Rotation within the Socialist Party: Ogerta Manastirliu’s candidacy for the Municipality of Tirana paves the way for Blerina Gjylameti’s return to active politics

Prime Minister Edi Rama’s decision to propose Health Minister Ogerta Manastirliu as the Socialist Party’s candidate for Mayor of Tirana in the upcoming local elections is expected to bring not only changes in governance but also shifts in the composition of Parliament.

With Manastirliu’s candidacy for the mayoral post, her parliamentary mandate will be transferred to Blerina Gjylameti, who will return to the plenary hall after a short break.

Gjylameti’s return comes as a result of the legal regulation on mandate replacement when an MP takes on a new role that prevents them from carrying out parliamentary duties.

A well-known figure of the Socialist Party, Gjylameti had lost her mandate in the last elections by a narrow margin to former Foreign Minister Olta Xhaçka, leaving her outside Parliament for the new four-year cycle. Her comeback is now seen as a recovery of her political role within the Socialist parliamentary group.

This development is also expected to affect the internal balance within the Socialist Party, bringing changes to the parliamentary committees where Manastirliu held specific responsibilities, as well as in the representation of Tirana in Parliament. With Gjylameti’s return, the SP maintains its number of mandates, but the dynamics among key figures and internal groupings within the party shift.

Manastirliu’s candidacy for the Municipality of Tirana is seen as a strategic move by Rama to strengthen the Socialist Party’s position in the capital, in a race where strong competition with the opposition is expected. Manastirliu gained broad popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic for her management of the health crisis, which makes her a high-profile candidate for the mayoral post.

“KORÇA BOOM”