Syla: Veterians not to speak on behalf of the organisation in protests in Albania, we have no stance on developments there

He has called on veterans attending the protests not to speak on behalf of the organisation.

Syla said OVL- The KLA does not have enough information for organisers and protest purposes, so it does not want to be included.

“Initially, we have had a reaction regarding the protests being held in Albania. War veterans' organisations have no position on these protests, whether they should be held or not held, or who is right, because we as war veterans' organisation have no correct information about who the organisers of this protest are. Therefore, we think it's entirely a matter of the Government of the Republic of Albania, so we don't even want to evolve on this subject, on the subject of protest being held there”, he said.

Syla disclosed that the organisation's response came after receiving information from the OVL-KLA branch in Tirana that some veterans were trying to appear in protest on behalf of the organisation.

We've been calling on them because, based on the information we've received from our branch in Tirana, which represents Albanian fighters who have participated in the Kosovo war, we've received information that it's a tendency that some of our fellow fighters from Kosovo, but also from Albania, go to speak and have some eventual stance on behalf of the war veterans' organisation in this protest, Syla told Online Economy.

According to him, each veteran has the right to participate in protests as an individual but not to represent the organisation.

So we've made the reaction that we've asked that, please, all you veterans who attend this protest, you can also individually participate in your individual positions about the protest, and it's your right, but don't try to call on behalf of the organization or on behalf of veterans, because KLA veterans represent the War Veterans Organization, which has its own structures. If we ever have an attitude about the protest, we'll say it as an organization, so this will become public to our”, he said.

He added that, since there is no official position, it is unacceptable for individuals to speak on behalf of veterans.

As long as we don't have an attitude, it's been unacceptable to us without some veterans speaking on behalf of veterans. Those people can participate there, talk, but not on behalf of the War Veterans Organization. The war veterans' organisation has no stance regarding the protest there, only that we think this is the issue of the Albanian state and must be resolved within the Albanian state of”, he stressed.

The eye also spoke of the report that OVL- The KLA has with Albanian institutions, underlining that the organisation wants to maintain institutional co-operation regardless of who is in power.

You know, we have a special report with the institutions of the Albanian state there and we think that we owe respect to institutions there, as well as those institutions have a duty to treat us, with respect as a war veterans' organization, regardless of who leads with institutions there. Therefore, for us it is a little important who leads with institutions there, which political party, but for us it is important that we have real communication as with the mother state, so with Albania, with all those institutions, regardless of who leads them”, Syla said.

He added that the organisation has no appreciation for the protests, but wants stability in Albania.

We don't have any assessments, any thoughts or attitudes for the protests that are taking place there, just because we wish with no state at best, without our state as a member of the European Union. We love to see only good news, but we're never a complete riot. Even these protests we see today are not happy to see, because we are not happy with anything bad in our state”, Syla said.

Asked whether protests may be driven by specific factors, he said the presence of participants from outside Albania raises doubts.

And we, with information that we're taking so far aside, because we don't have any other internal information and we're not participants in these protests, the fact that in this protest, many other people outside Albania, including Kosovo, and other elements from other states, even from Northern Macedonia and Montenegro, are pushing us in half that this protest is not intended. And I don't think Albanians outside Albania can go to solve this problem in Albania, because Albania is good. This state is as good as it can solve its domestic problems, without the need for involved other Albanians living in other countries in the region, he said.

Speaking of OVL-KLA involvement in the protests, Syla said that is not reasonable.

No, we don't see it reasonable. We should not be involved in these protests, nor should we take a stand. Currently, we have no stance because we do not know who organizes this protest and we do not know exactly the intentions of this protest. Therefore, since this situation is so, we as war veterans' organization do not have an attitude, but we certainly shouldn't even be locked up, we don't have participants, and we won't participate”, he said.

He called on veterans to be careful if they decide to participate in the protests.

We invite all those veterans who are going to attend, consciously, with care about which protest they are attending, who has invited those people and what are the reasons veterans from Kosovo take part in this protest. Having this attitude, it had been good indeed to be careful with our participation there. It's not good for one of Kosovo to go out to solve the problems of Albania's Albanians there, because, I repeat, they're good at solving their internal problems there”, Syla added. /Periscope