Mufid Libohova

Mufid bej Libohova (1876 in Libohova – 1927 in Sarandë) was an Albanian economist, diplomat and politician and one of the delegates at the Assembly of Vlorë (28 November 1912) where the Albanian Declaration of Independence took place.[2] He served as the first Minister of Interior of Albania, during the Provisional Government of Albania and since then has held different government positions on nine occasions between 1913–1927, holding the positions of Justice Minister, Minister of the Interior, Minister of Finances, and Minister of Culture.

Mufid bey Libohova
Portret of Mufid Libohova
2nd, 5th, 17th and 18th Minister of Foreign Affairs (Albania)
In office
6 January 1925 – 31 January 1925
and 1 March 1925 – 23 September 1925
Prime MinisterAhmet Zogu
Preceded byIliaz Vrioni
Succeeded byHysen Vrioni
In office
25 December 1918 – 29 January 1920
Prime MinisterTurhan Përmeti
Preceded byPrênk Bibë Doda
Succeeded byMehmet Konica
In office
1 June 1913 – 24 January 1914
Prime MinisterIsmail Qemali
Preceded byIsmail Qemali
Succeeded byTurhan Përmeti
Personal details
Born1876
Libohovë, Janina Vilayet, Ottoman Empire
DiedFebruary 1927 (aged 50–51)
Sarandë, Albania
Spouse(s)Olga Schweitzer[1]
Known forFirst Minister of Interior of Albania
Lek - Albanian currency
First ambassador of Albania to Italy
Signature

Life

Mufid Libohova, son of Maliq Pashë Libohova,[3] was scion of a wealthy landowning family with the same name. In 1898, he was appointed in the Ottoman Embassy in Brussels, where he became Chargé d'affaires.[4] He served initially in the Ottoman administration and represented Gjirokastër as a deputy in the 1908 parliament of the Young Turks.[5][6] As an Ottoman parliamentarian Libohova was outspoken on Albanian issues and an example of this was a verbal exchange triggered when he mentioned the word Arnavutlar (Albanians).[7] The Ottoman speaker Ahmed Riza responded "There are no Albanians; there are only Ottomans" to which Libohova replied that "Yes sir, there are Albanians".[7] During his time in Ottoman politics, Libohova was a close ally of fellow Albanian parliamentarian Ismail Qemali.[8] Like some educated Albanians with nationalist sentiments of the time, Libohova supported the unity of Albanians from different religions under the banner of Skanderbeg and was in favour of government reforms that benefited Albanians.[9]

At the eve of the First World War, he was member of the International Control Commission that governed Albania from 22 January – 7 March 1914. Mufid Bey (also written Myfit Bey) was among the chief promoters of the Congress of Durrës that led, on 25 December 1918, to the creation of a new provisional government headed by former Prime Minister Turhan Pasha. Mufid Bey took over the ministry of the interior and justice, and later became minister of foreign affairs. In April 1919 he left Albania to take part the Paris Peace Conference and to attend to Albanian interests there. In August 1919, on his return from Paris, he stopped over in Rome. During negotiations with the Italian government, he secured Italian recognition for Albanian independence and a promise that the Italian occupation of Vlora would be temporary. It is this turbulent period of Albanian history that Mufid Bey Libohova describes in his memoirs, Politika ime ndë Shqiperi, 1916-1920 ("My Policies in Albania, 1916–1920").

Libohova would be an opponent of the Congress of Lushnje event of 1920, as part of the old-case government of Durrës together with Mustafa Merlika-Kruja, Fejzi Alizoti, and Sami Vrioni. According to Sejfi Vllamasi's (1883–1975) memories they would try to prohibit the delegates from reaching Lushnje, sometimes convincing them not to and sometimes forcefully preventing them. The opposition would culminate with the assassination of the Prefect of Durrës (and delegate to Lushnjë) Abdyl Ypi (1876-1920) by Sul Mërlika, himself cousin of Mustafa Mërlika-Kruja.[10]

In addition, he was an Albanian government member on nine occasions from 1912 until his death in 1927, holding the positions of Justice Minister, Minister of the Interior, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

A strong pro-Zog supporter, he returned to Albania from exile in Greece with his followers and financial support by the Greek government, and helped overthrow the government of Fan Noli a few months after the June Revolution.[11]

Libohova is considered the father of the Albanian Lek, since he proposed the name and was the minister of Finance when the Lek was put into force.[12] Libohova has been also member of International Control Commission,[13] which was a provisional institution since the resignation of Ismail Qemali until the coronation of William, Prince of Albania, and the first ambassador of Albania to Italy.[14]
Mufid Libohova was born in 1876, Libohova, Ottoman Empire and died in February 1927 in Sarandë, Albania.[15] His first wife (married in 1898) was Sheref Hanëm Giritli Zade, a Turkish woman. His second wife Olga, of Danish origin, remained in Albania after his death.[1] Libohova had two sons, Malik bey from the first marriage and Elmaz bey from the second one.[4]

