Opposition patches up itself to topple Berisha

TIRANA, Sep 17 – Albanian opposition decided to join their efforts and supporters in an anti-government protest Friday later afternoon to ask for the government’s resignation blaming it for the lack of security in the country following the March 15 blast in the Gerdec ammunition disposal factory which killed 26 and injured 300 people.
Following a letter request from the main opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama, all leaders of the opposition political groupings met Wednesday to discuss only on efforts to topple Democratic Party government’s Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
The meeting also served to heal the rift between the Socialists and the Socialist Movement for Integration of Ilir Meta that started after Socialists supported the Democrats’ efforts in parliament to make constitutional amendments for the voting system, turning it from a partial majority into a regional proportional one.
The new system not only displeased all the smaller political parties but also openly created the gap between Rama and Meta.
Wednesday’s meeting also had a few other surprises.
The Human Rights Union Party, now a government coalition member, also took part at the meeting. Its leader Vangjel Dule said that it was normal for his party to coordinate efforts with other political groupings ahead of the general elections next year, though he did not say if his party would be a participant at Friday’s rally. Dule’s party has often expressed against government policies. It should also be reminded that this party was also a partner at the previous Socialists’ coalition government.
While Neritan Ceka of the Democratic Alliance, until recently part of the opposition coalition, expressed himself against participating in such meeting which he considered of “hunting’ purposes.
But other than a joint decision to protest against Berisha, the meeting could be hardly said to have reached any other conclusion on likely partnership for next year’s general elections.