Final Poll final results: DP wins, government together with the SMI

TIRANA, Aug 3 – The Central Elections Commission concluded that Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s Democratic Party and its allies came out on top in the June 28 parliamentary election.
But Berisha did not win enough with his DP and conservative coalition to form a government without the support of the smaller leftist Socialist Movement for Integration of former premier Ilir Meta who won four seats in the new parliament.
Berisha’s Democrats and its allies won 46.92% of votes, gaining 70 seats in the 140-seat parliament, according to CEC.
The main opposition Socialist party led by Tirana’s Mayor Edi Rama won 45.34% , or 66 seats in the new parliament.
Meta’s SMI won 5.56% of vote, giving it four seats in the parliament.
Shortly after the June 28 election Berisha invited Meta to join him in forming a government and the former prime minister accepted the offer.
Meta’s decision was denounced by the Socialists, who have complained of irregularities and fraud in the elections, saying the results were “ưolitically unacceptable.” Rama said they will start all democratic forms of protests without specifying how. The socialists are to hold their extraordinary convention at the end of the month.
Berisha has dismissed the claims as “ơbsurd”, while monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, gave the elections cautious praise.
The OSCE/ODIHR is to produce its final report eight weeks after the CEC gives its final results.
The group said there were some violations, however, in spite of the overall improvement. They also complained especially of political interference.
An election without major disruptions is considered a step forward for Albania, where violence has marred all six previous polls since the collapse of the hard-line communist regime in 1990.
Running clean elections was considered a crucial test for Albania’s future chances of integration into the European Union. The vote also came almost three months after Albania joined the NATO military alliance and took its first step towards joining the E.U. by filing for membership.
Albania has already applied for candidate status since end of April and the EU is likely to consider that request later this autumn.