SUMMARY/ The six days that made Tirana, Durrës and all of Albania tax-free

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

"I'd rather die than be on the streets..."/ Among the Alps in Theth, the law is punishing even those who try to respect it

2025-07-11 20:26:21Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA EMI KALAJA
Petrit Koçeku got out of his wheelchair and tried to stop the IKMT excavator

 

 

The residents of Theth blame Prime Minister Edi Rama's contradictory messages and the administration's inaction, while the action to demolish unauthorized cabins leaves behind anger, debts, and disappointment among foreign tourists.

When he visited Thethi in June last year, Prime Minister Edi Rama handed out several property certificates and promised administrative ease and support that, according to him, would enable emigrants to return and invest in their country.

"The new support package for investments in these mountains will pave the way for all those who have left these mountains in search of a better life, who have worked tirelessly and who have saved, to invest their savings in the lands of their ancestors…," Rama declared.

Klodian Harusha is one of those who heard Rama's promise and interpreted it as an opportunity to return to his homeland. Only 23 years old, Harusha says he saved up some savings from emigration, took out a 30,000 euro loan and invested in a bar-cafe in Theth. The building was built with sheet metal and wood, while Harusha himself initially lived in a camper, and then built a wooden hut.

“They told us: Return to the land of our ancestors. I believed them. I took it seriously. I returned all the savings I had saved with my hard work and came to Theth to start over,” he says, his voice almost hoarse.

But returning was not easy. For six months, he tried to secure a permit and says he knocked on every door of the administration, but received no answer. In early June, Harusha realized that what he had thought was a dream had turned into a nightmare.

"I received the notice: a fine of 5.7 million new lek and a decision to demolish," he says in shock, as bulldozers accompanied by police are razing similar cabins amid protests from residents.

Since Monday, July 7, the tourist village of Theth in the Albanian Alps has been targeted by hundreds of police forces and heavy vehicles from the Inspectorate for the Control and Protection of Territory, IKMT, who are demolishing around 80 wooden cabins and containers built in the village over the past year. The action was promoted by Prime Minister Rama, who accused the builders of being criminals and occupiers who had “wounded the heart of Theth.”

 

"I'd rather die than be on the streets..."/ Among the Alps in
Klodian Harusha, 23, says he returned from emigration and built a wooden cabin after hearing Rama's promises

 

But Harusha and other residents of Theth blame Rama's contradictory messages and the institutions' double standards for what is happening.

"I am a young man who trusted the state. I am not an invader, I am on the land of my grandparents," said Harusha.

The clash with the state

Aksioni në Theth nuk nisi me përplasje. Në ditën e parë, IKMT ngriti në ajër një numër kabinash prej druri të vendosura në oborrin e kishës së vjetër të Thethit pa asnjë rezistencë, ndërkohë që vetë banorët pranuan se ai ndërtim ishte i tepruar.

Në ditën e dytë, lëvizjet avancuan drejt bujtinave të drurit, strukturave akomoduese apo ndërtesave të papërfunduara. Filluan të qarkullonin njoftime për gjoba dhe urdhra për prishje, por nuk pati përplasje fizike të menjëhershme. Megjithatë, nga ky moment, banorët që kishin shpresuar të shfrytëzonin hapësirat e reja për turizmin e këtij sezoni, nisën të organizohen. Tensioni shpërtheu në ditën e tretë, kur fadromat hynë më thellë në territor.

Banorët bllokuan urën kryesore hyrëse të Thethit. Burrat, gratë, të rinjtë dhe të moshuarit dolën në rrugë dhe formuan një kordon njerëzor, duke mos lejuar mjetet e IKMT-së dhe Policisë së Shtetit të hynin në fshat.

Policia, megjithatë, i shpërndau. Pas zhbllokimit të urës, fadromat mbërritën për shembjet e paralajmëruara. Petrit Koçeku, një burrë i moshuar me aftësi të kufizuara, qau para tyre, ndërsa tentoi t’i ndalonte.

“Kam ndërtuar pesë shtëpi druri në tokën time, pa një pikë beton… më mirë me vdekë sesa me dalë në rrugë. Mua më ka vrarë Zoti një herë, tani të më vrasë dhe shteti,” tha ai në protestë.

