Gjergj Bojaxhi, a former deputy minister of energy, on Monday launched his campaign to become the Albanian capital's new mayor, running on a ticket as independent
Launching his campaign to become the next mayor of the capital, Bojaxhi challenged Albania’s two big political parties, the Socialist and Democrats, arguing that they had little to offer the city.
“We have no security in Tirana, are without air and are without clean, unclogged streets,” the former minister said. “We are the majority and this is a call to unity in order to give the city back to the citizens,” he added.
Apart from serving as a deputy minister in the former centre-right government of Prime Minister Sali Berisha, Bojaxhiu was CEO of Albania’s Power Corporation, KESH, the state electricity producer.
He announced his bid to become mayor a few days before the April 1 deadline for political parties to announce their mayoral candidates for the June 21 local elections.
Albania’s ruling Socialists and opposition Democrats have yet to clarify who their candidates for the post of Mayor of Tirana will be.
The Socialist will run joint candidates in the elections with their junior government partner, the Socialist Movement for Integration, LSI, which will have the right to select the candidates in 15 of the 61 municipalities.
The June elections will be the first poll under the country's new administrative reform, which slashed the number of municipalities from 380 to 61.
Source: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/independent-launches-bid-for-tir...
