Altin Basha will be the new director of the National Theatre. The Council of Ministers has approved this Monday the dismissal of Hervin Çuli and his replacement with director Basha. 

The decision has been published on the official website of the government, while it is expected to be published in the Official Gazette. 

Decision:

In support of point 2, article 100, of the Constitution, and point 3, article 9, of law no. 10352, dated 18.11.2010, "On art and culture", amended, with the proposal of the Minister of Culture, Council of ministers decided : 

Mr. Hervin Çuli, director of the National Theatre, is relieved of this duty. 
Mr. Altin Basha is appointed director of the National Theatre. 
This decision enters into force immediately and is published in the "Official Gazette". 

Altin Basha has been among the voices in support of the government for the demolition of the National Theatre building. In his public appearances, he stated that the existing building had lost its functionality since 20 years ago. 

"The idea to build it with public money is the best possible idea, there should be enthusiasm as it will serve the citizens. That theatre lost its functionality 20 years after it was built. It was not designed for a theatre, it was adopted for a theatre. Currently it cannot be called a theatre, it has completely lost its functionality.   

I am giving you two examples, Hungary has demolished the national theatre three times. It was once demolished to build the entrance to the Budapest subway. Sweden demolished it, there was a wooden theatre. I don't see anything dramatic in tearing down that building and building a theatre. It would be dramatic if a theatre was not built there.

There are three closed halls, one open hall, one with a capacity of 650, one 350 and 150, and one of the most advanced technology in the region will be used. The Bulgarian and North Macedonian national theatres are taken as a model. It has a very high cost, 10 million euros in technology alone. It will be a theatre not only in international parameters but an extremely functional theatre. We are on the verge of a very important cultural development in this country. The product will be the new theatre of Albania. 

The political part is definitely the part where I would not want to enter because if I had to enter the political part I would like to remind all those who oppose the theatre, they were in power and had the opportunity to spend the money that they spent on the Pyramid and could have spent it on the reconstruction of the Theatre, but they built a theatre that didn't work for a single day, they removed it from the list of cultural monuments protection", stated Basha in his television appearances.