Tuk Jakova


Tuk Jakova was an Albanian politician in the People's Republic of Albania. He served as Chairman of the Constituent Assembly, Minister of Finance, Minister of Interior, and twice as Vice-Prime Minister.

Political career

In November 1941, Jacova attended the first and founding conference of the Party of Labor of Albania as a representative of the Shkodër group of Communists. Other members of the Shkodër group were Qemal Stafa and Liri Gega.
From March 25, 1946 until later that year, Jakova served as Chairman of the Constituent Assembly.
On 4 March 1947, Jakova arrived in Belgrade, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to serve as minister to Yugoslavia. By 1 June 1948, Jakova was serving as Minister of Industry.
In the government reshuffle on 4 July 1950, Jakova was appointed Minister of the Interior and Vice-Prime Minister. Hysni Kapo, Spiro Koleka, and Spiro Pano also served as Vice-Prime Minister.
On 23 July 1953, in a joint meeting of the plenum of the Central Committee of the Party of Labor, the Albanian Council of Ministers, and the Presidium of the National Assembly, the government of Albania is restructured. During this meeting, Jakova was appointed the Minister of Finance.
On 20 July 1954, Jakova was re-appointed Vice-Prime Minister.
He was President of the Soviet–Albanian Friendship Society until 1951 and President of the General Council of the Syndicate Union of Albania from 1945 to 1947.

Opposition to Enver Hoxha

In the mid-1950s, Jakova began to position himself in opposition to Enver Hoxha, then the Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania. On 4 April 1955, during a private meeting in Rome, Jakova and Bedri Spahiu attacked Enver Hoxha's harsh rule over Albania. On 17 June 1955, during the Fourteenth Plenum of the Central Committee of the Albanian Communist Party, Jakova and Bedri Spahiu publicly voiced strong opposition to Enver Hoxha, creating a fight within the Party. Hoxha replied by accusing Jakova of being connected to the Roman Catholic church. The Fourteenth Plenum ended with the passing of a motion to expel Jakova from the Central Committee and remove him from his government position.
On 24 June 1955, Jakova was replaced in his role as Vice-Prime Minister by Koço Theodhosi. He was subsequently arrested and sentenced to 25 years in jail. He later died in the custody of political police.
The purge of Jakova was endorsed by the members of the Party of Labour of Albania at the Third Congress of the Party, which occurred from 25 May to 3 June 1956.