The General Secretary of the SP, Damian Gjiknuri, during the meeting with the new leaders of the branches, assured that the political force he is a part of will be a great supporter of Albania's integration into the EU.
Gjiknuri emphasized that the Socialist Party is the force that has contributed the most to integration.
"Albania is at an important historical moment. Albania is now one step closer to the European Union. We have just started negotiations. Naturally, the Albanian government faces a heavy burden, a great task to face a very difficult process, and we must accept this. I am convinced that the Socialist Party will be a great supporter of this process. We are the party that contributed the most to integration. We are the most democratic party in this country and with the most positive results that should make us all proud. I say that this party also has a merit for the integration process despite the fact that some others do not want to accept this fact", declared Gjiknuri.
He asked the new mayors to immediately start work on the reorganization to prepare for the upcoming local elections.
"Big challenges await the Socialist Party. Not only because we are in the third term and the third term has its challenges and we must all agree here, but because the Socialist Party must be an organization that is always regenerating, self-organizing often and self-criticizing with the aim of do your best. The local elections will be in April, so from September we will start the work of electoral preparations, where I am convinced that we will emerge victorious again, as we have traditionally done all these years", emphasized Gjiknuri.
The General Secretary of the SP appreciated the timely completion of the selection of all new leaders in all municipalities of the country. He emphasized that the way is now open for the selection of the presidents of the socialist councils.
"It was an exemplary, face-to-face, very sound democratic process for the Socialist Party. We had the opportunity for all the candidates for party chairman to face the membership, to present their platforms. We begin the next intensive phase of that process that has already begun at all levels that is related to the selection of the presidents of the socialist councils.
The leaders of the parties together with the deputies have started the process of organizing the hearings. We aim to complete all hearings within the month. After that, the selection will be made, as the statute has, by the newly elected party leaders together with the relevant assemblies", underlined Gjiknuri.