Xhemal Bushati (1880–1941) was an Albanian politician of the twentieth century.
Life
Xhemal Bushati was born Xhemal Shaqir Bushati in
Shkodër
Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra; historically known as Scodra or Scutari) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, fifth-most-populous city of Albania and the seat of Shkodër County and Shkodër Municipality. Shkodër has been List of o ...
, member of the
Bushati family
The Bushati family () is an Albanian Muslim family that ruled the Pashalik of Scutari from 1757 to 1831.
Origins
They are descendants of the medieval Bushati tribe, a pastoralist tribe () in northern Albania and Montenegro. The name Bushat is c ...
which ruled the
Scutari Vilayet during the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
.
He participated in two wars against the
Montenegrin in Shkodër, during 1912–1913 and in 1920.
His first appearance as a politician was in 1913–1914 as an opponent of "Sejadi Milet" organization, a pro-Turkish anti-Independence movement powerful in Shkodra at that time. He was also an opponent of
Essad Pasha and his pro-Serbian orientation. On 26 July 1916, the armies of
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () has been its colloq ...
without any warning attacked Shkodra area from the Montenegrin border side (
Hani i Hotit). Bushati was elected as one of the civic resistance groups, operating in the area of
Vraka
Vraka (; sr-Cyrl, Врака) is a region in Shkodër County in northern Albania. The region includes settlements located on the shore of Lake Scutari, some 7 km north of the city of Shkodër. This ethnographic region is inhabited by Serb- ...
.
He participated at the Albanian assembly held in
Bushat
Bushat is a village and a former municipality in the Shkodër County, northwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Vau i Dejës. The population at the 2011 census was 14,149.
Geography
Bu ...
as a representative of Shkodër in 1919. There he cooperated with other government, cleric and people's representatives in generating a memo which was sent to the
Paris Peace Conference where they opposed further partition of Albanian territories.
Bushati was a delegate in the
Congress of Lushnje. On 13 February 1920, two days after the new institutions were installed in Tirana (the new capital), the new parliament representatives Xhemal Bushati,
Hilë Mosi,
Ndoc Çoba, and
Sabri Bushati represented a declaration in the name of Shkodra's population which unconditionally approved all the decision coming out of Lushnja's Congress. Bushati was elected member of the
Albanian Parliament
The Parliament of Albania () or Kuvendi is the unicameral representative body of the citizens of the Republic of Albania; it is Albania's legislature. The Parliament is composed of no less than 140 members elected to a four-year term on the b ...
after the 1921 elections as representative of his home town. He cooperated closely with
Luigj Gurakuqi
Luigj Gurakuqi (19 February 1879 – 2 March 1925), also called Louis Gurakuchi, was an Albanians, Albanian writer and politician. He was an important figure of the Albanian National Awakening and was honored with the People's Hero of Albania ...
as two main leaders of the Albanian parliamentary opposition of 1921-24 for the Prefecture of Shkodra. Of thirteen representatives, twelve belonged to the opposition. In 1923 he was elected Assemblyman and again Representative. In March 1923 he protested inside the parliament against the oppression and persecution that followed a revolt in
Korçë
Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, eighth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population of the city is 51,152 and 75,994 of Korçë municipal ...
.
A supporter of the
June Revolution, he was part of the
Fan Noli
Theofan Stilian Noli, known as Fan Noli (6 January 1882 – 13 March 1965), was an Albanian Americans, Albanian-American writer, scholar, diplomat, politician, historian, orator, bishop, and founder of the Albanian Orthodox Church and the Albania ...
's government as a Minister without Portfolio, representing the moderate-conservative branch of the Albanian politics together with
Sulejman Delvina and
Rexhep Shala. After the return of
Ahmet Zogu in power he left the country and was initially stationed in
Bari
Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...
. After the assassination of Luigj Gurakuqi (still collaborating with him), Bushati left for Paris and after a few months in Vienna, Austria stationed later in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
. Bushati was a core member of the "
Bashkimi Kombëtar" (The National Union) anti-Zogist organization together with
Sotir Peci,
Sejfi Vllamasi
Sejfi Vllamasi (1883–1975) was an Albanian congressman and well-known politician during the first half of the 20th century. He was born in the village of Novoselë, in Kolonjë, Albania (at the time part of the Ottoman Empire).
Vllamasi studied ...
,
Angjelin Suma, and
Ali Klissura founded in 1925 in Vienna. The organization members were financially supported by Yugoslavia.
Bushati returned in Albania after the
Italian Invasion but did not accept any governmental position. He died unexpectedly in August 1941.
During the
Communist Era
A communist era is a sustained period of national government by a single party following the philosophy of Marxism–Leninism. Many countries have experienced such a period of communist rule.
Current communist states China
The Chinese Communist ...
his name was annihilated, and was restored after. In 1993, he was given the posthumous award "Pishtar i Demokracisë" (Beacon of Democracy) by President
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 ...
.
See also
*
Maliq Bushati
*
Pashalik of Shkodra
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bushati, Xhemal
1880 births
1941 deaths
Politicians from Shkodër
People from Scutari vilayet
20th-century Albanian politicians
Members of the Parliament of Albania
Government ministers of Albania
Ministers without portfolio of Albania
Xhemal
Albanian people from the Ottoman Empire