Motra e tij, gjithashtu banore e Thethit, kërkoi që vendimet të diskutoheshin dhe që banorët të dëgjoheshin. “Jemi në tokën tonë, do t’ju lutesha sa më qetë. Ndaleni konfrontimin,” tha gruaja gjatë përplasjeve.

“Ligjet i zbatojmë, por kur erdhi Rama këtu, na tha të ndërtonim në pronat tona… Ne do mbrojmë djersën tonë. Kërkojmë dialog me kryeministrin; në kulmin e sezonit nuk bëhet kjo punë,” shtoi ajo.

Por pavarësisht protestave dhe lutjeve, IKMT nuk pranoi negociata. Fatmir Metaj, drejtor i Zbatimit të Vendimeve në IKMT, tha se ata kishin për të prishur 80 objekte dhe se operacioni nuk do të ndalonte.

“Ne nuk kemi ardhur këtu për të dëmtuar banorët, por për të vendosur rregull dhe ligjshmëri në territor,” tha Metaj. “Subjektet përkatëse janë njoftuar më parë dhe kanë pasur mundësinë që të ndërhyjnë vetë për çmontimin ose zhvendosjen e strukturave,” tha ai, duke shtuar se IKMT ka vepruar vetëm pas përfundimit të afateve ligjore të njoftimit.

Pas një nate të gjatë me shembje objektesh, në ditën e pestë, aksioni vijoi në zemër të fshatit, duke e thelluar përplasjen. Ndërkohë, paralelisht me atë që po ndodhte në fshat, furtunë pati edhe në Drejtorinë e Policisë së Shtetit në Shkodër, ku drejtori Fatmir Lleshaj dhe shefi i komisariatit, Nik Nikolla u shkarkuan, ndërsa shefi i stacionit në Theth u pezullua dhe ndaj tij nisi hetim disiplinor.

Drejtori i Përgjithshëm i Policisë së Shtetit, Ilir Proda, në një qëndrim publik, i akuzoi ata se kishin toleruar ndërtimet. “Ky është një mesazh i qartë… kush nuk e di çfarë ndodh në territorin e vet, nuk meriton të mbajë uniformë,” tha Proda.

Turizmi nën rrënoja

"I'd rather die than be on the streets..."/ Among the Alps in
Shtëpizat prej druri të familjes Koçeku në radhë për t’u prishur.

Clashes between residents and police left hundreds of tourists in Theth speechless, facing collapsed structures and tense protests. Some were stranded between four streets when the buildings they were supposed to stay in collapsed.

“I am from Yemen and I have booked with my family. What should I do now? It is not good for your country, for the people who visit it. When I arrived, I saw the destroyed facility… I don’t know where to go now!” said a surprised tourist.

Other tourists saw the police intervention as excessive; some even joined the residents in protest. “You are doing very well to protest, that is why we have joined you. This valley is yours and it should remain yours. We are on your side, thank you for welcoming us,” said a foreign visitor.

Residents like Nikë Guri are desperate as they see the season failing before their eyes.

"All the tourists are fleeing in fear of what is happening. It is an anti-advertisement for this world gem. The state is working like this to drive everyone away. It is good to have order, but not at this time. Another moment should have been found," he complained.

Guri blames the institutions that have not functioned for years and have left them at the mercy of fate, while the investments made are uncertain.

"I built in 2009 on land inherited from my grandfather. In 1946 we had land titles, then they were passed with Law 7501. But today I don't have any papers that protect me. The promise was: 'we will do the land titles', 'we will help you', but nothing has been done for us villagers," he said.

Other residents face even greater paradoxes.

Former Deputy Minister of Culture and architect Zef Çuni, a good expert on cultural heritage issues, sees with concern that the residents' early requests for restoration or intervention remain unanswered.

"The Rupa family tower in Theth is a cultural monument protected by the state. For 10 years, the family has been seeking to restore it with all the components it historically had. The project has been approved by the Ministry of Culture, but has been repeatedly rejected by the Municipality of Shkodra," said Çuni.

"I'd rather die than be on the streets..."/ Among the Alps in
For 10 years, the Rrupa family in Theth has been seeking to restore their ancestors' ruined tower, but have been unable to secure permission.

He says this delay brings lawlessness, making residents hopeless. “This is the reality: in Theth, the law punishes those who try to respect it,” he concluded./ BIRN

Galeria fotografike (
)


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×