From abandoning the SP to the threat from Bajrat/ Why is Rama silent about Marjana Koçek?

What happened?

The civic protest, which today marks the 18th day of the revolt in front of the Prime Minister's Office, brought a rift within the Socialist Party. Perhaps when it was least expected, the first defections came from the ranks of the Socialists.

Context

Marjana Koçeku, MP for Shkodër District who emerged from the closed lists of the May 11 elections, announced her departure from the SP group. In a Facebook post, Koçeku gave a clear signal to Rama that a person's ideals and values ​​cannot be placed at the service of the party and its propaganda.

"From today I am an independent MP. My ideals and values ​​are those I have had and expressed since before I was associated with a party. They define my boundaries," she wrote.

Socialists give moral lectures to Koçek

Immediately after the Shkodra MP's statement, a revolt broke out in the SP. Student Helena Kaçe, who opened the SP Congress, asked Koçek to hand over her mandate, since according to her, the privilege of being an MP gave her the 'glorious' logo of the SP. Kaçe even called Marjana Koçek a "hypocrite", arguing that without handing over the chair, she cannot be independent.

"There is a kind of hypocrisy and ingratitude in politics. To enter Parliament through closed lists, with the votes and commitment of a party, and then to remember that 'ideals and moral boundaries' push you to emerge independent. True independence does not begin by handing over the card and holding the chair.

Start by handing over your mandate. Because those votes that brought you to Parliament were from people who voted for a political logo and vision.

If your ideals no longer align with that political house, the most principled step is to return the mandate to those who trusted you. Good luck on your new journey, Marjana, as an independent, but do it right: Hand over the mandate! ", said Kaçe.

Even the mayor of Lezha, Pjerin Ndreu, reacted with a moralizing tone to Koçek's decision to leave the socialist group and position herself as an independent.

Ndreu, like Kaçe, gave him a lesson in nobility, demanding that Koçek surrender his mandate, as an act that, according to him, would give moral and noble meaning to the deputy's departure.

"Anyone, under different conditions and circumstances, can change their opinion or ideas, they may no longer find themselves or not align with a political force. This is completely normal. But the honor of being appointed to the top of the political list of the largest district in the north, without any previous political contribution, morally should not be abused. Giving up the mandate received thanks to the vote of thousands of Shkodra socialists would be an act that would ennoble my friend, Marjana Koçeku," Ndreu writes.

But how did the Rama-Koçek clash start?

Top Channel reported the day before that the origin coincides with June 8, when the leader of the Socialist Party, Edi Rama, was in Shkodra for the 35th anniversary tour of the Socialist Party. Wearing a t-shirt with a flamingo printed on it, Rama was met with a comment from Koçek, who said: "Honored Prime Minister, welcome to Shkodra as Gen Z, I really like the t-shirt you are wearing today...".

This was the spark that sparked the debate between the MP and Rama, during an informal meeting between them. Apparently, the conversation that the two had and what Rama said to Koçek were not welcomed by the MP, who responded back.

After announcing her departure from the SP group, Koçeku posted a flamingo emoji on her official profile, which has become the symbol of the civic protest called the "Flamingo Revolution".

Asked about Koçek's departure, group leader Taulant Balla said that they would discuss the two at some point, while Socialist colleagues claimed that the MP had turned off her phone and had not answered their calls.

The threat from Bajrat

But in the whirlwind of reactions and silence, Koçeku herself made a strong statement on her profile. She openly stated that she had been threatened by the Bajra gang of Shkodra.

"This message is addressed to the Bajrajs of Shkodra. If my family is affected, even a single hair, I will not leave you without destroying you, as long as I have life," writes Koçek.

Shkodra Police stated to Politiko.al that no official report has been filed regarding these allegations so far.

"We have no report or notification regarding this announcement," said official sources from the Police.

The first reaction from the SP ranks was indifferent. Igli Hasani, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that it was not his job to deal with the denunciation and that anyone who felt threatened should contact the police.

"Anyone who feels threatened, anyone who has evidence should contact the authorities, the State Police, if there is even one clue. Who chooses Instagram to make statements, that is none of my business at all. They should contact the State Police," said Hasani.

Rama's Silence

What is surprising is that there is no reaction from the Prime Minister. Rama has been silent since the day Marjana Koçeku announced her departure from the SP group. Rama, who usually reacts to every political clash, this time has chosen silence – a silence that is raising more and more questions. Perhaps because the socialists, and even the Bajrat e Shkodra, have launched an attack./ Politiko.al