Berisha makes his pick: Kellici is in, Kokalari is out of DP

The Chairman of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, has ended once and for all the conflict in distance between the activist Evi Kokalari and the former chairman of the Refounding Commission, Belind Kellici.

Responding to media inquiries, the democrat leader emphasized that he does not support any kind of lobbying, positive or negative.

“With respect to Mr. Kellici (Belind Kellici – AP) I consider him a highly valuable collaborator and a human being that has contributed in all of the activities and endeavors of the DP for its refounding”, Berisha declared initially.

Regarding the Republican activist, the leader of the blue headquarters clarified that she chose not to run for election.

“Evi Kokalari has contributed but she decided on her own not to run for election and withdraw in her own life and pursue her career – in the Republican Party”, stated the former prime minister.

While Kellici is well known for his broad and successful engagement with the Youth Forum of the Democratic Party, even as Chairman of this organization, the same cannot be said about Kokalari.

The latter does not have an established position with the GOP structure, yet she showed up in the DP headquarters at the same time after Berisha’s expulsion from the former chairman of DP, Lulzim Basha.

The Accusation

Kokalari attacked Kellici during the one-week period in which the National Council of DP had two separate meetings to elect the future leadership team for the party.

Through a Facebook status, she raised some very strong accusations against one of the voices closest to Berisha, Belind Kellici.

This, after she accused the latter for orienting the votes in the elections for the new Board pf the democrats.

According to her, members of the youth forum, led by Kellici, were engaged in this task.

Thus, based on this stipulation, she argues that it is not ethical that National Council members lobby for friends in an election for the Board of the party.

Kellici himself was the most voted democrat in the May 22nd Board election that took place within the right wing party.

Berisha

Asked by the media at the end of 2021 regarding the performance of Belind Kellici as the chairman of the Refounding Commission – Berisha’s response was simple and exhaustive – Excellent!

Kellici’s “excellence” was actually complimented as the best representation in the last 31 years.

For Berisha, the leader of the Youth Forum – who is on his way out due to age restrictions – represented himself as the profound image of the true democrats.

Kellici is a politician that achieved one of the best results in the April 25th elections, with 11,601 preferential votes being casted for his personal name.

The “medal podium” for the Tirana division, was led by Basha, seconded by Agron Shehaj and made complete by Kellici.

The same Kellici who in 2017, was left out of the DP candidate list by Basha in exchange for another name, Kellici’s young rival – who Kellici defeated in the election for the chairmanship of the Youth Forum – Ervin Salianji.