Author: admin 15 September 2015

We report below the answers of the Mayor of Peqin, Saimir Hasalla. In fact, these days he has compiled and sent to Operazione Colomba volunteers the questionnaire prepared by us on the phenomenon of blood feuds.

The questions

1. What is the spread of the blood feud phenomenon in the area where you are the mayor?

• How is the phenomenon perceived by the population?
• How many cases of blood feud are there in the municipality/district where you are the mayor?
• Is there any collaboration between the local administration and the other organizations in the territory where you are the mayor?

2. Specifically, which concrete steps would you do for the complete eradication of the blood feud phenomenon, referring particularly to the territory of the town/district where you are the mayor?
3. In 2005 Law no. 9389 of May 4th 2005 was emanated but it has not been applied so far because of the lack of the implementing acts by the Executive. What do you plan on doing to ask the Albanian Executive to apply this legal instrument?

The response of the Mayor of Peqin

We report below the full text of the answers from the Mayor of Peqin:

“Dear representatives of Operazione Colomba,

Thanking you for the letter nr. 269B / 2015, dated 27.08.2015 addressed to the Mayor of Peqin, I want to congratulate you for the contribution and work against the phenomenon of “blood feuds” and “revenge” in Albania.

The phenomenon of “blood feuds” is not very common in the territory of Peqin.

The area is more impacted by the phenomenon of “revenge”, which is distributed both in the urban and rural areas. Some of the reasons for the existence of this phenomenon are related to the failure of the mechanisms and instruments of social and urban integration, the economic problems, the inability to prevent family disputes, property disputes, old blood feuds and conflicts with petty motives, which led to the commission of revengeful crimes.

We have no accurate statistics related to these phenomena and their consequences, this is also related to the short time of the constitution of the Peqin municipality.

To overcome these concerning phenomena with serious consequences, the central and local public administration should strengthen their cooperation and enhance coordination with civil society organizations in support of the social categories affected by these phenomena. It ‘also important to organize activities and events aimed at educating the spirit of tolerance, against private justice, revenge and blood feuds. It is also crucial the support of the police and the implementation of state measures of conflict prevention and offenses punishable by law.

In connection with the implementation of law nr. 9389 we should consider the drafting of a national strategy for the fight against these two phenomena and the issuance of decrees for the implementation of the law.

Thank you.

The mayor, Samir Hasalla”

Thanks

We also would like to thank the Mayor of Peqin for his contribution. We will compare the institutional data related to the phenomenon of blood feuds in the area of Peqin with those collected by us. We take this opportunity to ask the mayor a more detailed answer regarding the question on the implementation of the decrees relating to the application of Law no. 9389.