Parliamentarians end hunger strike

TIRANA, Nov 19 – Ten Albanian lawmakers ended their eight-day hunger strike finding no way out at the parliament that was set to approve a new election law and officials hadn’t given in to their demands.
The 10 hunger strikers are members of the small parties _ opposition Socialist Movement for Integration and Socialist Party 91, and the governing coalition partners Christian Democrats _ which they said would suffer under the new law that assigns seats to the 140-seat parliament based more heavily on regional preference.
The law was passed easily late Tuesday with the support of Albania’s two largest parties.
Ilir Meta of the SMI, one of the hunger strikers, said they were determined to continue the democratic fight against the new code with protests and other diplomatic tools.
“This is a crime against the constitution and democracy,” Meta, unshaven and looking tired, told a crowd of protesters who chanted “Shame” outside the parliament building.
The minor parties led by former Prime Minister Ilir Meta complain the law favors the two biggest parties because electoral commissions will be controlled by bigger rivals as part of the changes.
Meta suspects the new system could be used to rig parliamentary elections scheduled for next year.
Nard Ndoka of the Christian Democrats also blamed Democratic Party leader and Prime Minister Sali Berisha of breaking the deal between their two political parties.
“You are approving the code of theft and are undermining the 2009 elections,” said Ndoka, a former ally of Prime Minister Sali Berisha and part of his cabinet as health minister until July.
There was also hinted they gave an end to the strike following intervention from the country’s president.
Minor parties believe the new regional system of proportional representation will greatly reduce their number of seats at next year’s general election.
General elections are due next year.