A proposal for another intervention in the administrative-territorial map has brought residents onto the streets in several cities across the country. In Dimal, Divjaka, Klos and Prrenjas, the opposition is open: the communities are rejecting the merger of their municipalities and denouncing decisions that, they say, were made without listening to the residents directly affected.
Dimal against being erased from the map
In Dimal, the protest was held on the city’s pedestrian boulevard, where residents came out with banners and called on the government not to touch their municipality. The opposition is linked to the proposal that this municipality would no longer exist as a separate unit under the new territorial reform.
Citizens argued that Dimal carries weight because of its population, territorial extent and economic profile, describing it as the municipality with the largest agricultural output in the country. According to them, a merger with Berat would burden daily life and the local economy, especially for farmers in administrative units such as Kutalli, Cukala and Poshnja.
In addition to the protest in the square, residents have also signed a petition against the proposal, turning the reaction into publicly organized opposition.
Divjaka rejects merger with Lushnja
There was also a protest in Divjaka against the option that foresees merging the municipality with Lushnja. The reaction there marks another pocket of dissatisfaction over the way the review of the local map is being presented.
Divjaka Mayor Josif Gorrea has said that he feels betrayed and still cannot believe this development. His statement reflects the political and institutional clash accompanying the debate over the reform.
Klos protests, administration boycotts work
In the center of Klos, citizens gathered to oppose the Socialist Party’s new draft administrative-territorial map, which, according to the presented version, foresees the dissolution of Klos Municipality and its merger with Mat Municipality.
The protests began in the morning hours. As a sign of opposition, the Klos Municipality administration boycotted work for several hours. Citizens are demanding that Klos remain a municipality in its own right and oppose decisions that, they say, were made without broad consultation with the community.
Klos Municipality is made up of four administrative units: Klos, Xibër, Suç and Gurrë, with the city of Klos as its center. For the protesters, this structure cannot be dismantled without a real debate with residents.
Objections also in Prrenjas
There was also a protest in Prrenjas, where residents reject a merger with Librazhd. Although fewer public details have emerged there so far, the opposition falls into the same chain of reactions now appearing in several areas of the country.
What is becoming clear on the ground is the clash between the political design of the new map and the local interest of communities at risk of losing their municipal status. It is precisely this lack of trust that is pushing the debate from offices into the public square.
The reactions in the four municipalities show that the territorial reform is not being seen simply as administrative reorganization, but as an intervention with direct consequences for representation, services and the local economy.
If the government treats this process as a closed decision, without convincing consultation with the communities, the confrontation is expected to deepen even further.
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