See also

References
  1. Eugjen Merlika (22 June 2014), Diktatura dhe qëndresa e gruas, kalvari në burgjet e komunizmit (in Albanian), shqiptarja.com, retrieved 19 December 2014, Olga Schëeitzer Libohova, bashkëshortja e shtetarit të njohur Myfit bej Libohova, e cila edhe mbas vdekjes së burrit, më 1927, vendos të qëndrojë në atdheun e tij.
  2. Michael Schmidt-Neke (16 November 1987), Entstehung und Ausbau der Königsdiktatur in Albanien (1912-1939): Regierungsbildungen, Herrschaftsweise und Machteliten in einem jungen Balkanstaat, Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, p. 320, ISBN 978-3486543216
  3. Ismail Qemali (1997), Vjollca Jonuz Tafaj (ed.), Kujtime, Tirana: Botimet Toena, p. 408, OCLC 41002332, MALIQ PASHË LIBOHOVA, babai i Myfidit...
  4. Myfid bej Libohova, diplomati “turk” që krijoi Lek-un (in Albanian), October 13 2014
  5. Skendi 1967, p. 361.
  6. Gawrych 2006, pp. 157, 181.
  7. Skendi, Stavro (1967). The Albanian national awakening. Princeton: Princeton University Press. pp. 362–363. ISBN 9781400847761.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  8. Gawrych, George (2006). The Crescent and the Eagle: Ottoman rule, Islam and the Albanians, 1874–1913. London: IB Tauris. p. 158. ISBN 9781845112875.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  9. Hanioğlu, M. Șükrü (2001). Preparation for a Revolution: The Young Turks, 1902-1908. Oxford University Press. pp. 314–315. ISBN 9780199771110.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  10. Sejfi Vllamasi (1995), "VI", Ballafaqime politike në Shqipëri (1897-1942): kujtime dhe vlerësime historike [Political confrontations in Albania (1897-1942): memories and political evaluations], Shtëpia Botuese "Marin Barleti", OCLC 37228559, archived from the original on 2 February 2014, Për ta vënë në jetë projektin e tyre, ata e ftojnë Abdyl Ypin në mbrëmjen e 16 janarit 1920, në shkollë, në Durrës, për një bisedim. Abdyl Ypi, pa të keq, shkon në shkollë në orën e caktuar. Salih Xhuka bën manevra të ndërlikuara në hapjen e derës së shkollës dhe po në atë çast Ypi vritet prej Sul Mërlikës, kushëririt të parë të Mustafa Krujës...
    Fejzi Alizoti, në telegramin që i bëri Rexhep Shalës, prefekt i Shkodrës në Lezhë, i shkruante që të merrte masat e nevojëshme për moskalimin e delegatëve të Veriut për Lushnjë, dhe shtonte duke thënë se edhe Abdyl Ypi u vra…
    Mustafa Kruja në Durrës e bindi Hysni Currin, i cili ka patur një karakter të lëkundshëm, që të shkojë në Krujë në vend që të shkonte në Lushnjë, ku ish deleguar...
    Mustafa Kruja shkon në Krujë dhe urdhëron H. Berberin të mos shkojë ne Lushnjë mbasi Italia, simbas mendimit të tij, qenka e vetmja fuqi që e ndihmon Shqipërinë. Hysni Berberi e kundërshton dhe niset për Lushnjë, por Mustafa Kruja ia pret rrugën dhe me forcën e armëve e ndalon të shkojë...
    Myfit Libohova shkoi në Vlorë dhe, në bazë të marrëveshjes së fshehtë të Qeverisë së Durrësit me Komandën e Përgjithëshme Italiane në Shqipëri, mundohet ta bindë gjeneral Piaçentinin të merrte masa ushtarake kundër Kongresit të Lushnjës..
  11. Robert Clegg Austin (2012), Founding a Balkan State: Albania's Experiment with Democracy, 1920-1925, University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division, p. 147, ISBN 978-1442644359, Myfid Libohova launched an offensive from Greece toward the frontier of Kakavia
  12. National Bank of Albania: History of Central Bank in Albania, 2003 (you can find it online here only in Albanian)
  13. World Statesman
  14. Albanian embassy in Rome official site
  15. Mufid Libohova, nga Ali pashë Tepelena te Enver Hoxha (in Albanian)

Literature
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