TIRANA, Feb. 4 - Albanian President Bamir Topi invites squabbling political parties to sit at a negotiating table to resolve allegations of vote rigging and the political fight over that which has practically blocked all developments in the country.

Albania's opposition Socialist Party of Tirana Mayor Edi Rama has boycotted the parliament and holds nationwide anti-government protests claiming Democratic Party's Prime Minister Sali Berisha manipulated vote counting at last year's parliamentary elections in several areas. The government says the re-count would be illegal.

The conservatives and their allies won 75 of parliament's 140 seats in the June 28 elections; the Socialists and an ally 65

The president said he will hold preliminary talks with political leaders and the international community "to prepare terms of negotiations of a joint round-table," according to a statement released Thursday.

That is exactly what the international community and also many voices int eh country had long said. The president should really get involved in his role of mediator as he is formally above the political parties.