Top Channel TV
31/07/2014
"I insist in the respecting of the human rights and of minorities. Albania is an EU candidate, and the government must know that the respecting of the minorities are part of the negotiations. If the draft-law passes, it will be a burden for our country in the negotiations. I propose that the administrative unit of Himara should be together with Himara and Lukova. Vranisht and some other communes should join with Selenica. Trusting in your dedication to the law I hope in a positive vote for these amends", Dule declared.
The MPs have approved two variants offered by Dule, and rejected three others.
Rama-Dule Debate
Before the voting of the territorial reform, the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, addressed to the head of the UHRP, Vangjel Dule, and said that Himara is an Albanian territory and will be treated as any other area of our country.
“Himara is like Tropoja, Kavaja and any other area. The fact that there is a Greek minority living there, is an indicator for its integration. Himara has always been an Albanian region. The residents of Himara, Dhermi and Palasa speak Albanian”, Rama declared.
Dule reacted and said that the passing of this territorial reform damages the rights of the Greek minority in Himara.
“Those who make others be part of the institutional life of a country should be proud, not those who simply pass laws”, he said, addressing to the Prime Minister.
Rama denied that the rights of the Himara Greek minority are being violated:
“I have always valued your intelligence, but don’t offend mine. There is no effort to limit the rights and freedoms of the Greek minority in Himara. We have recognized the presence of that minority and we will always respect it”, Rama declared.
“The topic of Himara is sensible because it is related to a 23-year-old effort of some people who wanted to see Himara for what it is not. We will treat residents without distinctions for their ethnicity”, Rama declared.
After a debate with Mr.Dule, Rama spoke about the advantages of the territorial reform: “This reform involves even more the communities that have been excluded from the education system, and allows us to offer transportation services, by making it possible for every child to attend school. The same thing goes for health, social support and security”, Rama declared.
He referred to the results of a poll published yesterday by the Minister of the Local Government, which proved the support of most of Albanians in this effort.
“The Albanian people supports this reform. We saw from the independent poll that 70% support the territorial reform”, Rama declared.
Debate for Himara in numbers
Himara is one of the three local units that is being part of the new territorial reform, creating a municipality with the same name, part of which will be Lukova and the Hor Vranisht commune.
The unification of the Vlore River villages with Himara and Lukova has been opposed by the leader of the United for Human Rights Party, Vangjel Dule, claiming that Vranisht will be used as an electoral body with the purpose to withhold the local government of Himara.
This claim falls even if it is taken in consideration, based on the recent census. Himara has 2822 residents, while the Lukova commune, with which UHRP has no problem unifying, has 2916 residents, which it will change the electoral relations that the UHRP claims.
The Hor Vranisht commune is the smallest, with 2080 residents. The territorial reform commission has rejected the request of the UHRP that Himara is a Greek minority and as such it should be in a separate municipality.
Government sources declared for Top Channel that the territorial reform has simply returned the 400-year-old local borders of the Himara region.
Population of the new Himara municipality
Hor Vranisht 2.080
Lukove 2.916
Himare 2.822
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