Chose the peaceful path to beat a regime

Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha appeared with the scarf of former Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova during a meeting. Berisha said in his speech that Rugova in his assessment is an Albanian genius in European politics and in world politics. He also added that Rugova was not only a visionary leader, but according to him, he was the only politician who was as a leader, as a missionary.

Part of Berisha’s speech

Dear Adnan, Dear Avni, Dear Genc, ​​Edit, My Friends Here, I feel excited, but also infinitely grateful to the man who did not share President Ibrahim Rugova at every moment of his life, the man who followed him at every step of his life, Adnan Merovci. Dear friends, Ibrahim Rugova is, in my appreciation, an Albanian genius in European politics and world politics.

It’s an unrepeatable genius. Descendant of a patriotic family. First -class intellectual. He engages in the cause of the nation and its country. Genius, he chooses a completely foreign road for Albanians. Foreigners for most nations of the world. Chooses the peaceful way to defeat an invasion. Nations, to the invasions, have had either submission, or weapons confrontation. Ibrahim Rugova chose neither the first nor the second, but chose the peaceful resistance, with which he pushed the walls of the time. With which he most stunning, to call the miracle Rugova, he managed to have a project that, except for the Albanians, does not remember a second to support it, to support it, to leave the folklore, the independence of Kosovo was not overwhelmed by it.

Imagine for a moment to fight alone and all against. But again, the one standing. Why standing? Because he had made a genius choice, he had made the peaceful choice. And I will tell you here in 1992, as president, I met in Istanbul, Kostandin Micotaqis, who had shown a lot of sympathy for the democratic forces in Albania, but since the Balkans were reshaping with wars, he had a different attitude towards Milosevic than others.

And I say in Istanbul, I say you meet Ibrahim Rugova. Why meet him, he told me. To meet that he represents 2 million Albanians and you are finding anyone else who represents them, do not meet them. But while you are interested in developments, they too must have their own voice and be heard. He stayed, he said neither yes nor no. Then I say, but he is peaceful, he really does not like the project, but his attitude cannot be rejected. You’re right, he told me. And it is the first prime minister to host President Rugova. Called and met him in Thessaloniki. During the war, Tirana dealt with President Rugova badly.

Belgrade was understandable. In the fall of 1992 or autumn, in Tirana comes Sajruz Venz and Lord Ouen and ask me to persuade Rugova to participate in the elections taking place in Kosovo. I say, I do not ask President Rugova from President Rugova. And they immediately, as they had prejudice, why they told me they didn’t ask for it. I do not ask that even if he tells the citizens of Kosovo, they do not participate in the elections. The result is that we will not have a leader like him to talk. What does the international community have to depreciate a figure like it?

In conclusion they were not convinced, but in the end I say, do they give them a suggestion, why you don’t go to Pristina to meet Rugova himself, he is a pacifist man, he is an intellectual man. Okay, I was told. And they went, Milosevic made a row, they were very shocked. What was left in their minds was to meet Rugova. They were amazed at the meeting with President Rugova. They returned and told me that you had been very right and explained to me the savagery they had experienced by Milosevic’s gangs. Rugova was not only a visionary leader, but he was the only politician who was a leader, so he was a missionary.