European Forum

Tensions rise in Albania after unofficial election results of general poll

Tensions are starting to rise in Albania following the parliamentary election that was held on 28 June. The unofficial results have created some misfire and disagreement between the ruling right-wing Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the Socialists. 

Unofficial results show that the ruling Democratic Party’s coalition, the “Alliance for Change” has so far won 70 seats in the 140-seat assembly, ahead of the Socialist coalition’s 66 deputies. Third came the coalition headed by the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) with four deputies. The Socialist opposition, however, speaks of fraud and claims that in case the entire votes will be counted, the two main parties will end up both having 70 seats. ”The first truth is that Sali Berisha will not have a second mandate once the people’s verdict comes out,” Socialist leader and Tirana mayor Edi Rama said.

The CEC speaker did not give any reasons for the fact that 1 per cent of the votes still has to be counted. But within the CEC itself the opinions are quite divided. According to the Deputy Chair, there are still no official results because the counting simply has not been finished yet. Berisha  has nevertheless claimed its victory. In respond to this the Socialist party stated that the ruling party was improperly trying to influence the lengthy vote count by declaring victory before all ballots were counted. The Socialists also threatened to hold street protests. "I appeal to Berisha to abandon the idea of imposing himself on the Albanian people, unless he wants to meet and face the people in the street," said Gramoz Ruci, a senior Socialist politician.

Mr Rama also stated that the Socialists would file legal complaints about the voting irregularities in the northern town of Shkoder, where the final tally showed zero votes for the Socialists in many areas, and Berat in southern Albania. The complaint process will delay the government’s formation.

Meanwhile, the Socialist Movement for Integration, LSI, said on 4 July that it had accepted a request from PM Berisha, to join the ruling coalition. "It was the only one in the country's interest", said the LSI head and former Socialist Prime Minister Ilir Meta. He pointed out that after the (unofficial) results cooperation with Socialist Edi Rama was impossible. Criticising Meta's acceptance of the invitation, Rama called the deal "the most shameful, humiliating bazaar of the last 18 years" to create "a monster government." The LSI, which split up from the Socialists, tried to cooperate with Rama before the elections but negotiations on cooperation failed. Remarkable is that in an interview on the eve of the elections Meta had strongly rejected a possible coalition with Berisha. “It’s not only impossible but also unnecessary,” Meta said in the interview.

Final official results from the CEC are due on 6 July, after the counting by commissioners of several disputed ballot boxes.



Sources: BalkanInsight; NRC