Eshref Frashëri

Eshref Effendy Frasheri^[3] (October 15, 1874 – October 17, 1938), also referred to as Eshtref Bey Frashëri, was an Albanian politician.^[4] He served as co-Chairman of the National Council of Albania from 1921 until 1923 and Deputy Chairman 1932-1938.

Eshref Bey Frashëri
Born	October 15, 1874 Korçë, Ottoman Empire^[1]
Died	October 17, 1938 (aged 64)
Nationality	Albanian
Other names	Eshtref Frashëri
Occupation(s)	Engineer,^[2] politician
Known for	Chairman of the Parliament of Albania Congress of Lushnje
Signature

Life

Born in Korçë, in southern Albania,^[5] he studied Construction Engineering in Istanbul and in 1914 became member of the Albanian patriotic club there. Frashëri became member of the Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo.^[6] The Committee of Kosovo sent its delegates to the Congress of Lushnje of 1920. Frashëri together with Hysni Curri (who could not make it) and Xhemal Prishtina were elected to represent the Committee, the Prefecture of Kosovo (Has-Tropojë-Luma), and the Irredentist Kosovo.^[7][8] Frashëri had been one of the initiators of the call for the national congress since early January 1920.^[8] He also served as one of the directors during the Congress, and was one of the political figures that dominated it together with Aqif Pasha Elbasani and Ahmet Zogu.^[9] Frashëri was elected Deputy Prime Minister,^[4] and Minister of Public Works^[10] of the government that came out of it.

In May 1920, he was sent by the Government of Tirana in a mission to Korçë, to assure that the French army there would hand the city over to the Albanian government rather than the Greek armies located nearby the border. Frashëri organized a big meeting in the town, proclaimed the unification of the Autonomous Albanian Republic of Korçë with the rest of Albania and started gathering volunteers from areas around the town to prepare a militia, in case the Greeks would try to capture the town.^[11] The Protocol of Kapshtica that followed left Korçë definitely on the Albanian side.

During the period 1921-1934, Frasheri was member of Ahmet Zogu's "People's Party" (Albanian: Partia e Popullit).^[12][13]
Frashëri was also elected member of Albanian Senate during 1925-1928. On 2 March 1925 he became senator and head of the senate, thus vice-president of the republic. On April 5 of the same year he was placed in the center of a plot in Korçë for overthrowing Zog, but still managed to stay in good relations with him. Another plot was discovered on 23 September 1925, this time organized by Zog's brother in law Ceno Beg Kryeziu. This time he was obliged to resign from his posts, but still remained in good relations with Zog, who sent him to Corfu to put down political opposition. In 1938, he was elected member of the management board of SITA, an Italian-Albanian electrical company, but died soon after.^[13]

