From rehabilitation to educational infrastructure and garbage, with this balance of finished works, the mayor of Dures, who is seeking for re-election in this municipality on May 14, invites Durres inhabitants to vote. In an interview with Alba Alishani for the “Debate” Show on A2 CNN, Emiriana Sako highlighted the works completed during her term as mayor, which was during a tough time, as she promised social housing for young couples.
“We have a balance of completed works. The key word has been reconstruction, and we have achieved an extraordinary volume. We have a balance of houses built in administrative units of the city over 700 housing units where families live inside them. In the process of reconstruction, there are 996 apartments that are being built in this neighborhood, some of which will also serve as social housing.
Sako noted that, in addition to the reconstruction card, she will offer the Durres citizens a 12 point program and obligations such as better city cleaning, tourism, and social services.
“During 2022, we have taken several commitments that we have carried out, such as cleaning the city, investing in the fleet of vehicles, changing the bins, we have illuminated the city, Shkozeti and the beach, which have a tourist priority and greening of the city in some neighborhoods. We have restored public spaces. Last season we had no problems, we had extra cleaning power. We have found a definitive solution and today, instead of Porto Romano, the waste is deposited in the Sharra landfill, and in Porto Romano we have a real project. I have drawn up a program that is based on 12 pillars that are grouped in priority tourism, urban development, social services. We will increase support for tourism, we want to increase security not only in the coastal areas and the city. Security camera coverage in these areas. Social services are another priority. We will build social housing to accommodate, we have requests for families who want to be supported by the municipality, so far we have solved it with subsidy from the Municipality or soft loans, but we have requests for social housing”.
Another priority will be urban development, with Sako envisioning the creation of a public parking lot at the city’s entrance and, in the long run, the construction of the city’s big ring road.
“Urban development is a problem of heavy traffic during the season, and we have taken measures to build a public parking lot at the city’s entrance; the project has begun; the most long-term project will be the construction of a ring from Currilat to Spitalle and the inner ring.”
When asked about the Municipality’s performance, Sako stated that tax collection has increased, citing the government’s and Prime Minister Edi Rama’s support for city investments.
“Beaches have had lower income due to the pandemic, but we have a 113% increase in the collection of private beach fees, and there is support from Prime Minister Rama to continue the investments for the mandate we are expecting.”
Sako ruled out election fraud with the reconstruction and claimed that the opposition’s language is full of lies.
“The opposition’s language is jargon full of untruths; the administration of the municipality of Durrs applies the law and only gets involved in the campaign when they have the will; there are engineers who have been working since Arqile Gorea was in the Municipality of Durres.”
Sako stated in front of her candidate in the Together We Win Coalition competition that her advantage is the government’s work and backing. “I will not speak about the rival in this race. I haven’t listened to any program for the citizens, but my focus is on the citizens, and on May 14 I will ask for their support. We will leave it to the citizens of Durrs to decide. I have a lot of work to do. The work is my advantage, and the support given to us by the SP structure and the great team. There are things I would like to do more or better.”
On May 14, she asked people to be protagonists rather than bystanders.