A group of 735 lecturers has signed a five-point statement calling on Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down and clear the way for a caretaker government. The document, initiated by the Forum for Political Dialogue, levels strong accusations of violence against students during the protests and addresses appeals not only to the government, but also to the police, protesters, citizens, and the diplomatic corps in Tirana.
Political appeal with a direct demand for Rama’s departure
In the first point of the statement, the signatories ask the head of government to listen to the students’ demands and, in their wording, to open the way to pacifying the country.
They then go beyond a political appeal and call for Edi Rama’s resignation, as well as the creation of a caretaker government. According to the statement, this formula should guarantee institutional stability, lower tensions, and respect the will of the citizens.
Accusations of violence and the message to the police
The lecturers say they are shocked by what they describe as unjustified violence against students and by violations of human rights during the protest.
In their appeal to the Police and other law enforcement structures, they call for an end to every act of violence against students. The signatories also urge them not to carry out orders they consider unlawful, placing responsibility on the institutional chain of enforcement as well.
Call to embassies and for protest without damage
Another appeal in the statement is directed at diplomatic representations in Tirana. The lecturers ask them to react publicly in support of respect for citizens’ rights.
At the same time, protesters are asked to protect businesses and public and private property. According to the signatories, avoiding damage would deprive the government of any justification for the use of force and for delegitimizing the protest.
Who signed and the statement’s final message
Among the 735 signatories are well-known names from academia and public life, such as Stefan Çapaliku, Fatos Tarifa, Zyhdi Teqja, Andri Koxhaj, Petraq Milo, Gjok Vuksani, Fatos Qerimaj, Gentian Stroni, Enkeleda Olldashi, Kozeta Bakiu, Suzana Guxholli, Areti Stringa, Voltana Ademi, Enida Bozhegu, Lutfi Dervishi, Ardian Ndreca, and Arbër Rendi, a member of the Academic Senate.
In the fifth point, the statement calls on the citizens of Tirana to join the students, with a direct reference to 1991, in order to prevent violence against them. The message closes with a political sentence aimed at placing students at the center of the moment: in lecture halls, the lecturers say, they are leaders; in the square, according to them, the leaders are the students.
The statement by the 735 lecturers shifts the clash from the street to the institutional and moral arena as well, confronting the government, the police, and diplomacy with an open demand for a response.
In essence, the document is not limited to expressing solidarity with students, but articulates a clear demand for a political solution in a climate charged with tension.