References

1. William E. Griffith (1963), Albania and the Sino-Soviet Rift, M.I.T. Press, p. 8, ISBN 9789130033874, OCLC 246100
2. Instituti i Gjuhësisë dhe i Letërsisë (Akademia e Shkencave e RPSH); Universiteti Shtetëror i Tiranës (1981). Studime filologjike [Philological studies]. Vol. 35. Tirana: Akademia e Shkencave e RPSSH, Instituti i Gjuhësisë dhe i Letërsisë. p. 153. ISSN 0563-5780. OCLC 2268583.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
3. Ioannis Kaphetzopoulos; Charalambos Flokas; Angeliki Dima-Dimitriou (2000), The struggle for Northern Epirus, Hellenic Army General Staff, Army History Directorate, pp. 355, 492, ISBN 9789607897404, OCLC 57226491, Eshref Frasheri was in town at this time with the mission of organizing the Albanian nationalist movement in the area. He took charge of the situation with the help of Albanian notables, and requested reinforcements from the government of Tirana. At the same time he attempted to assemble forces from the surrounding area. He also requested that the French commander transfer command of the area to the Albanians.
   ...Tirana learned the departure of the French army from Korytsa and dispatched the Minister of Transportation Eshref Effendy Frasheri. Upon his arrival, the union of Korytsa with the government of Tirana was proclaimed at a mass meeting.
4. Aubrey Herbert (2011). Bejtullah Destani; Jason Tomes (eds.). Albania's Greatest Friend: Aubrey Herbert and the Making of Modern Albania: Diaries and Papers 1904-1923. I. B. Tauris. p. 352. ISBN 978-1848854444.
5. Owen Pearson (2004). Albania in the Twentieth Century: A History. I.B.Tauris. p. 162. ISBN 978-1-84511-013-0.
6. Muin Çami (1973), La Lutte anti-imperialiste de liberation nationale du peuple albanais, 1918-1920, Académie des Sciences de la RP d'Albanie, Institut d'Histoire, p. 34, OCLC 4366925
7. Sejfi Vllamasi (2000), , in Marenglen Verli (ed.), Ballafaqime politike në Shqipëri (1897-1942): kujtime dhe vlerësime historike, Shtëpia Botuese "Neraida", ISBN 9992771313, archived from the original on 2014-02-02, Pra, Komiteti nga ana e tij delegon Eshtref Frashërin për ta përfaqësuar në Kongres dhe, nga ana tjetër, për ta përfaqësuar prefekturën e Kosovës dhe Kosovën irredente, zgjodhi dy delegatë të tjerë, Hysni Currin dhe Xhemal bej Prishtinën, dy tipa me karakter të ndryshëm.
8. Sami Metalija; Enkeleda Metalija (2013-01-20), (in Albanian), Gazeta Nacional, archived from the original on 2014-02-22, retrieved 2014-02-08, Kjo ishte gjendja kur po mblidhej Kongresi I Lushnjes Mbajtja e Kongresit Më 1 janar 1920 komisioni i perbere nga patriotet Eshref Frasheri. Sheh Ibrahim Karbunara , Ferid Bej Vokopola e Nebi Sefa i drejtoi vendit thirrje për një mbledhje kombëtare. Mbledhja do te mbahej ne qytetin e Lushnjes.
   ...– Has e Lume: Ing. Eshref Frasheri...
9. Owen Pearson (2006), Albania in the Twentieth Century, A History, vol. I: Albania and King Zog, 1908–39, I. B. Tauris, p. 137, ISBN 978-1845110130
10. Owen Pearson (2006), Albania in the Twentieth Century, A History, vol. I: Albania and King Zog, 1908–39, I. B. Tauris, p. 139, ISBN 978-1845110130
11. Sejfi Vllamasi (1995), , in Marenglen Verli (ed.), Ballafaqime politike në Shqipëri (1897-1942), Shtëpia Botuese "Marin Barleti", OCLC 37228559, archived from the original on 2014-02-02, Në Korçë u formua një komitet që të organizonte mbrojtjen e vendit dhe nga çdo anë po mblidheshin vullnetarë. Ndërkohë, ikja e francezëve vazhdonte përditë, por e ngadalëshme. Qeveria e Tiranës, e dalë nga Kongresi i Lushnjës, kishte dërguar në Korçë si përfaqësues të saj Eshref Frashërin. U organizua një miting i madh, në të cilin mori pjesë gjithë populli i qytetit dhe i fshatrave. U mbajtën fjalime të zjarrta nga ballkoni i Bashkisë. Përfaqësuesi i Qeverisë së Tiranës shpalli solemnisht bashkimin e Korçës me Tiranën. Populli, i cili pjesërisht ishte i armatosur, u betua se do të mbronte Korçën nga invadimi grek.
12. Vincent E. McHale; Sharon Skowronski (1983), Political Parties of Europe: Albania-Norway, Greenwood historical encyclopedia of the world's political parties, Greenwood Press, p. 16, ISBN 9780313214059
13. Robert Elsie (2012), A Biographical Dictionary of Albanian History (2nd ed.), p. 149, ISBN 978-1780764313