it is, the vote is not affected, the citizen has the right to take the vote wherever he wants. People are horrified by this great failure, which has turned into a national disaster. The previous government left Albania with three conditions for EU membership and now has 15 conditions. Who is to blame for this? This is bad governance. Yes, there have been achievements. Visa liberalization has been an achievement. NATO membership as well, but now Albania is a black day. The American and British ambassadors are saying that Albanian democracy is in danger. The vote of the people is not respected, this is a very big alarm. We are indeed on a dark day, but this will never kill the hope of Albanians. This place belongs to Albanians! They will be doubly opposed. It is horrible to think that Albanian emigrants in Greece, Germany, or anywhere have more respect than Albanians in their own country. He cannot treat Albanians as immigrants! He must forget this! It is a crucial moment to return to the normal parameters of democracy, above all to restore Albania to Albanians. The people decide for themselves which is the most useful, therefore we will be in a very big popular referendum. We will see how the results of this referendum will turn out. The Renaissance sect along with criminal gangs must forget the idea of touching the vote. Forget it!

We are at the end of this conversation. Do you have one last thing to say? 

-I believe we will see each other more often during these days of the campaign. We will communicate and exchange opinions I believe, so we do not have one last thing to say. This is the beginning! On the 25th the change starts! On the 26th we will see how the oligarchs will appear before the law, as the Albanian state will have as reference only the constitution and the law. There can be no more transition!