Sokol Olldashi (17 December 1972 – 20 November 2013) was an Albanian politician, journalist, and lawyer. A member of the

Democratic Party of Albania The Democratic Party of Albania (, PDSH), also known as the Democratic Party (, PD), is a Conservatism, conservative political party in Albania. It has been the largest opposition party in the country since 2013 and has dominated the Albanian ...

, he served as Minister of Public Order from 2005 to 2007 and as Minister of Public Works, Transportation, and Telecommunications from 2007 to 2013 in the cabinet of

Sali Berisha Sali Berisha (; born 15 October 1944) is an Albanian cardiologist and conservative politician who served as the president of Albania from 1992 to 1997 and as the 32nd Prime Minister of Albania, prime minister of Albania from 2005 to 2013. Berisha ...

. After the Democratic Party's defeat in the 23 June 2013 elections, Olldashi ran for the leadership of the party but lost to Lulzim Basha. He died later that year in a car accident near

Krrabë Krrabë is a town and a former municipality in the Tirana County, central Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Tirana. The population as of the 2023 census is 2,023. History The village has be ...

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

Early life and education

Sokol Olldashi was born on 17 December 1972 in

Durrës Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the List of cities and towns in Albania#List, second most populous city of the Albania, Republic of Albania and county seat, seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is one of Albania's oldest ...

, Albania. He completed his high school education in his hometown and graduated with a degree in law from the

University of Tirana The University of Tirana (, abbreviated UT) is a public university located at the central borough of Tirana 10 in Tirana, Albania. It was established as the State University of Tirana (SUT) in 1957 through merging of five existing institutes ...

in 1995. In 2004, he attended the Defense College at the Doctrine Command, focusing on National Security Policies, where he graduated with a "Gold Medal". During his university years, Olldashi was actively involved in the student movements of December 1990, which played a significant role in Albania's democratic transformations.

Political Career

Member of Parliament

Olldashi began his political career with the

and was first elected to the Albanian Parliament in 2001, representing the Durrës region. He was re-elected in 2005, winning in the Shijak constituency.

Minister of Public Order (2005–2007)

Following the Democratic Party's victory in the 2005 general elections, Olldashi was appointed as the Minister of Public Order on 10 September 2005. He served in this role until 18 January 2007, focusing on law enforcement reforms and efforts to combat organized crime.

Minister of Public Works, Transportation, and Telecommunications (2007–2013)

In April 2007, Olldashi assumed the position of Minister of Public Works, Transportation, and Telecommunications. During his tenure, he oversaw significant infrastructure projects, including the construction of major roads and improvements in telecommunications. He remained in this role until 2013.

2013 Democratic Party Leadership Election

After the Democratic Party's loss in the 23 June 2013 parliamentary elections and the subsequent resignation of party leader

, Olldashi ran for the position of party chairman. He was defeated by Lulzim Basha in the internal party elections.

Death

On the evening of 20 November 2013, Sokol Olldashi died in a car accident near Krrabë, a mountainous area outside Tirana. His vehicle skidded off the road in heavy rain and fell into a ravine. Olldashi was survived by his wife and two children.

Legacy

Sokol Olldashi is remembered as a prominent figure in Albania's post-communist political landscape. His contributions to infrastructure development and public safety have left a lasting impact on the country's progress.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olldashi, Sokol 1972 births 2013 deaths Democratic Party of Albania politicians Government ministers of Albania Transport ministers of Albania People from Durrës Road incident deaths in Albania 21st-century Albanian politicians